When Doubt Is a Virtue: Responding to Critique, Abuse Apologies, and Bad Theology
How confronting critique with humility, exploring a church abuse cover-up with honesty, and challenging toxic theology about doubt can move us toward a healthier and more Christ-like faith. Mike Erre and Andy Lara take a vulnerable and candid look at their own missteps in covering a sensitive abuse case in a previous episode, read listener feedback aloud, and respond with repentance, clarity, and conversation about power, justice, and faith. Then, a viral tweet from Desiring God becomes the catalyst for a passionate theological breakdown of what doubt truly means in the Christian life—and why it might just be a mark of maturity, not spiritual failure.
Key Takeaways: • Taking Accountability in Real Time – Mike and Andy open the show with gratitude for listener critiques, acknowledging where they missed the mark and where they can grow—especially in handling sensitive stories involving abuse and the need for women's voices. • Power, Accountability, and Apology Culture in the Church – Engaging listener concerns about the mishandling and platforming of abuse confessions in churches, including whether public apologies without victim presence signal real repentance, or merely institutional self-preservation. • Good Doubt vs. Unbelief – A passionate exploration of how the Bible differentiates between honest questions and rebellious disbelief, and why doubt, when engaged truthfully, can be an act of covenantal faith. • Challenging Desiring God’s Stance on Doubt – Deconstructing a viral take that calls doubt “slander against God” and why such black-and-white theology causes more harm than good to struggling believers. • Faith as Actionable Trust, Not Psychological Certainty – Clarifying the biblical definition of faith as allegiance and relationship—not mere mental assent or doctrinal confidence—and why mature faith makes room for lament, questioning, and waiting.
Timely Topics: • Church Too Allegations and Public Responses • The Role of Women’s Voices in Church Conversations About Abuse • The Pitfalls of Shame-Driven Theology Around Doubt • Globalization, Deconstruction, and the Complexity of Modern Faith
Resources Mentioned: • DesiringGod.org – Twitter Thread Critiqued • Pete Enns – "The Sin of Certainty" – A book exploring faith beyond belief systems • Book of Lamentations & Psalms of Lament – Biblical examples of honest doubt and faith in tension • The story of Thomas (John 20) – A deep dive into doubt as relationship, not rebellion
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