Episode 9. Own your questions; claim personal authority

In this episode I explore how faith and doubt can co-exist without it being a problem. We cannot have and exercise FAITH if uncertainty and doubt do not exist. When we resist, deny or ignore our questions/doubts, we are being dishonest to ourselves. We give ourselves permission to have them through acknowledging their presence. We can choose to let go of the shame that often accompanies having questions/doubts. When we release the shame, and give ourselves permission to have them, we are then on our way to owning our questions and doubts and cultivating authenticity. The ability to be authentic makes it possible to claim our personal authority which I define as part free will and also part “the light of Christ” which is within each of us. By leaning into this personal authority is how we tap into and connect w/ our inner wisdom or knowing. And ultimately this is what allows us to examine our questions and doubts, own them and even learn to ask better questions or the “right” questions. "Disciples too must persevere until we get the questions right. We are all prisoners of our preconceptions and faulty models. Those are frequently the problem in faith crisis—not the questions that arise from them." --The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest for Faith, Terryl Givens, Fiona Givens. Show Notes: “A Paradox of Faith and Doubt,” written by Joanna Mercuri, based on the examining the relationship between faith/doubt through a lecture and panel discussion by Fordham’s Center of Religion and Culture entitled: “Uneasy Grace: Can Faith and Doubt Co-exist?” (https://news.fordham.edu/living-the-mission/a-paradox-of-faith-and-doubt/); The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest for Faith, Terryl Givens, Fiona Givens; “The Beyond the Shadow of Doubt" podcast is a proud member of the Dialogue Podcast Network: DialogueJournal.com/podcastnetwork.