By Rick Plasterer, Juicy Ecumenism. (Image: Unsplash)
How should Christians deal with recurring doubt? This question was addressed by Bobby Conway, Christian apologist and founder of the Christianity Still Makes Sense website and One Minute Apologist YouTube channel. Conway spoke at the Southern Evangelical Seminary apologetics conference in Rock Hill, S.C. on October 10. He is also pastor of Image Church near Charlotte, North Carolina and co-author (with Sean McDowell) of Doubting to Faith and (with J. Warner Wallace) of Does Christianity Still Make Sense?
Conway recounted highlights from his life to discuss how Christians should deal honestly with doubt. His personal story has been something of a roller-coaster of faith and doubt. After a severe alcohol and drug problem as a teenager, Conway had a conversion experience after hearing evangelist Greg Lourie at age 19. He went on to become a passionate pastor and evangelist sharing the gospel with many and earning degrees in apologetics and philosophy of religion. This was followed by periods of intense doubt, as he learned more of the intellectual challenges to Christianity and even suffered a relapse into alcoholism. His passion today is to tell people to trust Jesus with their doubts as they continue to seek answers to make sense of faith and life.
Conway said that “doubt is not simply a Christian problem, it’s a human problem.” Where there is no certainty “there’s always room for doubt.” He said that “to walk away from Christianity is only to walk into another set of unforeseen questions and doubts.” He observed that “in the Book of Jude, we read ‘be merciful to those who doubt.’” (Jude 1:22)