Why you believe ceartain Doctrines.

Yesterday I asked the question “If put on the spot can you give a reason as to what you believe?” The answers I received both publicly and privately lead me to realize I did not ask the question on paper the way my mind was asking it in my head. I will ask it differently here. What I was seeking to do was get us thinking about what we believe and why. Some examples, can you give a defense as to why you believe in the elect, or why you are 100% free will. Can you give a biblical reason why women should or should not teach in the church? Is the earth millions of years, or is it young. 6 day creation, Gap theory, or Theistic evolution? Those that are KJV only can you give a reason why or why not? Hymns VS contemporary music? Wives being keepers of the home or career women? Divorce tolerated or not tolerated? Is homosexuality really wrong? Does the church support the home, or the home support the church? Are there different roles for genders, or is egalitarianism supported in scripture?

These topics, while only a few, are ones that most in the church fall to one side or the other on. My goal with this question was not to have open debate on why they felt they were correct as to where they fell on an issue, but to ask themselves why. Many of can tell you they do or do not believe in the elect, but really don’t know why other than that is what they were taught. The reason for that question was simply to get us thinking, Why do I believe what I do about issues. I know personally that many times I have championed one side of an issue, only to find that when I actually searched the scriptures I was in error. Again I reiterate this is not to get people debating as to why they are correct. I ask this only to get people thinking about why they believe what they believe. Do you reject the doctrine of election because you have searched the scripture and see where it is not taught in scripture, or is it because your pastor or leaders have said Calvinism is bad. I have made it a rule, before I preach or climb on my soapbox about an issue, I must know what the bible truly says about it, and not go alone on what a pastor or Sunday school teacher has said. This is not to persuade you to think one way or the other, but to simply know why you believe the way you do.