Q&A: Doubt Arising from Doubt in Faith
Doubt Arising from Doubt in Faith
Question
I currently don’t know whether God exists, and I’m trying to clarify things and reach conclusions.
I was born religious and until now I’ve lived a religious lifestyle.
In my current situation, where I’m in doubt about God’s existence, what should my attitude toward religion be?
Should I continue to “observe the commandments” out of concern that I may ultimately reach the conclusion that God exists? Even though there is still a long way to go, even if I do reach the conclusion that God exists, before I would reach the conclusion that Judaism is true and that one must observe the commandments.
Answer
You need to decide for yourself whether you believe or not. And even in the intermediate state, the decision is yours: whether, in your view, there is in the meantime an obligation to observe the commandments or not. No one else can decide that for you. I’ll only refer you to my column 661.