Christian Counseling and Agnosticism
Christian Counseling with an Agnostic can be a challenge because an Agnostic does not share the core faith as a Christian. Agnosticism while not denying the existence of God, questions the existence and is skeptical of any truth and finds truth in a cafeteria of philosophies that suite him one day and un suit him the next day.
When dealing with an Agnostic, one must understand the primary issue affecting him. This issue lies in the sole issue of faith. The Agnostic does not possess the theological virtue of faith. He is subdued with doubt and second guessing and is constantly in search of stable ground. His intellect or reason refuses to release the will to jump forward into the unknown.
When dealing with a lack of faith, one must attempt to build a logical ground work for the intellect to find some sense in the article being analyzed; Once the philosophy is understood, the intellect then can decide if the ideals presented or within credibility or not. Ultimately, reason can only take one so far. One must assent to the grace of the Holy Spirit to receive the faith necessary to believe. Why? The answer is simple. The simple finite mind cannot comprehend the majesty of God and only through the release of reason can the certainty of faith sweep within the soul. Man cannot save himself and must release himself to God.
This is the paradox of the Agnostic. He does not possess faith but also is afraid to accept faith. The impediments to this may result from pride in reason or a sincere fear of the unknown. As a Christian Counselor, it is important to identify what is preventing the Agnostic from embracing faith. In Christian Counseling, various discussions can lead one to discover whether the Agnostic suffers from pride or fear.
Ultimately everyone’s choice lies in free will and if the intellect and will refuse to accept a logical argument then one will not be open to conversion. Of course there have been cases, especially in the case of St. Paul, where the Lord manifests himself beyond any reasonable doubt, but for most, our Lord proclaims, “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe”.
If you are interested in Christian Counseling Courses, please review the program. Christian Counseling courses consists of core ideals that better train the Christian Counselor in the areas of pastoral care, theology and moral counseling.