While everyone’s faith may waver from time to time, not everyone is the Archbishop of Canterbury. But Justin Welby recently admitted sometimes doubting God.
Many religious people will often never admit that they have had personal doubts as to the existence of God throughout their journey of faith. Most will never go on to reveal this to their friends or family for fear of rejection or animosity – and so it has come as a great surprise to many that, of all people, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has revealed in a live interview that there are times when even he has doubts and finds it difficult to believe that there is a God.
The Archbishop of Canterbury made these statements during a special event that was organized in a Bristol Cathedral with over one thousand people in attendance. When he was asked about whether or not he ever had doubts, he revealed that sometimes when things in the world seemed so lost and so unfair, he would go for a run and pray to God. He also stated that at certain points in his life he has wondered whether there really is a God, and demanded that God do something.
It will come as a great relief to many Christians, as well perhaps of people from other faith groups, that a man who is so well known for his piety and his place as the leader of a religion has at some point found it difficult to trust God. After all, human beings are only human, and sometimes in the face of such hatred and war in the world it can be upsetting to think that God is not intervening. The Archbishop of Canterbury continued in the interview to state that is was perfectly acceptable to be a Christian and have doubts at the same time – but the key thing is what you do with those beliefs.