Reality Check: Our Duty to Verify What We Believe | Be The 25

Send In Your Question for the PodcastWelcome to the podcast! Today we’re diving into a crucial topic that affects each of us –confirming the truth of our beliefs.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Hitting the Pause Button⏸️.  Have you ever stopped to consider whether the religious beliefs you hold are actually true? It's essential to take a moment to evaluate what we believe and why.Formation of Beliefs🌱: How do we form our beliefs, and what responsibility do we have in ensuring they are legitimate? Our beliefs often originate from various influences, and it’s up to you to examine yours critically.Understanding Truth 🌟: Let’s clarify what truth means. Truth corresponds to reality – it’s what’s real. Believing in something means accepting it as true, but just because you believe in something doesn't guarantee that it’s true or make it true.INFLUENCES ON BELIEFS:Geographic Location 🗺️: Where we are born and raised can significantly shape our religious beliefs.Family Upbringing 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦: Most of us inherit our family’s religious or non-religious beliefs. Hopefully someone up the family tree investigated them before passing them down!Authority Figures: We often trust what authority figures say, whether parents, teachers, or religious leaders or people with Ph.D’s 🎓.Education🏫 📖: School and universities play a role influencing our beliefs.Social life 👥 Our friends and who we hang out with influence our beliefs.Social media📱💻 🖥️ Platforms like Instragram, YouTube, TikTok, SnapChat and the others influence what we believe.Need to Satisfy Someone Else:  Some beliefs stem from external pressures rather than from personal conviction and freedom of choice.Emotions: 😊😢 Feel doesn’t always equal real. Just because something might “feel right” doesn’t mean it is. Mystical Experiences. 🔮 👻 💭 Extraordinary experiences can happen but they shouldn't be the sole basis for truth.TAKING CHARGE OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE: 💪Critical Thinking🧠: It's essential to critically evaluate our beliefs using logic, evidence, and different ways of knowing truth, including science and reason.Personal Responsibility🧾: Ultimately, each of us is responsible for ensuring the truthfulness of what we believe.I hope this episode encourages you to reflect on your beliefs and to pursue truth earnestly.  Remember, the pursuit of truth is part of your faith journey – which requires thoughtful consideration of what you believe and a commitment to discovering what is genuinely true. Thanks for stopping by!75% of Christian teens and young adults in local church youth groups walk away from the church – and many from Christ – after graduating high school. This is a call to Be the 25 who don't.We're here to tackle your tough questions, share relatable guest interviews, and offer practical advice and strategies so you can gain the confidence and courage you need to Be the 25. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes, bonus episodes and giveaways... and invite your friends. Need help? For additional resources, go to BeThe25.com.Experiencing doubt or have questions? Email [email protected] and your doubt or question may be selected for the show. For speaking engagements contact: [email protected] Dr. Sharon O'Hara on:BeThe25.comInstagram @drsharonoharaTwitter @drsharonoharaYouTube @BeThe25Thanks for listening! Be The 25!-Dr. Sharon