By Doug Pedersen

I'm not sure about God.

When people say this, they're really saying, "I'm not sure about the person who told me about God."

And why would they be sure?

Many of us have seen, heard of, or experienced religious contradictions. Scandals. Hypocrisy. Corruption. Power. Control. Guilt. When I was a child, our pastor cheated on his wife. It was hard to trust the church after that. Religious institutions, communities, and figures have not been perfect throughout the ages.

Bible stories can also make people unsure. I mentored a friend as he explored his faith. He struggled to believe stories in the Old Testament. Noah's ark. Jonah and the whale. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt. He couldn't even read long enough to get to the part where Jesus rose from the dead. These biblical stories can be troublesome to a modern, science-dominated, practical thinker. They sound crazy!

When in doubt about God's truth, beauty, and goodness, I say this: Go directly with God. Do s...