Theological Questions are Often Personal Questions in Disguise

The title of this post was taken from this article which was specifically about the question, "If you commit suicide, do you go to heaven?" In the article, the argument is made that outright answer of the question is wrong. A better response is to dig at the reason for the question.

And that's true in many contexts. People pose questions about theology, about the nature of good and evil, about suffering and sovereignty, and yes, about suicide. But when those questions are really, really posed, they often are not done so in a purely theoretical way.

There's something else going on.

Something personal.

Something painful.

Something driving the question.

If we are too quick to simply answer the question, then the person asking it is not served. Our information may be right, but we are failing to take advantage of the redemptive conversation that might follow.

If we embrace that there is something, something intensely personal, usually driving these questions, then a better response, rather than a dispensation of information, is to simply return the question with a question:

Why do you ask?