Need to response to classmate post :
Growing up in a Christian home with two Christian parents who stressed church attendance every Sunday, it was an easy for me to believe in Jesus and I accepted Him as my personal Savior at a very young age. It is difficult for me to remember a time when I was in stage 1 of James Fowler's "Stages of Faith" which is "intuitive-protective faith" (Berger, 2012). I can absolutely recal times when I was in stage 2 which is "mythical-literal faith" (Berger, 2012). During my childhood I can remember believing that if I did not pray for a blessing on my food or protection during my sleep that somthing horrible would happen to me. I have a hard time connecting my life to stage 3 which is "synthetic-conventional faith" (Berger, 2012). I must say that my values have driven me to support my family and do what I believe to be morally right, but I can never recall this being what my faith was hinged upon. I believe that I am currently in stage 4 which is "individual-reflective faith" (Berger, 2012). I absolutely believe that the strength of my faith is challenged every day and I go through a constant battle that I am fighting to uphold. I believe that my faith is personal and that I am in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and if at any time I fail to support and build that relationship it will begin to fall apart. I feel as though a struggle of mine, and something currently holding me back from advancing to stage 5, which is "conjunctive faith" (Berger, 2012), is the fact that I try and keep emotion out of my faith. I feel as though emotions can force me to think illogically and do something to damage my relationship with Christ. I know that in order to advance to stage 5 I need to "harness" my emotions and focus them on glorifying Christ. Berger states that "faith develops over the years of adulthood," and I know that my faith is still growing and Christ is still at work inside me.
Reference: Straub, R. O., & Berger, K. S. (2011). Study guide to accompany The developing person through the life span, Eighth edition, Kathleen Stassen Berger. New York: Worth Publishers.