The Courage to Question: Why Leaving Religious Pyramids Isn't Rebellion

This morning I was reflecting on a conversation I had years ago with a pastor who looked at me with genuine concern and said, "Susan, I'm worried you're becoming rebellious against God's established order." He wasn't being mean-spirited. He was sincere, deeply committed to what he believed Scripture taught about authority and submission. But his words revealed something profound about how we've been conditioned to think about questioning religious structures.

Somewhere along the way, we've confused loyalty to God with loyalty to human systems. We've been taught that questioning established religious hierarchies equals rebellion against God Himself. But what if the opposite is true? What if remaining silent in the face of systems that contradict Christ's example is actually the rebellion?

The Difference Between Rebellion and Reformation

True rebellion seeks to tear down for selfish gain. It's motivated by pride, anger, or the desire to be in control. Reformation, however, seeks to restore something to its original design. It's motivated by love for God and His people.

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees, was He being rebellious? When He overturned the money changers' tables in the temple, was that insubordination? According to the religious establishment of His day, absolutely. They accused Him of blasphemy, of undermining their authority, of leading people astray.

But Jesus wasn't rebelling against God—He was revealing God. He wasn't destroying true faith—He was exposing how human traditions had buried it under layers of man-made rules and power structures.

"You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!" (Mark 7:9, NIV)

This is exactly what happens when we prioritize institutional loyalty over Kingdom truth.

How Sincere People Perpetuate Harmful Systems

One of the most challenging aspects of this journey has been recognizing that many people who perpetuate harmful religious systems are genuinely sincere. They're not twirling their mustaches, plotting to oppress people. They honestly believe they're serving God by maintaining what they've been taught is biblical order.

I know this because I was one of them. For years, I served in a large marriage ministry devoted to traditional teaching on submission and headship. I poured my heart into helping other women learn to submit to their husbands, believing this was God's design. I wasn't trying to harm anyone—I was trying to be faithful to Scripture as I understood it.

But sincerity doesn't automatically equal truth. Good intentions don't validate harmful practices. The Pharisees were sincere too. They genuinely believed their rigid interpretations protected God's people from sin. Yet Jesus called them "whitewashed tombs"—beautiful on the outside but full of death within (Matthew 23:27, NIV).

The Biblical Precedent for Questioning

Scripture is actually full of people who questioned established religious thinking:

• Abraham questioned God about destroying Sodom and Gomorrah

• Moses questioned God's plan to destroy Israel in the wilderness

• Job questioned God's justice in the midst of suffering

• Mary questioned the angel about how she could conceive as a virgin

• The disciples questioned Jesus about many of His teachings

In each case, their questions weren't punished as rebellion—they were honored as part of a relationship with a God who invites honest dialogue.

Even more significantly, the early apostles consistently challenged religious authorities when those authorities contradicted God's revealed will. When ordered to stop preaching about Jesus, Peter and John replied, "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!" (Acts 4:19, NIV)

Why Transformation Requires Risk-Taking

Here's what I've learned: transformation always requires someone to take the risk of questioning what everyone else accepts as normal. It requires someone to say, "Wait, does this actually align with God's heart?"

This risk-taking isn't comfortable. When I began questioning traditional interpretations of scripture about women, I lost friends, faced criticism, and endured accusations of being deceived or rebellious. But I also discovered freedom I never knew was possible—freedom to be fully who God created me to be, freedom to use all the gifts He placed within me.

The religious pyramid systems of this world promise safety through conformity. They say, "Just follow the rules, don't ask questions, trust the authorities, and everything will be fine." But Jesus never promised us safety through conformity. He promised us freedom through truth.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32, NIV).

Choosing Kingdom Principles Over Religious Comfort

The choice before us isn't between order and chaos, submission and rebellion. The choice is between God's Kingdom principles and the world's empire systems that have infiltrated our churches.

In God's Kingdom:

• Authority means responsibility to serve others

• Leadership means lifting others up

• Power flows through love, not force

• Everyone's gifts and voice matter

• Unity comes through mutual honor, not imposed hierarchy

In the world's empire system:

• Authority means the right to be obeyed

• Leadership means being in charge

• Power is maintained through control

• Only some voices matter

• Unity is achieved through suppression of dissent

When we choose God's Kingdom over religious comfort, we're not rebelling against God—we're returning to His original design. We're not destroying the church—we're helping it become what it was always meant to be.

A Call to Courageous Questioning

If you're reading this and feeling that stirring in your heart that says "something isn't right" about the religious systems you've known, don't silence that voice. That might not be rebellion speaking—that might be Holy Spirit leading you into all truth.

Yes, it takes courage to question established structures. Yes, there may be a cost. But consider the greater cost of remaining silent while God's people continue to be wounded by systems that contradict His heart.

The church needs reformers, not rebels. It needs people who love God enough to ask hard questions, who love His people enough to challenge harmful practices, who love truth enough to risk comfort.

The courage to question isn't rebellion—it's reformation. And reformation has always been the pathway back to God's original design.

What questions is Holy Spirit stirring in your heart? What religious traditions might be hindering rather than helping God's purposes? The courage to ask might be the first step toward the freedom you never knew was possible.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9, NIV).

Blessings,
Susan 😊