"Many pastors fear that if they were honest, they would be fired..They probably would be"

Derek Flood:

Many pastors fear that if they were honest with their congregations about their doubts they would be fired, and the sad fact is: They probably would be. Not fired for some moral indiscretion mind you. But fired for being honest, fired for taking a stand of integrity. Those in the pews are no different. I can't tell you how many emails I've gotten from people who tell me stories of how they've been given the clear message that their questions are not welcome, and if they keep asking these questions they wont be welcome either. The same is true of seminary professors who are often reluctant to honestly pursue their studies, knowing that if they stick their neck out too far, it might get cut off. So while they should be pursuing truth, they can't. Otherwise they put their livelihood and the well-being of their family in jeopardy.  -By Derek Flood, continued here