In my years as a bible-toting, church going Christian, I was taught things like how human reasoning is weak and unreliable, and that I can't even begin to solve life's most difficult problems..e.g...human suffering, human nature, etc., because, according to the bible, my own wisdom is "foolishness"(compared to God's wisdom).
In short, your and my wisdom is "worldly", and therefore, it is pretty much useless, according to the Christian philosophy. God's wisdom, on the other hand, is reliable, and therefore, our faith should be in God, not man.
So, just let that sink in a minute. Yes, let that sink in, and then think about when and where we use our own "wisdom", aka, our own reasoning and intellect, and then think about how and why we trust our own reasoning and intellect.
Done? Okay, now think about the frequency with which this "trust" happens throughout our daily lives.
Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I trust my own wisdom and reasoning because they actually work most of the time. Does my own wisdom let me down occasionally? Yes! Of course! But just because a function or process isn't perfect; just because a function or process isn't successful 100% of the time, that is no reason to scrap that function or process. Good grief, if we scrapped something just because it fail us occasionally, then no one would drive an automobile, because, oh, those things break down.
Speaking of cars, my own wisdom tells me that wearing a seat belt and following the rules of the road is the safe way to go. If the religious alternative is to have faith in God, why then do you suppose that believers wear seat belts if God is sovereign and in total control? Your fate, as a believer, is presumably in God's hands, right? Right, God has "a plan". Yes, you are to trust God's wisdom and the fact that he is "Sovereign", knows best, and that you are part of his perfect "plan"
So, two-part question: 1) why don't Christians use "prayer" exclusively when it comes to arriving safely at their next destination when traveling? And furthermore, 2) if unadulterated, everlasting eternal bliss is just a head-on crash away, then, well, what's the problem with not strapping in? Why adjust your review mirrors? Why check your tire pressure before a long trip?
- why lock your house when you leave?
- why go get doctor's checkups?
- why go get teeth cleanings?
- why purchase home protection?
- why look both ways before crossing the road?
- why not give your SSN to the "IRS guy" on the phone?
- why throw the Watch Tower literature in the trash?(if you're not a Jehovah's Witness)
- why have a surge protector in case of a lightening strike?
- how do you know that planet earth doesn't sit on the back of an overgrown turtle?
- how do you know that Tom Cruise is deluded when it comes to Scientology?
- how do you know that Muhammad didn't really hop on a winged pony and fly off into the clouds?
- how do you know that Jack'n the Beanstalk isn't based on a true story?
- how do you know that large-footed community gorillas aren't traipsing around the North East?
- how do you know that Cleo doesn't really know the future?
If you are a Christian, I contend that the answer to the above "why" set of questions is that you do not sincerely believe that God knows what's best for you. No, you don't sincerely believe that God is your "copilot", or at least, your actions do not coincide with that belief. Sure, just as I liked and agreed with "God's Plan" where it benefited me, the truth is, I questioned and second-guessed that "plan" when it did not benefit me, just like you do. Eternal bliss? A part of you does not really believe it. If I'm wrong, then why the seat belt?
From my POV, it seems your "faith" is nothing more than "hope", and please note, I absolutely, positively am not saying that having "hope" is a bad thing; I'm saying, have all the hope you'd like, but don't tell me that in matters of "hope" that said hope is in support of facts or knowledge(unless that you can demonstrate it). And perhaps most of all, please don't disparage me when I use my own wisdom to determine that your religion is likely untrue, when you sit there and use your own wisdom to determine the other guy's religion is not true.
I further contend that, if you are a Christian, the way that you arrive at the answers to the above "how" set of questions is that you use, yes, your own wisdom. Yes, that's right, you know that Tom Cruise is a nut-job; you know that Muslims are deluded, and you know these things, not because of any "faith" in a supreme being our reliance upon that being's wisdom, but because of your own god-blessed(no pun) wisdom.
Whether you are a Christian theist, a Muslim theist, or whatever theist, you use your "faith" selectively. For every facet of life except where you claim to need "faith", interestingly, your own wisdom works fine and dandy. I don't write this to disparage believers or insinuate that they are stupid; I only write it because, if you are going to go around disparaging those who use their "own wisdom", then you're going to have to not mind looking a bit foolish, and further, I guess you should become accustomed to being called out.
"Faith is for believing what you know ain't so" ~ Mark Twain
6 comments:
It gets really interesting when you point out that believers are relying on their own wisdom to believe in the first place. They believe because they've read the scriptures and relied on...wait for it....their own wisdom to interpret them. Of course, they'll tell you that's the Holy Spirit guiding them. What with some 30,000+ flavors of Christianity, all believing wildly different things, and all claiming to have the right interpretation, how can it be anything other than them leaning on their own understanding? If it's a Holy Spirit he's a real trickster, that one.
"What with some 30,000+ flavors of Christianity, all believing wildly different things, and all claiming to have the right interpretation, how can it be anything other than them leaning on their own understanding?"
Yes, great point, and thoroughly damaging to their claims of being in possession of knowledge that's exclusive to them. The members of these 30,000+ denominations/split-offs can't seem to see eye-to-eye on any issue, for instance, the social issues of today..e.g..abortion, war, right to die, same sex marriage, etc., etc., but yet, each one will claim that they are led by this "Holy Spirit" fellow.
I'm more inclined to believe that the "Holy Spirit" bit is all a bunch of guano than I am to believe that the creator of the universe is a trickster = )
This reminds me of a video I think I posted at some point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVuw1wEuaAQ
Boomslang: I note a parallel with my upbringing, in a not-regularly churchgoing but strong Protestant-oriented environment. A difference is that my doubts arose and in a very short time became enough at the age of 17 to turn my back on religion. - I would like to make a short comment on the Introduction to your blog: as kids are concerned here, I always prefer to say that bible lessons etc. are 'brainforming', rather than "brainwashing". Regards.-
Why the hurry? I apologize.
Please read: ... my doubts arose and ... became strong enough...
"A difference is that my doubts arose and in a very short time became [strong] enough at the age of 17 to turn my back on religion."
kop_op,
That's good that you escaped the mind-numbing clutches of religion at a relatively young age. I experienced doubt as early as 9 yrs old, but unfortunately, I was surrounded by people who believed unquestionably, so I was told that "doubt" was bad and to just have more "faith". Had I had access to the world wide web at the time, I likely would have deconverted much sooner. Thx for chiming in.
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