Calling all Christians...THINK!!!!

I was following a dump truck the other day on rout 70. I couldn't miss the giant end to end sign on the back that read: THINK! And so I thought! I mused about many things, but as the truck turned at the next intersection my cogitation turned toward Christianity.

There is a notion that Christians don't think. Sceptics like Sam Harris (Author of "Letter to a Christian Nation") and Richard Dawkins want to paint believers as blind, deaf, and dumb. If you don't believe me, read a book such as End of Faith and you will see that the writings of these men reek of unabashed elitism. They are smart and we are not.

Bill Maher, the director and interviewer in the documentary "Religulous", is another prime example of modern skepticism. While traveling around the world he searches for ridiculous examples of mindless, superstitious people that couldn't think their way out of a paper bag. He then paints them as "mainstream" and that is unfair. However, this is not all that bothers me. What strikes me about these modern atheists is their seething disdain for people like me...or, maybe they're not like me at all.

Since America is labeled a "Christian" nation and 1.5 billion people worldwide claim to be believers it is easy for snipers like Harris and Dawkins to point out a phony and create a caricature of Christians. Too many believers are believers in name only--perhaps grandma was a Methodist, or mom took them to Sunday school when they were six. Surely, these are not believers in the biblical sense of the word.

The Bible instructs followers to "be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2 ESV) If I had to sum it up with a word it would be: THINK!


Elsewhere it states, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15-16, NIV, italics added) Let me ask you a question. Can a Christian live out this verse without thinking? How about studying? What about debate, and discourse, and rubbing shoulders with skeptics in the marketplace? (see Acts 17)

I contend that the Christianity we need to see more of is the faith of the thinker, of the questioner, of the searcher, and seeker. We must wrestle with the facts and not be afraid to hold our beliefs up to the light. Can what we believe be proven empirically? No, but neither can Evolution be proven as fact. True Christianity is a reasoned out faith concluding that out of all the possibilities, this is the most probable solution!

Let me offer an exception to what I've written. There are good Christians who have a propensity to live with a simple version of the faith. They are not to be included with the thoughtless masses. They have come to practical conclusions and are content because their faith works just fine. If questioned, they often do not have answers, but will take up the initiative to find them. I admire these people.

To me a cardinal sin is believing something you have not thought about. It does not matter what kind of mind you have. Do you know why you believe what you believe?

You will be glad to know that there are far more brilliant Christian thinkers than me. Here are just two examples:

Dallas Willard http://www.dwillard.org/

Ravi Zacharias http://www.rzim.org/

I commend them to you.