A Defendable Faith

version 4 is doing these video blogs. in the latest one, he talks about a conversation that he and i had a few days ago. it went a little something like this:

me: why are you doing this? (about 60% of our conversations begin with me saying this to him.)

version 4: because.......(insert me holding my breath because he only said "because" and i wanted a real answer)........i like discussing these topics about christianity. (insert sigh of relief because i got a real answer).

me: you know this is going to get you in trouble at some point.

version 4: you know i don't care about getting in trouble. but why do you think i'm going to get in trouble?

me: because of the questions you're asking. most christians either aren't prepared to answer them or are taught to fight against them. the average christian really isn't informed about these topics the way you and i are (context: i'm in my 3rd year of seminary and he's starting his 1st).

version 4 took the phrase "average christian" and went in one direction with his blog. it made me do some reflection. why do christians get in an uproar when someone asks a question about the bible, or why we should trust jesus? why is every question that requests valid information about the faith met with an answer that is either simplistic or filled with disdain? here's an example:

the heathen: why do you believe in the bible?
the saint: because it's god's word.
the heathen: wait, how do we know that it's god's word? what evidence do we have for that?
the saint: because the bible says that it's good for all instruction!

**stop the proverbial bus**

i remember having to learn vocabulary words in 3rd grade. one of the biggest rules was that you don't use the word you are defining in the definition. so, if i'm asked, "what is a dog?" i don't say..."A dog is a dog, because it's a dog." mrs. addleson would've marked that wrong.

well, that's what what plenty of people do with the bible, god, jesus, and other things that pertain to christianity. it really grieves me because those types of answers turn folks away. yes, faith is required. and i'm not saying that christianity needs to be converted to a solely intellectual exercise. i'm also not saying that we should change the faith to be more "palatable" for those who criticize it. however, i'd rather someone say no to christ because they choose not to believe, not because we give a sub par answer.

i believe that certain areas require a different types of knowledge and understanding. some answers may work in some places. just admonishing someone to believe in christ based on your experience may be enough in a hospital room, or a street corner. but in a debate? or a research paper? no. it doesn't mean that the the scholarly enterprise is better. but it does demonstrate that we often don't have experience with others critiquing our arguments.

one of my biggest struggles with american christianity is that we are taught to have an aversion to knowledge. we urge people to go to college and pursue higher education. get all the knowledge you can...but DON'T take any classes on christianity while in school. they'll ruin your faith. meanwhile, we push people through our own pipelines of indoctrination education, which really ends up being a more in depth discussion of what you've been told every sunday morning. in a lot of these institutions, i wouldn't disagree with the endpoints of most of their views, but how they arrive there. it's not critical thought if i bash you once you disagree. that's not intellectual freedom.

by and large we aren't empowered to think critically about our faith, and we are limited in obtaining resources to help facilitate that thought. and we are losing people because of it. we are taught to think scientifically and critically about EVERY other aspect of our lives, but not our faith.

at this point, i can say that a passion of mine is discussing these issues. i sincerely believe that christianity is a rationally defendable faith. i must, because if i didn't, i wouldn't be a christian. i would've abandoned it.

i don't believe the bible just dropped out of the sky
i don't think that christian automatically equals republican
i actually don't think america was created as a strictly "christian" country as we perceive it now
i actually don't think it's cool to mistreat people who's life choices i theologically disagree with, even in the name of "holiness."

in my view, i'm a person that really shouldn't believe. i like facts, data, and rational thoughts. i'm a christian and i find it difficult to even listen to what some of my fellow believers say at times.
but i am a believer in the resurrection of christ. i've had an experience with god, then looked into the evidence, and found the evidence to be consistent with my experience.

my heart and my head are in agreement. but i believe that's what god always wanted.

"Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37


here's a two clips that inspire me. the first one is of ravi zacharias discussing the issues with american christianity.

the second is tom wright giving a message to the next generation: