Socrates stated his philosophy that “A life unexamined is not worth living”. Knowledge is not simply a key element…it is an absolute essential ingredient to form the foundations of our beliefs. Examining, and re-examining, our beliefs is also an imperative.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you— unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13: 5
I read a recent article by Mitchell Landsberg from the LA Times with an opening statement “If you want to know about God, you might want to talk to an atheist.” The article progressively expands on that statement based on a Pew research study as well as corroborating sentiments from numerous Christian leaders.
In a nutshell, Christians by and large are willing to accept their faith—but also willing to forego understanding it. This type of “blind faith” is commendable on one level, but it certainly begs the question as to how prepared you are to defend your faith if questions arise.
Let’s face it…we, as Christians, know what we know because we believe what God has told us through His word. There is also an element of “just knowing” that seems to become intrinsic once we become saved that truly is hard to put into words. To believe in Jesus Christ and what He did for us without scientific or empirical evidence is putting blind faith to good use.
Getting back to Socrates, though…to what extent should we be examining our Christian life? And why is it we are so content with not furthering our understanding? The Pew research survey pointed out that Mormons showed a significantly greater knowledge of the Bible than evangelical Christians. Does that disturb you? It certainly should.
The Christian life needs to be examined. Yours and mine included. Other people’s faith and beliefs need to be examined. Is there really any reason not to? If you are unsettled about what you might find, then you definitely ought to be examining your faith.
Do I believe it’s crucial to know all the rites, rituals and formal procedures of your particular denomination? No I don’t. I consider it absolutely vital, though, to understand why you believe what you believe. I struggle with this on a daily basis and find I am constantly questioning myself…and that’s a good thing. I want to examine my life, especially my Christianity, and understand what really makes me tick and what truly forms the basis of my faith. My days of answering “Because I just do…” when asked about my beliefs should be over. I may not concur with all the philosophies of Socrates, but I’m certainly of the same mind on this one.
Greg Morton
© April 4, 2011
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Monday, April 4, 2011
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