Saturday, May 15, 2004
Bumper sticker
This morning on my drive to work, I saw a bumper sticker that read:
"Don't pray in my school, and I won't think in your church."
It made me defensive, a little indignant, and finally sad. I'm sad that the world at large perceives the church as something that is mindless. I'm sad that many think religion is something that requires you to turn off your mind in order to believe.
I'm a pretty logical person. I believe what I believe because I have logical reasons to believe it. My faith is not a blind faith. I believe the Bible is true because there is evidence that supports it. I believe in creation because the evidence simply does not support evolution. I could haul out my notes from J.P. Moreland's apologetics class and go on about arguments for the existence of God and the historicity of the Gospels, but I won't.
Though I believe that Christianity is true and reasonable and rational, I'm sad that the church often lives up to the perception that Christians don't think. The reactionary American Christian sub-culture fuels that perception, with Harry Potter book burnings and the like. I think that alienates many who just might be open to faith if they were offered a reasonable defense for the faith.
So, I invite the skeptic to come and think in my church. Examine the faith, and judge for yourself whether it is reasonable to believe.
1 Peter 3:15 – "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you."
"Don't pray in my school, and I won't think in your church."
It made me defensive, a little indignant, and finally sad. I'm sad that the world at large perceives the church as something that is mindless. I'm sad that many think religion is something that requires you to turn off your mind in order to believe.
I'm a pretty logical person. I believe what I believe because I have logical reasons to believe it. My faith is not a blind faith. I believe the Bible is true because there is evidence that supports it. I believe in creation because the evidence simply does not support evolution. I could haul out my notes from J.P. Moreland's apologetics class and go on about arguments for the existence of God and the historicity of the Gospels, but I won't.
Though I believe that Christianity is true and reasonable and rational, I'm sad that the church often lives up to the perception that Christians don't think. The reactionary American Christian sub-culture fuels that perception, with Harry Potter book burnings and the like. I think that alienates many who just might be open to faith if they were offered a reasonable defense for the faith.
So, I invite the skeptic to come and think in my church. Examine the faith, and judge for yourself whether it is reasonable to believe.
1 Peter 3:15 – "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you."
| posted by Barbara | 12:37 AM