Overriding Faith
I don’t know how any of you process your faith …
Actually, to be more accurate I might have to start with, “I don’t know if any of you process your faith.” I’m not trying to be demeaning by saying that, some people may see no need to go through what they believe and find out if they still believe it (or if they want to believe it). After all, it’s a nerve racking process to question the very core of how one lives. Other people may just throw reason to the wind. While reading the comments posted on an N.T. Wright article (most of the comments are very antagonizing) I came across one that simply read, “Faith overrides evidence and Jesus is truth.”
Some will most likely say ‘amen!’
I got a knot in my stomach
I process my faith. Some would call me faithless because I require answers for nearly everything, I would say that makes me faithful. I’ve been through different stages of my Christian doubting – some more serious then others. But through those stages I’ve learned that Christianity is based on historical moments where God has acted so other people can see.
Then I read a quote like the one above, “Faith overrides evidence and Jesus is truth.” And at first, I almost want to admire the person. Life would be so much easier if I could think like that, but then I wouldn’t really be thinking, would I. I know what the world thinks about such quotes, they’ll no doubt stereotype the person as a Bush voting, Bible thomping, Christian fundimentalist – then, based on that information, right the whole thing off!
And I start to wonder what god thinks about that. If He feels something like a knot in His stomach when such claims are made. Because ultimately, it’s a lie. Sure the last part is true but the first part? complete lie! Christianity is not based on some ‘metaphysical’ truth that makes it irrelevant whether the history recorded in the Bible really happened. It’s based on god acting in history, and if that history did not happen, Christianity becomes powerless.
It’s fitting that the article in question had to do with Jesus resurrection because when the Discovery Channel’s documentary about discovering the bones of Jesus (which was a complete joke!) came out I asked the question, “If it could be proven, unequivocally, that Jesus’ bones had been found, would you still be a Christian?”
The answer everyone gave me was, yes.
I was shocked … i had the opposite answer.
So I guess the question is this, when does evidence over rule faith?
I totally agree with you Adam, in our faith we need to constantly be questioning and growing. When we are faced with accusations and proding of our faith, we should have an answer as Peter says, give reason for the hope that you have. Are there some things that we must accept by faith? Absolutely. If there is evidence out there to legitimize our faith we should seek it out, and not be afraid of what we will find.
In my opinion our faith is to be fought for, we cannot roll over for the latest story, the last Bill Maher movie that comes out. We need to be like the Bereans who questioned the teaching of *gasp* the apostle Paul. Flipping Paul was questioned, and yet people sit in their pews at church with no understanding of what they believe.
As far as those believers are concerned one passage comes to mind, 1 Corinthians 15:12ff.
12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there (W)is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14and (X)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
If Jesus’ bones had been found, I couldnt be a Christian, I couldn’t be a hypocrite, if my faith is an error I want to know about not sweep it under a rug.
Your roomie
Matt
Matthew
March 26, 2009 at 2:42 pm