When this graphic (posted on an Internet atheism community) caught my attention, the first thing I thought was: Religion? Yech.
I’ve written often about the poison of “religion”. Not the dictionary version, which few people in our culture understand or care about. No, I’m writing about the version that most people think of as soon as the word is mentioned:
- People who are smug and judgmental.
- People who don’t really care what happens to others who aren’t in their religious group.
- People who are happy to welcome others into their group/church, as long as THOSE people change themselves to fit in.
- People who spend their time being angry, paranoid and opposing things, rather than supporting anything.
- People on TV who promise wealth and a good life as long as you send them money.
I follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), so I want nothing to do with this “religion”. Indeed, He doesn’t either. In the four original-source biographies of His physical life on earth, some of Jesus’s most passionate words are against smug, arrogant, rule-obsessed “religious” leaders.
So what about the “thinking” part of this graphic? It’s easy to assume it’s true because in our culture, thinking people of faith are generally ignored by the media. Indeed, some of them may face such opposition to their faith in Jesus that they keep it hidden.
But they are out there. Here are just a few examples of these faith-filled thinkers, listed on Wikipedia:
Rosalind Picard (born 1962) is a Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S. She’s also founder and director of the Affective Computing Research Group and co-director of the Things That Think Consortium. Picard says she was raised an atheist, but decided to follow Jesus as a young adult.
John Lennox (born 1945) is a mathematician, philosopher of science and pastoral adviser. His books include the mathematical The Theory of Infinite Soluble Groups and the faith-oriented God’s Undertaker – Has Science buried God?
Father Andrew Pinsent (born 1966), a priest, is the Research Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford University in England. He is also a particle physicist.
These three highly respected people think, therefore they are people of faith. This suggests the graphic that inspired this essay has little to do with reality. In the end, your level of intelligence has nothing to do with whether you believe in God and His Son.
Whether you believe in God and His Son has EVERYTHING to do with humility. A willingness to admit you don’t have all the answers (and never will, in this life); you don’t understand everything (and never will, in this life); and a realization that your life can be better, right now, because you believe in a loving God who offers this broken world the gift of His Son.
What do you think? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 
[…] Source: ARE FAITH AND THINKING COMPATIBLE? […]
I think you could say that faith and ability to think on a high academic plane are two different things, neither dependent on the other.
Christianity has a lot of arbitrary theological elements that make its defense a more difficult project in our era, when people are better educated and have access to a larger number of alternative views than was the case 500 years ago.
Yet Christian faith is hardly so shallow as Bill Maher makes it out to be. Most Christians, excepting the demagogues who are preaching it for profit, are well aware of the limitations of religion and don’t overplay their hands.
In fact, they may be more aware of cognitive limits than the atheists are, given the great faith the latter now place in science’s intellectual foundation and the arrogance with which they dismiss religion.
Faith is really an individual journey in the end, as each one of us must die our own death. That’s what distinguishes it from mere religion or mere atheism.
Thanks for your mature and very thoughtful response. I appreciate it. 🙂
Well, in my humble opinion, I think religion and politics are extensive subjects with many perspectives. For me, the best to do, in any religion, is to aim for the well-being of you and your community and the people around you. To not be extremists and be open minded as long as you know deep in your heart that God is the one that created everything around us in perfect order. We should do our best to improve a better quality of life, not to step over and destroy.
Humility is definitely the key!