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T
ITA.
It seems to me that there is a tendency among some Christians, especially those among the evangelical flavors, to stop thinking once they get "born again," shut off the brain and just blindly follow whichever church they happen to belong to tells them, and how they've been taught to interpret Scripture. This is certainly not true for ALL Christians, and not even all evangelical Christians; I'm simply reporting what I've seen in my own personal experience.
Among other branches of Christianity -- some Catholics, a lot of main-line Protestants, etc. -- there is more of a culture of challenging the mind. Growing up Lutheran, I was not only allowed but encouraged to question everything. If I disagreed with my pastor on something he said, he would say, "Okay, tell me what you think and why." He wouldn't shut me down and tell me I was wrong, he would allow me the room to make my own theological discoveries. If what I was coming up with was absolutely unsound doctrine, he would remind me of the correct doctrine, and point to Scripture to support it. More often than not, though, so many of these questions, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. There is grace, and God's is ever abundant, so why should ours not also be?
The Episcopal Church, of which I am now a member in good standing, had an excellent campaign running several years ago. One of their spots said, "Jesus wants your heart, not your brain." I don't know if it was successful in bringing lots of people into the church, people who were turned off by the churches that seems to want you to stop thinking once you joined, but who still wanted someplace where they could meet Jesus. I know it gave me great respect for them, as a church, and is part of the reason why I am there now.
FWIW, this "use your brain" attitude is far more traditional than "shut off your brain and blindly follow what your preacher says." The Jewish tradition was always questioning. Push, argue, debate. You even see it in Genesis. The Talmud is one of the only documents -- and the only of its time -- that actually published the "minority report," where the rabbis whose opinions didn't win still got air time (or, I guess, papyrus time). And with the exception of some swatches of history, the Christian Church has also usually encouraged learning, education, and thoughtful reflection on the Word. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the evangelical movement is a new-age fad, barely 100 years old. It is not traditional Christianity. It may last, but it has several centuries to go before it can really challenge traditional Christianity on such grounds.
(You might as well leave that soap box up, I'm sure I'll need it again.)
It seems to me that there is a tendency among some Christians, especially those among the evangelical flavors, to stop thinking once they get "born again," shut off the brain and just blindly follow whichever church they happen to belong to tells them, and how they've been taught to interpret Scripture. This is certainly not true for ALL Christians, and not even all evangelical Christians; I'm simply reporting what I've seen in my own personal experience.
Among other branches of Christianity -- some Catholics, a lot of main-line Protestants, etc. -- there is more of a culture of challenging the mind. Growing up Lutheran, I was not only allowed but encouraged to question everything. If I disagreed with my pastor on something he said, he would say, "Okay, tell me what you think and why." He wouldn't shut me down and tell me I was wrong, he would allow me the room to make my own theological discoveries. If what I was coming up with was absolutely unsound doctrine, he would remind me of the correct doctrine, and point to Scripture to support it. More often than not, though, so many of these questions, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. There is grace, and God's is ever abundant, so why should ours not also be?
The Episcopal Church, of which I am now a member in good standing, had an excellent campaign running several years ago. One of their spots said, "Jesus wants your heart, not your brain." I don't know if it was successful in bringing lots of people into the church, people who were turned off by the churches that seems to want you to stop thinking once you joined, but who still wanted someplace where they could meet Jesus. I know it gave me great respect for them, as a church, and is part of the reason why I am there now.
FWIW, this "use your brain" attitude is far more traditional than "shut off your brain and blindly follow what your preacher says." The Jewish tradition was always questioning. Push, argue, debate. You even see it in Genesis. The Talmud is one of the only documents -- and the only of its time -- that actually published the "minority report," where the rabbis whose opinions didn't win still got air time (or, I guess, papyrus time). And with the exception of some swatches of history, the Christian Church has also usually encouraged learning, education, and thoughtful reflection on the Word. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the evangelical movement is a new-age fad, barely 100 years old. It is not traditional Christianity. It may last, but it has several centuries to go before it can really challenge traditional Christianity on such grounds.
(You might as well leave that soap box up, I'm sure I'll need it again.)
A
yep i was thinking the same thing. the title is just propaganda since it includes "those who had no religious affiliation" in the same group as the "born-again" Protestant or Catholics.... there are born again Catholics? mmm interesting..
either way the article is just fluff and not very "scientific"
either way the article is just fluff and not very "scientific"