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"Blind Faith": Difference between revisions
→Isn't blind faith good?
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[[File:Blind_faith.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Matt 15:14 ...when one blind man leads another, both fall into a ditch.]] | |||
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Some message believers look at the evidence of [[Failed Prophecies]] that we and others have presented and state "You just don't believe" and then advocate a kind of "blind faith" that requires true believers to ignore any negative evidence. | Some message believers look at the evidence of [[Failed Prophecies]] that we and others have presented and state "You just don't believe" and then advocate a kind of "blind faith" that requires true believers to ignore any negative evidence. | ||
=Isn't blind faith good?= | ==Isn't blind faith good?== | ||
Message believers are hesitant to embrace an evidential faith. They think faith that requires evidential support as weak and inferior, while blind faith (a faith that simply trusts without question) is the truest, most sincere, and most valuable form of faith that we can offer God. | |||
When Jesus presented Himself to Thomas, He made an important statement that is occasionally offered as an affirmation of some form of “blind faith”: | When Jesus presented Himself to Thomas, He made an important statement that is occasionally offered as an affirmation of some form of “blind faith”: | ||
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Without any other context to understand what Jesus believed about the relationship between evidence and faith, this single sentence (“Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed”) does sound like an endorsement of faith independent of evidential support. But context changes everything. Like other declarations offered by Jesus, this statement has to be reconciled with everything else Jesus said and did before we can truly understand what He believed about the role of evidence. | Without any other context to understand what Jesus believed about the relationship between evidence and faith, this single sentence (“Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed”) does sound like an endorsement of faith independent of evidential support. But context changes everything. Like other declarations offered by Jesus, this statement has to be reconciled with everything else Jesus said and did before we can truly understand what He believed about the role of evidence. | ||
== | Yet Jesus also seemed to have a high regard for evidence. In John 14:11, He told those watching Him to examine “the evidence of the miracles” if they did not believe what He said about His identity. Even after the resurrection, Jesus stayed with His disciples for an additional forty days and provided them with “many convincing proofs” that He was resurrected and was who He claimed to be (Acts 1:2–3). Jesus understood the role and value of evidence and the importance of developing an evidential faith. It’s time for all of us, as Christians, to develop a similarly reasonable faith.<ref>J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels (Colorado Springs, CO: DavidCCook, 2013).</ref> | ||
==The Apostle John thought evidence was important== | |||
As it turns out, the Apostle John wrote more about Jesus’ evidential approach than any other Gospel author. According to John, Jesus repeatedly offered the evidence of His miracles to verify His identity and told His observers that this evidence was sufficient: | As it turns out, the Apostle John wrote more about Jesus’ evidential approach than any other Gospel author. According to John, Jesus repeatedly offered the evidence of His miracles to verify His identity and told His observers that this evidence was sufficient: | ||
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:''Dear Theophilus: In my first book I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles. For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive... <ref>Acts 1:1-3 Good News Translation (GNT)</ref> | :''Dear Theophilus: In my first book I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles. For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive... <ref>Acts 1:1-3 Good News Translation (GNT)</ref> | ||
Luke's testimony shows that Jesus clearly understood the value of evidence and continually provided “many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:2-3) to His followers so they could record their observations and change the world with their testimony. Jesus commended this process. His words to Thomas were not an affirmation of “blind faith” | Luke's testimony shows that Jesus clearly understood the value of evidence and continually provided “many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:2-3) to His followers so they could record their observations and change the world with their testimony. Jesus commended this process. His words to Thomas were not an affirmation of “blind faith”<ref>Parts of this article were adapted from an email by J. Warner Wallace, the author of ''Cold-Case Christianity'' - [http://www.str.org/ Stand to Reason]</ref> | ||
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Parts of this article were adapted from an email by J. Warner Wallace, the author of ''Cold-Case Christianity'' - [http://www.str.org/ Stand to Reason] | |||
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