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Reason and Faith: Difference between revisions
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How do you destroy or demolish arguments? With better arguments and reasoning... that's exactly what Paul did with the Jews in the synagogues that he visited. | How do you destroy or demolish arguments? With better arguments and reasoning... that's exactly what Paul did with the Jews in the synagogues that he visited. | ||
Paul | William Brnham said: | ||
:''That's how you know God is by faith, NOT BY REASON. Your reason power within yourself, but faith comes from God. Faith is something that's born in you, something that God gives you. "And it's the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not REASONED." Hallelujah.<ref>54-1024 THE.UNPARDONABLE.SIN_ JEFFERSONVILLE.IN</ref> | |||
William Branham changes scripture (again) to suit his anti-intellectual bias. | |||
But what Paul actually said is that “we live by faith, not by sight.”<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Co 5:7</ref> Paul never says, “We walk by faith, not by reason.” Paul never says, “We walk by faith, not by thinking,” because faith and reason, faith and thinking are not opposed to each other. Faith and sight are opposed to each other, because faith is being controlled by the truth.<ref>Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).</ref> | |||
Another favorite for the "blind-faith" crowd is the story of doubting Thomas in John 20:24-29: | |||
:''Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” | |||
:''Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” | |||
Anytime someone asks for rational support for a belief, they are accused of being a "doubting thomas" and liken their own blind faith as the model that Jesus says was "blessed." | |||
But note that Thomas was not satisfied to have trust or faith even in the first hand, eye-witness accounts of his peers, he wanted EMPIRICAL evidence, to SEE with his eyes, to FEEL with his hands. This is the very epitome of the Natural Scientism worldview, if it can't be observed, handled, tested, etc, then it isn't believable. | |||
Yet Paul says we walk by faith, not by sight. Every single believer who has lived on the Earth who has put his faith in the objective, historical reality of Jesus' death and resurrection and the recorded witness of that event qualifies under Jesus statement: "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Again, Jesus did NOT say: "blessed are those who have not THOUGHT and yet believed." | |||
=What is the relationship between faith and reason?= | =What is the relationship between faith and reason?= | ||