(Imported From The Spirit Blade Underground Facebook Group Topics)
Here's a fun one to toss in the ring for discussion:
What does it mean to be "rational"?
In the debate over God's existence, this word shows up quite often on both sides of the table. Each individual believes that their viewpoint is "rational" and the other's viewpoint is not.
So why don't we go ahead and create a baseline by which we can all seek truth. Whether it be on the subject of Atheism vs. Theism, or any other matter.
I'll start by getting the obvious out of the way. "Mr. Webster, if you please..."
Rational: 1. based on or agreeable to reason. 2.excercising reason 3. sane, lucid. (I'll omit the definition specific to math.)
Now how about...
Reason: 1. a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact or event. 2. a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action. 3. the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments or inferences. 4. sound judgment, good sense. 5. normal or sound powers of mind. sanity. 6. Logic. A premise of an argument. 7. Philos. a. the faculty or power of aquiring intellectual knowledge, either by direct understanding of first principles or by argument. b. the power of intelligent and dispassionate thought, or of conduct influenced by such thought. 8. to think or argue in a logical manner. 9 to form conclusions, judgments or inferences from facts or premises. 10. to urge reasons that should determine belief or action. 11. to think through logically, as a problem. 12. to conclude or infer. 13. to convince, persuade etc. by reasoning. 14. to support with reasons. 15. on account of 16. in accord with reason. justifiable. 17. with ample justification.
And finally...
Logic: 1. the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference. 2. symbolic logic 3. a particular method of reason or argumentation. 4. the system or principles of reasoning applicable to any branch of knowledge or study.5. reason or sound judgment, as in utterances or actions. 6. the consistency to be discerned in a work of art, system etc. 7. any connection between facts that seems reasonable or inevitable. (I've omitted the defenition specific to computers.)
So maybe the real question is, does a belief require complete and exhaustive proof for it to be considered a rational belief? How can we tell when a belief is rational or not?
Any thoughts?
What does it mean to be "rational"?
In the debate over God's existence, this word shows up quite often on both sides of the table. Each individual believes that their viewpoint is "rational" and the other's viewpoint is not.
So why don't we go ahead and create a baseline by which we can all seek truth. Whether it be on the subject of Atheism vs. Theism, or any other matter.
I'll start by getting the obvious out of the way. "Mr. Webster, if you please..."
Rational: 1. based on or agreeable to reason. 2.excercising reason 3. sane, lucid. (I'll omit the definition specific to math.)
Now how about...
Reason: 1. a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact or event. 2. a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action. 3. the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments or inferences. 4. sound judgment, good sense. 5. normal or sound powers of mind. sanity. 6. Logic. A premise of an argument. 7. Philos. a. the faculty or power of aquiring intellectual knowledge, either by direct understanding of first principles or by argument. b. the power of intelligent and dispassionate thought, or of conduct influenced by such thought. 8. to think or argue in a logical manner. 9 to form conclusions, judgments or inferences from facts or premises. 10. to urge reasons that should determine belief or action. 11. to think through logically, as a problem. 12. to conclude or infer. 13. to convince, persuade etc. by reasoning. 14. to support with reasons. 15. on account of 16. in accord with reason. justifiable. 17. with ample justification.
And finally...
Logic: 1. the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference. 2. symbolic logic 3. a particular method of reason or argumentation. 4. the system or principles of reasoning applicable to any branch of knowledge or study.5. reason or sound judgment, as in utterances or actions. 6. the consistency to be discerned in a work of art, system etc. 7. any connection between facts that seems reasonable or inevitable. (I've omitted the defenition specific to computers.)
So maybe the real question is, does a belief require complete and exhaustive proof for it to be considered a rational belief? How can we tell when a belief is rational or not?
Any thoughts?
Like so many parts of the Christian walk, Paeter, this requires a balance between the two tempting extremes of pure rationality and non-rationality.
ReplyDeleteI am concerned by what I see as an attitude of anti-science, anti-education, anti-rationality in too much of the modern American church ... but the right answer to that situation is not to seek all of our answers in the limited human intellect.
As I work out my salvation with fear and trembling, I try to use my intellectual gifts to learn as much as I can about God, His ways, and His world. But while I do that wholeheartedly, I also recognize that the best I can ever do amounts to looking through a glass darkly.
-- Alan
Great observation about the "Christian walk". It's so much easier to settle into an extreme and stop thinking. Liberal or Conservative, Spirit and Truth, Grace and Sanctification. "We tend to be creatures of extremes" as someone said to me recently. It's much harder to be in a constant state of discernment.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts, Alan. Thanks!