For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing
Just read this post by P Z Myers and the following Scripture leapt to mind:
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
P Z Myers states:
……there can be no god evidence, so let’s stop pretending the believers have a shot at persuading us.
Persuading them to what? Presumably faith.
As I asserted yesterday it would seem that humans are actually ‘wired’ for belief not based on deducible evidence. Is not the very essence and definition of true faith:
Belief that is not based on proof
Or put another way:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
So in one sense P Z Myers is correct in his assertion. If we could prove the existence of God with unequivocal certainty based on objective, repeatable, measurable, observable, natural, evidence, then there would be no need for faith and it would be no faith whatsoever.
It is my contention that the attempt to prove with objective evidence the existence of God is folly as the recipient would be left with no faith anyway.
It is the total misunderstanding of the concept and essence of our ‘faith’ – on all sides – which is perpetuating inane altercations between Atheists and Christians
October 10th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Webmaster.
I can’t agree with your assertion that it would seem that humans are actually ‘wired’ for belief not based on deducible evidence. (I assume you mean all humans, and we are talking about belief in the supernatural).
Surely what PZ Myers argues is that some of us are not wired that way, (and I include myself), and we should stop pretending that we might be persuaded to change our minds. He’s asking us to be honest, even if that brings us into philosophical conflict with believers.
Indeed for many of us it is a mamoth task casting off all the supernatural “wisdom” pumped into our heads as small children – but when we achieve it, there appears to be no going back.
October 10th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Thanks for that input Jim, I agree that P Z Myers is asking for honesty.
Surely what PZ Myers argues is that some of us are not wired that way, (and I include myself)
That is interesting and I shall give that some more thought.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
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