EVERYONE SOUNDS SMART TILL... (Objections to Christianity)

 EVERYONE SOUNDS SMART TILL...

(Objections to Christianity) 

From my last days in Secondary School in the early 2000s, I began to investigate the intellectual side of my faith versus the logic of other worldviews.

In those my personal studies that had to do with the intellectual side of my faith, I did something I may not necessarily recommend. I exposed my beliefs to the most brutal intellectual oppositions I could find.

I also studied some major religions. I didn't want to use materials by outsiders when doing these studies—outsiders usually make a certain kind of mistake when studying to disprove a faith system—I tried to consult materials of practitioners.

I don't recommend the method because not everyone may stick through to investigate the claims of a source, or have solid background to discern misinformation. But I knew that truth, if it was actually true would have been shown to be consistent. 

The good thing I got from those times was, I received vaccination to many wild conspiracy theories that are popular among those who have read one or two blogs or books by ostentatious mavericks. Usually these blogs give some hidden historical fact about what actually happened.

People who read such books and blogs often feel all Christians are stupid and are brainwashed slaves following the white man's god. They often imagine, once they mention Council of Nicaea, Emperor Constantine, the hidden gospels or some other popular conspiracy about how the Europeans invented Christianity, we will run away with our tails between our legs. That method will work on our mothers, not here!

There's a solid case for the Christian faith. Don't use blogs and books created by children or bored, old men. Consult good and RELEVANT scholarship. Even scholars who disagree with the Supernatural and large portions of the Christian faith, don't do it the way you see the enlightened folks on social media do it. (By relevant scholarship, I mean consult a historian about history not a very smart scientist).

For example, few scholars disagree about a historical Jesus, the circumstantial evidence for the man is overwhelming in comparison to some of our most revered ancient figures (eg., Socrates). All this, is me ignoring encounters and evidences of a living Christ in a myriad of personal experience. It's playing on your own turf.

Sometimes, if you have the chance, learn to ask people who make such claims questions. People who make bogus claims against the faith usually think they have a free ride.

Everyone sounds intelligent when bashing Christians until you start fact-checking them. This includes ndi industry versus church comparison—the people who by some remarkable calculation arrived at the fact that industrial activities and worship are mutually exclusive. They bypass bad governance and many other relevant matters and land on church. Really smart guys!

In these matters, there are several options. First, you can ignore these attacks and move on. Ignoring such helps us to stay focused on relevant assignments.

Then again, sometimes, it may help to call out the folly of this pseudo-intelligence. But it does not help to go on posts to lay curse on people—you're not a fowl—don't lay eggs, don't lay anything. It does not help to go on people's post to threaten them for disagreeing with your belief—this attitude seems to reinforce the idea of adherence to a faith being connected to absence of logic. If you have time, instead poke a hole in their bouncing castle or present a case.

Sometimes, you can't prove you're right in a discussion. Not because you're wrong but usually because you don't know enough of what is. And the other person has a PhD in the error they know. This calls for you to pay attention there is an abundance of resource out there.

It will save you from being that foolish "Christian" who is on every anti-Christ post, falling our collective hand by apologising unnecessarily and pandering to pseudo-intellectualism, "I'm a Christian but I..."

I dedicate this one to my very, dear Old comrade, who has always been a man of strong convictions. Today more than ever, our worldviews have become more divergent than ever but I'll keep record, you're a man of integrity and a thorough pragmatist.

For the most part, our worldviews are strongly opposed one to another but I will be the first man to defend your person and strength of character.

I wish you well.

(Originally posted on Facebook on November 2nd, 2020)