FAITH & REASON ARE COMPATIBLE

The clearest definition of Christian 'faith' is found in Hebrews chapter 11 and 1 Peter 1 and access to such faith comes through revelation NOT human intelligence.

However, I am constantly faced with the common misconception that faith is actually a form of throwing common sense and reason to the wind and believing in the unbelievable, a sort of 'magical thinking'. Human 'faith' does indeed encompass such blind, unsubstantiated belief; consider for example the 'faith' in evolution, something that masquerades as 'science' yet cannot be proved scientifically, nor can it be witnessed, nor can its theories be disproved because no one can go back in time and the only 'evidences' are 'interpreted' by those wedded to the belief, and worst of all, any contrary interpretations are decried as a heresy, and in most Western educational systems the alternatives are not even allowed to be voiced.

The real tragedy is when Christians confuse our faith with that of the human variety and the result is a form of 'ecumenically approved magical thinking' exemplified by the name & claim it cult, the 'emergent groups' and the more recent anti-church sects.

Think instead of the exhortation in Romans 12:2.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is indisputable that our protestant tradition is founded on “reason and the scriptures” – whether it’s Martin Luther standing before the Diet of Worms, C.S. Lewis apologetically defending the faith via radio waves, or Jonathon Edwards detailing the philosophical argument for the captivity of the soul – we are a community founded on the ability to reason.