I decided to do another post of the book 46 Stones by Randall Arthur.
Have you ever just blindly believed something without investigating it? I realize there are some things I will never understand so I accept them on faith. My finite mind cannot understand the infinite. But that is not what I am speaking about.
I grew up in a Christian Church (not Disciples) but had two preachers from Moody (a Baptist school). The second, a Timothy of the church, followed the 35 year ministry of the first man. When he left, I fell apart. I was ripe for the new pastor to invite me to visit a college in which I was told I could play basketball. I was also taught opposite of what I had been taught. I bit hook, line, and sinker.
The problem with that is I did it without thinking. The environment. The professors. The fellow students. The real rub, and the point of Stone #3 is this: I was not taught how to think; I was taught what to think. I was like a robot and continued to be like a robot for several years after that. It took an eye-opening event (burnout) to show me what I had become and how messed up I was. I hate to admit it but I blindly believed what I had been taught instead of being a critical listener and studier. I followed the “party line” and danced the “party dance.” It was, quite frankly, a disaster waiting to happen.
I crashed. Hard.
Then I had to rethink a lot of things. Sadly, I held onto the vestiges of that legalism until about 1994 when I read Wisdom Hunter for the second time. THAT was when I threw off the shackles of legalism for the final time. I began to think on my own. I didn’t care what the party line was or said. “Open Your Word up to me Lord. Show me what You want to show me and need me to change.” He did. I did. I never want to go back to what I once was.
All because I began to think on my own. Don’t just accept things because “you have always believed that” or “because that is what my party line is.” Seek Him. Seek His desire for you. You will be glad you did.
Think.
This is Stone 3 of my random posts about this book:
I don’t think religion and particularly Theism is designed for Thinkers. If you think about it it makes no sense and has no facts to support all of the wild claims it makes. It wasn’t invented for thinkers. Whether you take a legalistic approach or otherwise it makes no sense. 2000 year old fairy tales are not words to live by. That is what I think.
Thanks for calling me an idiot Jeff. 🙂 You have also called one of my readers, who is a scientist, not very smart also. But I also don’t consider the truth that has proof 2000 year old fairy tales either.
The fact that you make no sense to me doesn’t make someone an idiot or stupid or whatever label you want to use. I don’t use labels. I would be happy to look at the “proof” but I don’t think it exists. Until then I think it is a fairy tale.
My comment was based on how you said “religion and particularly Theism is for thinkers.” That tells me you must not think I am very smart. I do think. I have investigated. I do believe the biblical account is not a fairy tale but is true. Perhaps idiot was too strong a word and a label you might not use, but I am also a thinker.
I said it wasn’t “designed” for thinkers. That is why it was (is) very heavy on the dos and don’ts. It was designed to keep everyone in line and be upset with the authoritarian control they were under. I think it actually requires people to succumb to the gov’t. or to their masters whatever the case may be.
Until there is evidence there is no truth to it. I have never seen any evidence. Only stories.
I had a professor in my freshman year of college just lay into us after a test where nobody did particularly well. His message was “don’t be a parrot”, think for yourself, don’t just regurgitate what you have heard. That stuck with me and I definitely try to encourage that with my students.
I agree with your professor Daniel. His encouragement I’m sure spurred you on to think for yourself.
I think we need to really think things through. Otherwise we are ripe to fall for anything.
if we believe nothing we will fall for anything.
I do believe you’re right, Bill. Burnout teaches us life lessons that we’d never begin to glean if it was’t for hitting bottom and just about giving up hope of ever emerging whole.
Maybe we should write a book, huh?
I’ve been encouraged to do that Linda. 🙂 But I do agree with you about burnout.
The gift to think with the intelligence given to us is one of the most powerful things in this world. Memorizing is powerful, but thinking, really thinking, will lead us to God every time.
Yeah, I tend to believe prejudice has a lot to do with those who reject truth.
I was not taught how to think; I was taught what to think. Thats the ear mark of any cult…sad to say there are some cults that don’t know they are cults.
I think this is one of heaviest things for a teacher of any thing…to help others to think. Only a person full of pride thinks they have all the answers. I have thankful God has given all of mankind the brains and will to chose even what they will think. Good post Bill.
You are right Betty, it is a mark of a cult. And Randy would probably put his old “stomping grounds” in that circle. I used to have a reader who was abused by just such a “church” (cult) and she has not been the same. I also think my big responsibility is to not always say what people want to hear, but to challenge them to think.
When I finally opened my eyes many years ago and started thinking for myself, it was as if the shackles that bound me simply melted away. We are to become who God wants us to be, not someone else’s image of us.
Blessings, Bill!
It is a freeing moment Martha to begin thinking on your own.