Rhea

I'm having a devil of a time searching - maybo someone remembers the area.

There are two (maybe 3?) passages about how one should not try to use wisdom to overcome faith. One says, "you should have faith like a child does - without question" And one says that seekers of knowledge are damned.

I think.

Anyway, I know they're there, I can't seem to find them. Anyone?

Biff the unclean

1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Rhea

Thanks! That's one of the ones I was thinking of.

Do you know what I mean about the one that says, "You're groovy if your faith is like that of a little kid"

Kilgore Trout

How about this?

Mark 10:15 "I assure you that whoever does not receive the kingdom of god like a child will never enter it."

Sounds about right... unless you have the brains of a gnat Jesus doesn't want you as a follower. I wonder why? Maybe because there is no subtance behind the story of Jesus and if you look at it using logic, you would reject it.

Rational BAC

I disagree that children have the brains of a gnat. Most I have met are very intelligent.

I think we are talking about innocence and unworldliness here.

Which can be a good thing.

Demigawd

Agreed. For good parents, it's almost instinctual to preserve, for as long as possible, these traits in our children.

Unfortunately, the doctrine of sin and savior can, and does, harm potentiality in developmental imagination. Concrete, no-questions-asked dogmas devour childhood's creativity.

Geez, I feel like Amos.

Kilgore Trout

Because of their innocence and unworldliness they believe in such things as Santa Claus. They don't ask for evidence, they just accept it. This is what I was referring to. It is OK to have such innocence as a kid, but as an adult, if you believe in things like Santa you are liable to fall prey to all kinds of false stories. Like Jesus is going to send you to hell if you don't believe he exists.

winstonjen

There's the 'fear of god is the beginning of wisdom' line, which promotes blind obedience.

Rhea

Actually, what we're talking about is believing without using your powers of reason.

And that quote is exactly what I meant.

I'm in a debate where the christian says, "but god encourages us to question and reason!"

And I say, "he also says this - which is the opposite of question and reason, by anyone's standards"


Thanks all!

rainbow walking

The christian is likely to hit you with this one:

Isaiah 1:18 _Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Which is basically saying that no amount of reasoning will trump his authority and soveriegnty so you may as well toe the line.

Obedience...obedience...obedience...and if you're a good little soldier I might even furnish clean uniforms.