What you see is not always what you get or so the saying goes. These lines appear to be all different in length, but in reality, they are all the same size. Some days you can not even trust your eyes; they betray you too. Of all the senses, the eyes ought to be the ones to trust, but to no avail, they too fail us... eventually.
When we examine today's practices and theories we find a heavy dose of empiricism, and why not? After all, our country was founded on the notions of one of the first classical British empiricists, John Locke. The empiricists believed that all knowledge derived from experience, and they were openly hostile toward rationalistic metaphysics and it use of speculation and epistemology grounded in innate ideas. Locke posited the idea that the mind at birth was "tabula rasa" or a blank slate. Once born this blank slate was informed by sense experience and acts of reflection. We, as Christians, need not go any further until we resolve whether Locke was right or wrong. To often we steam roll ahead not worrying about the right or wrong of an idea. We must learn to think and debate ideas with the hope of finding God's truth and exposing it to a watching world.
Knowledge without innate ideas is not knowledge at all. Innate ideas are what breeds consciousness and morality. One of the best examples of an innate idea is the belief in God. It would seem to me (and my feeble mind) that if our mind was tabula rasa then there would never be a belief in God or even the invention of the concept of God. God is so 180 degrees different than man that the concept could not have come out of a mind that was purely tabula rasa. Why get on this pedestal tonight?
For one reason: most today believe in empiricism and believe if they say it enough, play it enough and deny it enough it eventually becomes true. They believe that multiple experiences eventually supplant truth. And here is the sad reality, we Christians are empiricists too. We believe that experience is king; we live as if it rules the day. Why is this so terrible? It is again our attempt to be God. William James maintained that "the empirically observed directly apprehended universe, requires no extraneous trans-empirical connective support," and of course by this statement he meant to rule out the perception that there can be any value added by seeking supernatural explanations for natural phenomena. That rules out all references to a Holy God. The idea that all knowledge is derived through the senses is an issue for the Christian. Yes, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, but He does not dwell in contradiction to His word. He dwells inside of us united with His word.
As I go forward, I do so studying His word with the hope that I can overcome my empiricist ways by walking a more consistent walk united with my Lord through His perfect Word.
6 comments:
Fantastic Blog!
"The idea that all knowledge is derived through the senses is an issue for the Christian" It all began in the garden when Adam and Eve sought knowledge of good and evil by that which was pleasing to the eye. Your blog makes me wonder if they would have obtained the "true" knowledge of good and evil by faith alone.
A Fan
Hmm, a very good question. Was faith enough in the garden? Was there not a covenant of works violated by the act of rebellion? Another issue to investigate! Thank you for your thought provoking responses. Blessings to you!
Hmm... I know our systematic theology labels the relationship between man and God in the garden as a covenant of works but, it seems to me that there was more of a Father - Child relationship in the garden and the children rebelled against the Father when they should have trusted / believed Him (Faith) rather than their own eyes and the words of Satan. No "covenant" needed "cutting" until sin occurred.
Either way, humanity sought knowledge by trusting their eyes (the fruit was pleasing to the eye) rather than trusting God (faith) against what their eyes told them.
Okay, let me have it :-)
No, I get it. My only question would be regarding faith without Christ. Before the fall, was the garden cultivated in faith or works? After the fall, even the faith of the greats was rooted in the future coming Christ. Stimulating! Thanks for reading and commenting!!
In the garden, before the fall, is there a soteriological difference between trusting/believing God and trusting/believing Christ? (The question is sincere not rhetorical) I realize that after the fall our slavation is necessarily dependent upon our union with the person Christ, but it seems to me that before the fall our union simply needed sustainment by faith. All faith is accompanied by works. Works in the garden has the antecedent of faith. Obedience necessarily follows that faith - but doesn't it even now (while not perfectly now) James said, show me faith and I'll show you works (my paraphrase).
Excellent point. We are called "to work out our salvation" and are told that we are "equipped for every good work." After all Paul was a tentmaker by trade and committed to working hard. Blessings!
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