Truth, tradition and interpretation.

Most of us confuse truth with what the particular group we belong to, believes. We used to talk a lot about peer pressure, and I don't really know why we still don't, because it is everywhere. I see it in the University, I see it in the church, I see it in the social groups I interact with. I see it in me.

I have mentioned some of these things before, but in terms of academia I keep coming back to a book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” by Thomas S. Kuhn. Kuhn's basic point is that Scientists are subject to peer pressure just like the rest of us, and that progress in Science is often held up because of the influence of individuals or groups that hold onto theories and opinions long after the evidence points away from them. I blogged earlier that I am not invested in the truth or falsity of the theory of evolution (November 11th 2012). My point is that whatever is true in terms of development is a description of how God does or did things. So my faith is not threatened by the theory of evolution. Nevertheless the more I read, the more convinced I am that macro evolution is incorrect.

The word “evolution” is a useful word (though a red flag to many Christians). The dictionary defines it as any process of formation or growth or development. So for example we can speak of the evolution of the airplane. The idea of natural selection is also useful. I heard an opinion recently that suggests that there is a process of natural selection among biologists. The idea being that if you do not believe in the full fledged theory of evolution you are severely hampered in career and other advances in academia! I have no doubt that there is some truth in this. And of course this then skews the “Scientific” opinion on these matters. And it not just biology, it enters into the social Sciences as the pressure to conform to politically correct doctrines. Again as I have said elsewhere, most of the so called faith Science disputes have to do with interpretation of the facts, rather than the facts themselves.

And this happens within the Faith community too. The basic point here is that we are all people and we are all, at some point, biased. We are all influenced by our environment, culture upbringing and the strongly held opinions of those with whom we have to do. I regard myself as fortunate to have been associated with a (relatively) large cross section of Christian denominations and groups. I say fortunate because the interaction with sincere believers of various stripes has helped me to see both sides of numerous issues, that far too often have divided us. What I am saying is that the same problem that I have observed in academia seems to hold true among Christians. The biggest problem that I see is that we fail to distinguish between what the Bible says, and what our group/denomination/ friends think it says. In other words the biggest differences among those who hold a very high view of Scripture are matters of interpretation.

I have said this before too, but it bears repeating. There are two equal and opposite errors here. The first is to be ever learning and never arriving at the truth of the basics of the faith (2 Timothy 3:7). The basics are identified in Hebrews 6:1,2 as “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” The other “ditch” we can fall into is thinking that we know it all, that we have arrived. Paul tells us that “if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2). And both sides can sling mud the one accusing the other of being wishy washy, the other accusing the other of giving pat and shallow answers to complex questions. Loving God with all of our minds surely involves separating the essentials from the inessentials. I do not need to separate myself from those who disagree on the thorny issue of whether Adam had a navel :-)!

Is it any coincidence that the good Lord gave us two ears and one mouth? I think not! You need a verse for this? Well okay “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). All this speaks of humility, the very opposite of thinking we have arrived. The Word of God is so deep, we will spend eternity studying it and still not exhaust it. When we think we have arrived on every issue, we miss what God is doing in the wider body, and we miss what He wants to do in our lives. When differences bring us into anger, there is surely something wrong. If I have the truth why would I feel threatened by differences? As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens man. We are meant to learn from each other, and there is so much more than any one of us, or any single group or denomination has. On top of this, if my view is correct, I will not win over the other party by getting angry! Getting angry over sincere differences is likely a sign that we should look more closely at the issue!

If you want to pray: Lord give me the grace, the love and the humility to be all that You call me to be. Help me to treat others as you would, help me to listen to others, especially those who are wrong :-)!