Blogger Calls Christians, Skeptics Out on 'Blind Faith'
A Christian blogger is speaking out against his fellow believers being content with “blind faith.” The phrase “Why can’t you just believe!” is as frustrating to him as it is to skeptics, he says.
Carson Weitnauer recently addressed “The Problem of Blind Faith” on his blog, ReasonsforGod.org. In it, he posed: “Can you believe in a God you sense may be there, but who seems rationally unknowable?"
“It is definitely easier and simpler to fall back on ‘I just know’ and ‘My pastor is very smart and impressive and he says so,’” Weitnauer admitted. But he cautioned Christians against basing too much of their faith on blind acceptance.
With a job, family, volunteer service and the challenges of everyday life taking up the time and energy of many people, the blogger recognized the difficulty of researching evidence for the Christian faith. But, he stressed, “We have a responsibility to do so.”
“Many people are highly educated on why their sports team is the best in the league, their favorite politician is the one to vote for, and their preferred car brand is superior to the alternatives,” he pointed out. “If we are spending more time watching TV or playing video games than we are carefully studying reasons to believe in God, may I gently suggest that we have misplaced priorities?”
He argued that approaching Christianity with intellectual curiosity not only strengthens personal faith but also makes for more convincing witnessing.
"If you're a Christian, the presence of blind faith hinders evangelism, discourages church involvement and undermines spiritual growth," Weitnauer stated. "When Christians are not informed about the many reasons for God, their faith rests on an intellectually weak foundation."
At day's end, he highlighted, eternal salvation is too vital a topic to avoid some mental straining. By doing homework for defending the holy, he said Christians could become smarter and save their fellow man as well.
“Taking the Great Commission seriously requires that we put in the time and effort to become intellectually equipped to explain the reasons for our beliefs."
Weitnauer also offered some advice to skeptics, suggesting that they too have settled with “blind faith.”
"In general, the problem with blind faith is that if you're opposed to God, you have too many easy targets to lock down on, and this might keep you from genuinely exploring," he wrote of nonbelievers.
Weitnauer advocates that those unconvinced by Christian truth explore it with as much curiosity as possible. This entails examining the works of theology's best thinkers and applying them to one's personal beliefs. At worst, the unconverted will understand their Christian counterparts better. At best, they'll solve their lingering skepticism and enter into a fuller relationship with Christ.
"I would challenge you to raise the bar of your engagement with Christians to the highest level you can take it," he said to skeptics. "Frankly, it isn't that intellectually impressive to take the lamest arguments from your limited circle of Christian friends and infer that their relative weakness entirely discredits Christianity."