Erwin McManus had a dialogue with Dallas Willard, a professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California, who said that "followers of Jesus Christ were required to pursue truth wherever it leads them." This drove McManus to the astonishing conclusion that: "to be true to the way of Jesus, you cannot follow with blind allegiance." He says, "You can never justify any belief or action where you consciously deny what is true, even if called to do so in the name of God. The name and reputation of Jesus have absolutely been dragged through the gutter by the actions of those who have hijacked the Christian faith."
He brings up a new tightly-fitting jeans company from Sweden that features an upside-down cross in its logo as a way to encourage people to question Christianity, which they call "a force of evil" that he blames for sparking wars throughout history. I like what he brings up next: "And while being a follower of Christ requires a life of faith, it also requires a love for truth. To represent Jesus well, we cannot live thoughtless lives."
I also appreciate what he brings up still later: "The enlightenment changed what it means to believe. To believe can mean nothing more than to agree with the data. When Jesus spoke of believing, he meant something very different. To believe is to wrap your soul around something. To believe in God has to do with trusting. What you believe in is what you trust in and, more important, who you trust."
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at January 9, 2008 08:04 AM