August 21, 2008
"Examine Your Preconceptions of Christianity"
Dear Friend,
On Sunday I shared with you the brilliant but tragic life of Bertrand Russell. I shared my opinion that his atheism was inseparable from his misconception about Christianity. Russell believed Christianity was based upon fear. But from the life of Abraham we learn that it is based upon hope.
Russell wrote: “The true philosopher is prepared to examine all preconceptions.” I wonder if we might ask ourselves three questions about our preconceptions of Christianity:
- Why do I believe what I believe? This requires us to study and read Scripture ourselves.
- Do I have life experiences with the living Christ? Christianity is more than a history of spiritual experience. It is a personal validating of the reality of Christ in our daily lives.
- How does my Christian theology influence my daily decisions? Christianity is more than a Sunday obligation. It is a world view that requires us to live by the challenging teachings of Jesus Christ.
I think there are two types of atheists: The first I call intellectual atheists. These people write books about their unbelief. Then I believe there are practical atheists. These people profess a belief in God, but sadly, they live lives very separated from the reality of God.
I aspire to be a philosopher who examines all my preconceptions in the quest to know what is knowable about God Almighty.
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
