Yes, it is; but if you look at the history of Christianity; the search has not been emphasized for the most of it. Large chunks of its history (and indeed even today for some) the faithful are *told* what to believe, they are not actively encouraged to do the philosophical/theological *heavy-lifting* that faith entails.
Everytime I have a disagreement with a fellow Protestant over literalist interpretations of the Bible (Yep, the Earth was created 6422 years ago, on a Friday...never mind all that pesky physical evidence He left laying around...), everytime I bump into idiotic conflict between sects of Christianity:
"Porthos: You know, it strikes me that we would be better employed wringing Milady's pretty neck than shooting these poor devils of Protestants. I mean, what are we killing them for? Because they sing psalms in French and we sing them in Latin?
Aramis: Porthos, have you no education? What do you think religious wars are all about"
...I must wonder if the Christian church (collectively) has failed its flock through not encouraging much more than recitation.
I will grant that Aquinas, Lewis, and Geisler (to name a few) don't make for light reading; but they seem to me to be as necessary as the Scriptures themselves.
We are entreated to "put on the mind of God"...and while we are incapable of doing so completely; how many try?
It is about the search; IMHO it doesn't end with a Christian's acceptance of Christ and Christian tenents; it begins.
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Date: 2009-03-05 11:37 am (UTC)Everytime I have a disagreement with a fellow Protestant over literalist interpretations of the Bible (Yep, the Earth was created 6422 years ago, on a Friday...never mind all that pesky physical evidence He left laying around...), everytime I bump into idiotic conflict between sects of Christianity:
"Porthos: You know, it strikes me that we would be better employed wringing Milady's pretty neck than shooting these poor devils of Protestants. I mean, what are we killing them for? Because they sing psalms in French and we sing them in Latin?
Aramis: Porthos, have you no education? What do you think religious wars are all about"
...I must wonder if the Christian church (collectively) has failed its flock through not encouraging much more than recitation.
I will grant that Aquinas, Lewis, and Geisler (to name a few) don't make for light reading; but they seem to me to be as necessary as the Scriptures themselves.
We are entreated to "put on the mind of God"...and while we are incapable of doing so completely; how many try?
It is about the search; IMHO it doesn't end with a Christian's acceptance of Christ and Christian tenents; it begins.