by Don D. Harder

t seems there is always an authority who wishes to influence the way we think and what we think. The news media states opinion as if it were fact. There are teachers who fill us with facts and figures to memorize but don't encourage true learning. Then there is the man in the pulpit who guides the congregation from his own shallow perspective while the sheep sit and without question amen their way through. The question is, "are they taught how to think or what to think?" This wouldn't be a problem if truth on any one subject could be known without chance for err. Is this really the case? So many view scripture from their own perspective and come up with so many different conclusions?

Each school of thought admonishes Believe exactly the way I do, or be damned. This leaves us with a paradox, for we can never come to any conclusion on truth or reality unless we give up our foolish over-zealousness and give an honest look at the other guy's perspective. Instead, so many are ready to condemn the other guy as an apostate headed for hell. Is this not what Jesus condemned the Pharisees for, blind adherence to handed down teachings which they guarded with tenacity? Their insistence upon revering these teachings "rendered their worship to God utterly vain (Mark 7:1-13)."

Truth, however, will not be destroyed by honest questioning or scrutiny. Questioning only confirms truth and gives our faith a greater foundation to stand on. On the other hand, distortions of truth and man-made dogma will only fall apart under such honest questioning, thus proving them to be only vain beliefs.

I will question everything taught to see which I will learn and that which I will spurn. I will question my own beliefs, trying not to be closed-minded. Likewise, when sharing my beliefs with others, I will encourage them to not blindly take to heart what I teach, rather to search out the truth. I believe one who learns by this process of honest questioning, objective thinking, and respectful challenging, is more apt to find truth and know why he believes it.

Copyright © 1996 Don D.Harder All Rights Reserved

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This page was update November 10, 1997