Replies

Do I believe that faith can contradict reason?

= = =

I think contradict is a very unfitting and inappropriate word that does not apply.

The diamond is large. There are innumerable facets that our finiteness comprehends a rather finite set of.

Eternity will reveal at least much more of the diamond and resolve a lot of SEEMING contradictions that are not at all contradictions from God’s standpoint.

A lot of seeming contradictions will turn out to be BOTH/ANDS which seem contradictory in this time/space dimension but which are not when the spiritual is included.

I think Alamo-Girl and betty boop have a much better handle on such things than I do.

Thank you all so much for sharing your insights!

Do I believe that faith can contradict reason?

Absolutely!

My first reaction was that if one believes that faith cannot contradict reason, he will not experience miracles. Hebrews 11 includes many examples, and here are a few more:

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? – Matt 14:29-31

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. – Matt 17:19-20

And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. – Mark 11:21-25

Another example is predestination and free will. God speaks both prophesies and commandments in Scripture. Both are true because God spoke them. The Aristotlean Law of the Excluded Middle (either/or) does not apply to God.

Reason and faith are complementary. But reason cannot substitute for faith.

Reason also does not substitute for Spiritual discernment or divine revelations.

For instance, reason didn’t help Nicodemus (John 3) to understand that we must be born again. Nor did it help all those disciples who walked away (John 6) when Christ told them He is the bread of life, that we must drink His blood and eat His flesh. Both Truths can only be Spiritually discerned.

Likewise, that Jesus Christ is Lord is a divine revelation. Teeth-gritting, covering one’s ears and shutting one’s eyes, stomping the ground and repeating over and again that Jesus Christ is Lord will not bring the Truth alive within anyone.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. – Matt 16:17

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. – I Cor 12:3

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. – I John 4:2-3