From the point of view of the searcher for truth in the Christian context, the largest problems are not found in the negative responses of humanists, but the struggle with one’s own meaning of what characterizes truth and fiction. Fiction often seems more logical than truth. Fiction can be pared or enlarged to fit margins of plausibility or exceed them. Some truths go far beyond those margins. No hero for knowledge ranges farther than the Christian determining what will ultimately be found as truth and meaning. The humanist, by definition, limits us to what is provable (replicated) in a material world and its reachable cosmos.
Many Christian assertions rest upon undemonstrated statements – far out. They are presumed alleged in the natural realm. This is humbling stance for the Christian, but may be irritating to the humanist holding rather firm belief in the current absolutes of nature, and facts that are literally registered for human testing. Here one might be interested in reading Science Versus Religion: What Scientists Really Think, by Elaine Howard Eckland, and published by Oxford University Press. As one analysis has it, it is interesting that interviews revealed that students could talk meaningfully about such themes as contraception, but were tongue-tied about religious doctrine. This is another way of saying that there are intellectuals who have conclusions or disregard about something, as in religion, and do not know what they are talking about when discussion arises. They improvise, or use some personal experience that could have gone any one of several directions, or, and this seems sometimes to be increasingly used – they simply scorn some ideas they know little about, especially if those ideas cut across their own permissive conducts. Even the Christian will sometimes resort to sophistry when a biblical idea controverts conduct. This has often occurred when a couple is divorced, or when a celebrity confuses conduct and values. As this is being written there has been a chasm of difference between what happened in the life of the singer/celebrity, Whitney Houston, and her beliefs, or alleged beliefs. Conclusions about her tragic death are so contradictory that all persons would have done better simply to have remained publicly silent in opinion or analysis – at least for an appropriate period of time. Contradictions seldom serve truth well. Persons have been exploited. Adults take some fairy tales as truth. A recent novel about Christ was believed as truth by readers.
There are varieties of beliefs, with and without natural evidence. So much of life is directed by forces outside the natural mind’s logic, or the accumulations of evidence of mortality, and other influences – all touched by mystery. They were present in the time of Jesus, and we do well to handle them as he did, with a kind of openness, acceptance of persons, personal objectivity that holds firmly, in faith, that this is what God is like, what mankind is like, and what may be done about it all. There is no denying what is wrong, and no surrender of right. There is some definition of God that finds him in his characteristics. Love and holiness come from God, so do truth, humility, grace, patience, wisdom, and the list grows long. These attributes are available to all persons in some way. The first difference between the humanist and the Christian is basic in the point – redemption. Redemption reminds us that we are unable, by our very nature, to make transition from mortality, to God and immortality. God provides a way, and offers it for those who can practice faith, penitence, and attribution related to redemption. That redemption was put in human terms through the visit of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and resurrection. The identification of the individual person, an identification that is beyond the capability of human logic, is a promise taken by persons – of great intelligence or marginal, of great and small status, of educated and uneducated. It is for all, and by which life is made meaningful. Thoughtful persons have preliminary faith in meaning. There is a great point of beginning, perhaps for ending in the natural world. There is nothing, repeat nothing, fulfills meaning more than the redemptive story of Jesus Christ. There both the natural and the supernatural are met. There the tie is made by God, the only one competent to bridge the dimensions for joining. Since his crossing-over is the only competent passage, we accept it with appreciation. It does require human surrender, and humble acknowledgment from our side. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020