Just another dreary and rainy day in Lawrence, Kansas, but thank God for rain. Thank you that it nourishes the Earth, that it wipes away the dirt and dust, that it makes the trees and shrubs greener, flowers blossom, and the wipes away bird poop on vehicles. I'm serious about that last one.
You know, I have a HUGE Shakespeare term paper due tomorrow. Of course, I only have my research done. Almost no writing done yet. Whoops. Today is going to be a long day! But the more I read the Word, the more that I'm convinced that wonderful writers of the past like D.H. Lawrence and Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot all were firm Christians. There are too many coincidences, too many similarities to biblical stories, to many allegorical Christ references.
For instance, I was reading the story in Judges this morning of Abimelech and his army and all of that. That sounds suspiciously like part of Hamlet's plot line!
I think it's absolutely wonderful that some of the most amazing philosophers, teachers, writers all believed and held true to the Word of God. They searched for knowledge, and they searched for what God means. And they believed in it wholeheartedly.
Where did we ever get the idea that to be a scholar is to be agnostic or atheist? Where did we ever get the idea that God doesn't matter in the academic world? Where did we ever get the idea that to be a Christian is below intelligence?
Believe it or not, I have heard all these arguments in a college setting. And honestly, the more I study the Bible, the more ridiculous these claims become.
I was having a discussion on Friday with a professor, and I asked him out right if he was a Christian. And he said, "Absolutely. The Bible is the only book that has no discrepancies or contradictorily with history and fact. There are actual records of Jesus. There are documents of the temple collapsing at his death. And more than one account, too. There are martyrs who at their end still proclaimed Jesus and when disciples like Paul were killed, supernatural things occurred. You can't be a person of intelligence and not believe there is God. You cannot believe that this world runs on its own accord. You cannot believe there is not afterlife."
A professor said that to me.
And the more I study, the more I agree. God is everywhere. And I am just absolutely so thankful, so blessed, so humbled before my God. I thank him for the air I breathe, the 20 years I have been on this earth.
And most of all, I thank him for my amazing family. The more I'm away, the more people I meet, the more I am truly understanding of the wonderful upbringing I had, and the wonderful parents I have who have always guided me towards God's path and pushed me to be a better person.
Thank you, Lord, for my family, for the wonderful historians and writers who helped validate the Bible for so many, and who gave us wonderful literature so that in a college course we have interesting things to talk about in term papers.
God bless,
Lauren
"Where did we ever get the idea that to be a scholar is to be agnostic or atheist?"
ReplyDeleteThere are actually a few reasons. If you look back at history, religion (more specifically Christianity) has opposed new scientific ideas. The idea of heliocentrism was strongly opposed by the church. And even today, scientific theories are ridiculed by the religious: evolution, the earth's age, etc.
It's not to say that all scholars are nonreligious, and it's not to say that all nonreligious people are scholars. It's just more likely for those that study science to be nonbelievers. Mostly because there is no evidence for god's existence, and most scientists need empirical, testable evidence in order to say something is true.
"Where did we ever get the idea that to be a Christian is below intelligence?"
I will give you that one. It's unfair for anyone to say all Christians are unintelligent. Now, I might go so far to say that the beliefs of Christianity are...silly. But I know plenty of very intelligent people who believe in the Christian faith. Not every atheist is a scientist (or even intelligent), and the same goes for any group of common belief.
Now as for what your professor said: "The Bible is the only book that has no discrepancies or contradictorily with history and fact. There are actual records of Jesus."
I would be honestly interested to see proof of any of those claims. The Bible doesn't contradict with history? What about the flood that should have killed all but 8 people? There is historical proof that in that year, the Egyptians just kept building the pyramids when the Bible says they should have been killed by a worldwide flood. I would love to see records of Jesus and records that agree with the Bible. Honestly, I would. I hope you don't read any mocking tones in my writing, because I very genuinely would like to see evidence for god or for the Bible, but I just have yet to see any of it.
Sorry for this long comment, just trying to show a different perspective.