Our Christian Faith and Reason

You know that you've heard it before. Atheists tell you that God is imaginary or worse, and that only a fool would believe in God. After all, God has not seen fit to submit Himself to scientific scrutiny. After thousands of years, if we still have to argue about the existance of God at all, should that not tell a reasonable man that faith is inherently unreasonable?

The answer to that depends on the type of God you worship. Philosophers and scientists often imagine God as a "watchmaker," who set the universe in motion, but lies outside of it, disinterested. The gods of paganism are sometimes valiant and admirable, but often petty or even evil as well. A nominalist God, such as is worshipped by many Muslims, can change the very meaning of truth and falsehood, rendering human reason irrelevant.

The God that Christians worship is nothing like that God. Our God is many things. He is Love, the Way, the Life. He is also the Truth. When we seek Truth, whether as scientists, students or philosphers, we are seeking God. Truth is good because it is of God. Because we are made in God's image, seeking the Truth is one of the ways in which we seek true joy and fulfillment. That is, our purpose is to seek union with and reflect the Glory of God. Conversely, we dislike the feeling of being confused or ignorant because it separates us from that joy we seek.

This places reason not just at the core of our being, but at the core of our Christian faith. The Christian God does not ask that our faith be rooted in ignorance. Rather, Peter tells us to "[a]lways be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope..." (1 Peter 3:15) Christ challenges us in Matthews Gospel, saying, "seek and you will find...." (Matthew 7:7) Christianity does not inhibit reason. Rather, Christ commands it.