The past two weeks my soul of reason has been in direct conflict with my soul of spirit. I can best describe it as my soul of reason finally realizing my soul of spirit exists and my soul of spirit realizing that my soul of reason resides in the same realm. In other words, my faith slipped into limbo, while my reason and logic went into overdrive.
I am taking a class called “Creation and Evolution” because the curriculum includes content that critically examines the historical, social, and cultural impact the creation vs. evolution debate inspired. I’m very happy with the class because it is three times a week and there are only 7 students, which means more time for religious and scientific pondering. 5 of us were raised in communities of faith or catholic schools and have begun to delve deeper into what it means to be a seeker of knowledge and a religious person. The dynamic of the class is exactly what I could have hoped for: deep theological questions, diverse perspectives on faith, and critical examination of our professor’s agnostic claims.
My professor said something at the beginning of last week’s classes that pushed my faith more than I have ever experienced in my life. It was my first spiritual crisis. He said, Jesus taught that you should give away all of your belongings to the poor, but how is this a practical way of living? How can this be sustained in modern life? And how many Christians do you know that actually follow this teaching? Additionally, he said that Jesus taught that should you be sued and your shirt taken, give your coat as well. My professor wondered, What does this teach people? To give in to a threat and not defend yourself? What does this teach people about standing up for themselves in the throws of a fight?
What intrigued me so much about these questions was not the argument itself, but the bigger picture that it painted for me. It got me thinking about Christianity as a movement and the power it has/has had over so many millions of people. I couldn’t help but wonder how so many people consider themselves Christian but don’t follow every guidance in the Bible. On the other hand, I kept wondering why anyone takes the Bible literally. I am really thankful for Soren, Jen, and Larry’s thoughtful and fascinating personal responses to my [many] questions.
One Comment
nedyas posted on July 20, 2023 at 9:19 am
It is very bad that we believe in God but not in her words …
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