Que Sera Politics: “Who Do We Think We Are?”
By David Clark Brand - Posted at The Christian Observer:
“Thou shalt not tempt the LORD thy God”
-Matthew 4:7
As an employee of a major oil company, a friend had spent many years in the Middle East. One day he remarked, “You won’t find any skid marks in Saudi Arabia.” A religion major during student days at an American Midwest liberal arts college, this writer immediately recalled that the religion of Islam is highly fatalistic. A female vocalist and actress of the 1950s put it this way:
There is a major difference, however, between the blind “faith” of Islam and the Christian doctrine of predestination. While the Judaeo-Christian scriptures of the Old and New Testaments inform us that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than ours [2] nowhere are believers commanded to act without thinking or to think without acting. Christian faith, Soren Kirkegaard notwithstanding, is not a blind leap in the dark but rather the most rational of acts. The prophet Isaiah exhorted Israel, “Come now, let us reason together . . .” [3]
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"While Christians are warned to beware of any “philosophy” which is contrary to Christ, [4] they are commanded to think reflectively and to use sober judgment before acting. The Bible is not a book to be applied randomly by closing one’s eyes and putting one’s finger on a verse as though that is the way for determining the will of God. Verses must be understood within the context in which they were written with care to view the part in light of the whole of Scripture. ..."
-Matthew 4:7
As an employee of a major oil company, a friend had spent many years in the Middle East. One day he remarked, “You won’t find any skid marks in Saudi Arabia.” A religion major during student days at an American Midwest liberal arts college, this writer immediately recalled that the religion of Islam is highly fatalistic. A female vocalist and actress of the 1950s put it this way:
“Que sera sera. Whatever will be will be.
The future’s not ours to see. Que sera sera.” [1]
There is a major difference, however, between the blind “faith” of Islam and the Christian doctrine of predestination. While the Judaeo-Christian scriptures of the Old and New Testaments inform us that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than ours [2] nowhere are believers commanded to act without thinking or to think without acting. Christian faith, Soren Kirkegaard notwithstanding, is not a blind leap in the dark but rather the most rational of acts. The prophet Isaiah exhorted Israel, “Come now, let us reason together . . .” [3]
Read more here...
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