Tag Archives: Christian

Christians and Conspiracy Theories

March 19, 2012 philipmt 1 Comment

I know that this post will probably frustrate some of my friends and may drag things deeper into issues that may be counter-productive in the end. But I thought it worthwhile to at least attempt a discussion of the issue of conspiracy theories in the local church. Let me begin by saying that I have many friends who would be considered by some to be hardcore conspiracy theorists. As I write this, I mean them no harm; however, I think that we all ought to take some time to consider a little about conspiracy theories and how they affect the church. I also suppose that this post may frustrate some of the more general population who may object to how I categorize the issue. I also will wax a little preachy in this post. I apologize also for this in advance. This issue has been on my mind for some time and has been brought up again recently, so I want to forcefully and directly address the issue. I will beg everyone’s forgiveness in advance in hopes that through this dialogue, we all may become more effective as servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Definition and Sources of Conspiracy Theories

As I mentioned, I have many friends who could be considered “Conspiracy Theorists.” Perhaps some may even lump me in with them. Really, in some small way, we all are conspiracy theorists. We all have unique beliefs that we believe to be outside the mainstream. Somewhere in all of us there is an individuality to what we believe. We all have a desire to hold truth exclusively. And as long as that desire prevails upon humanity, conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists will persist. Everyone has bought into a conspiracy. Whether it is the conspiracy of the liberal, the conservative, the libertarian, or the statist, we’ve all chosen our political perspectives. We’ve all picked our poison. Moving forward, I will be defining the idea of a conspiracy theory as a political viewpoint which lays claim to special insight into current or past events in which covert plots are being carried out.

Categories of Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories come in all shapes and sizes. These theories are as extreme as the political positions that birthed them. The liberal sees the agenda of the conservative as fringe and extremist. To them the conservative is in cahoots with big business and is linked with all sorts of corporate corruption and as a plot to destroy the poor of the nation. To the conservative, the liberal is linked with big government, communism, and a plot to invent global warming and destroy Christianity. The libertarian sees anyone else as federalist (usually liked with big business) and accuses many with media cover-ups of the US governments’ involvement in 9/11, the need for gold investments, and vote-fixing in national elections. On the other hand, federalists see everyone else as anarchists who are desperately plotting to destroy the government. My point is that all of these views are odd. The way every position sees the other has some quirks and curiosities. They all believe that they have an edge on the truth.

My concern in this post is not to debate who has the best conspiracy theory or the merits of each position. We all have our views, but, as a Christian, I see that God’s view is all that matters (Prov. 21:2). What I wish to discuss, then, is to what extent the Christian should approach conspiracy theories differently.

The Christian and Conspiracy Theories

Given that we all accept some conspiracy theory or another (whether or not we are honest with ourselves to admit this), I think we can safely say that it is not wrong to be a conspiracy theorist. From the very inception of Christianity, conspiracies existed. The early church was aware of plots to discredit the resurrection and the celebration of the Eucharist. I suppose that for the first few hundred years of the church’s existence, most Christians would have been considered hardcore conspiracy theorists. All this said, I think there are two important virtues for Christians to develop in regard to their politics:

Be guarded. Some conspiracy theories are overtly sexist, racist, or anti-Christian. These positions are not fitting for a child of God.
Be wise. Let your view be critiqued by everyone (Prov. 11:14). Become aware of the inconsistencies of your position and the foibles of those who hold it. Don’t turn off your critical thinking (1 Thess. 5:21)!

There are also a number of issues to avoid:

Don’t let it steal your joy. When your favorite political team is winning and your cause is moving forward, don’t let it be the source of your joy, because as quickly as you derive joy from its success, you will also be driven to despair when you see it fail. The more “outside the mainstream” you begin to see yourself, the more alienated you will feel. As you proceed down this path of loneliness and sadness, there is little fruit that resembles the Gospel. Do a quick reality check. Ask yourself honestly about how you respond to the success or failure of your political worldview.
Don’t let it steal your focus. What consumes the better part of your internet research, Youtube views, Facebook posts, or conversations? Is it your political views or is it Christ (Matt. 6:33)? We claim that Jesus is the Lord and the Master of our lives and all we can think about is politics. We say that Jesus is the King of the Universe, but for some reason we fear the petty political leaders that come and go as surely as night turns to day (cf. Psalm 2). If Jesus is King of all, then why do we allow ourselves to be consumed or even worry with the state of politics. Politics is a sad substitution for the Savior. Idols come in many shapes and sizes, and, unfortunately this is one of them. Spend some time considering what is really important in this life and the life to come (Luke 12:4-5).
Don’t let it motivate your spirituality. You and I should be witnessing and sharing Christ whether the end of times is at hand or not. Don’t let your concerns about anti-Christian legislation, unifying world governments, or decline in government care for the poor fuel your spirituality. Let the Holy Spirit be the source of your motivation and strength. Here’s a quick reality check: if all the banks, or liberals, or conservatives disappeared tonight, would you still be as motivated to live for and share Christ as you are today?
Don’t let it give you a superiority complex. Read Colossians 2. These were people who thought they had the corner on the market of truth. Be careful not to go down this same road. Be careful once you begin to feel that you have access to special insights that the rest of humanity and other Christians have missed out on. Be careful once you begin to feel that you have special insights have allowed you to see faults in others that they themselves do not see. Be careful when you start doubting the authenticity of others’ beliefs on the basis of their politics. As soon as we start thinking that we’ve figured out the deep secrets of our opponents, we become the Illuminati that we feared from the beginning!
Don’t let it become your identity in the culture. We are commanded to be making disciples of Christ, not our politics. If your talking points with your co-workers include controversial political statements, consider whether you are opening the door of the Gospel to them or shutting it down (and bolting it shut???). We ought to be circumspect in what we say, so that all of it may point to Christ (Col. 4:2). May it never be said that our political views kept someone from coming to Christ.
Don’t let it become your identity in the church. The church is the place where we are to minister to each other and to glorify God. Don’t get caught up in empty discussions (1 Tim. 6:20-21). This is not profitable for your brothers and sisters. Never assume that they all believe like you do. Never try to use the church as a platform for your opinions on world events. Always ask for prayer for your government, but never target particular politicians or parties in your speech. This is divisive and destructive.
Don’t let it destroy your family. Almost every person I know who holds strong political views and can’t avoid talking about them with others who don’t hold them ends up driving people away. Some of these people have told me that they don’t really mind. The truth hurts and some people may not want to be their friends. I could question whether this is a biblical position, but I digress. I’d rather pose this question. Does your love for your flavor of politics demonstrate love for your spouse? In other words, have you stopped to consider the effect your clamor for your political views has had on your wife and whether people avoid her in order to avoid your obnoxious political rants?

In conclusion, I would hesitate to tell anyone to abandon their conspiracies, but I would encourage all Christians to hold them lightly. We should all pursue politics to the glory of God and vote our conscience. I would encourage everyone (no matter what political system you subscribe to) to consider your politics through the grid above and see what you need to change. I know I’ve got some work to do.

“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” (Isa. 8:12-13)

Apologetics

Approval: Why we all look for a thumbs up

November 21, 2011 philipmt Leave a comment

Approval is a fascinating aspect of the human psyche. It seems that we are born with a desire for approval, a desire to have others like us. From our early childhood, we remember doing things to get our parents’ approval. We enjoyed hearing our parents brag us up and hated letting them down. But this desire has not faded over time. Social media keeps the flame burning. Facebook is built around the notion of approval. Good and funny posts will be liked or commented on. The desire for approval can be instantly gratified by a successful post or a witty comment. We also find this desire played out as we interact with our peers. Scholars desire approval from other scholars. Musicians crave acceptance from other musicians. People who claim they don’t care to be approved or accepted by society seek approval and acceptance from others who hold the same claim. Ultimately we all want to be accepted by our peers and superiors. Approval gives us a sense of belonging and a feeling of significance.

But we come to the question of our article today. Why? Any psychologist or casual observer can tell us that we crave approval, but can they tell us why we crave it? Is there some sort of reason for which the human being would need such a desire? Does it make him stronger? No. Does it increase his survival skills? Not directly. Then why do we go through life fawning for attention and acceptance at every juncture? As a theist I can propose an answer. I believe that humans were made to have a relationship with their Creator. We were intended to have the closest friendship with the greatest Friend imaginable – to walk and talk with Him face to face. We were made for approval, but something happened. We didn’t want God’s approval. We shook our fists in His face and went our own way. The human race chose the approval of the serpent over the approval of God. And God let us seek approval elsewhere. He let us set out on the path to nowhere because that was the path that we wanted to follow. Because of this rebellion man cannot have the approval of God anymore.

Sometimes I consider what a problem I would be in if I were but a theist. But, you see, I’m not just a theist, I am a Christian theist. I believe in the solution to the problem of the rebellion against God. I believe that our desire for approval has been met. Here’s how it has been fixed. God saw that humanity had separated itself from Him. He knew that they would not make a way back to Him, but that He would have to make a way back to them. He would have to insert Himself behind enemy lines in order to His reconciliation with humanity. Jesus Christ, fully God, took upon Himself humanity in order to be one of us and to be part of who we are so that He might restore our approval before God. But there was a twist.

Humanity did not approve of Jesus and they strung Him up like a common criminal. But this was already the plan of God. In a strange twist of fate, God allowed His Son to bear the penalty for our failure to accept God in the first place. In fact, God even rejected His Son Jesus so that we could be accepted as sons and daughters. Here is the awesome reality regarding our desire for acceptance. God has provided a solution to our unquenchable desire for acceptance. At the cross we find the fullness of God’s acceptance in the present and in the future. All along our petty desires for our peers’ approval has been but a shadow of the approval that was lost in the primeval creation and has been regained in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Apologetics

Christian Faith: Not Rational or Existential

November 11, 2011 philipmt 12 Comments

When I say that the Christian faith is not rational, I do not mean that it is irrational for the Christian worldview is one which, in my view, aligns most agreeably with reason. What I mean here is that Christian faith is not purely rational. I cannot prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that God exists. I cannot prove the reality of the parting of the Red Sea. My point is that belief, in order to be belief, must be belief. There must be an element of the unknown in order for faith to exist. I do not have to believe in the existence of the sun because I observe it every day. What is seen, known, and experienced does not have to be believed.

As modern science pokes and prods the breadth and depth of the universe, very little belief is required. Once was a day that we had to believe that the earth was rotating around the sun, but now every child knows this objectively. Believing that man could fly, that metal boats wouldn’t sink, that a tiny atom could explode, or that people could walk on planets and fly faster than sound was once par for the course, but now these have been observed and do not need to be believed in the same way as before. To this point, I have dealt with natural phenomena that loosely parallel my point here. My argument is that we inherently distaste the idea of belief. We want everything to be observed and rational. I think Dawkins makes this point well. When asked what he would say if he met God in the afterlife, he replied, “Why did you hide yourself so?” The need for belief frustrates us and bothers us.

In a culture where belief is passé, most do not realize that belief is a necessary part of being human. We may suppress this or misconstrue this, but we really do have an innate need to believe. To quote a line from the movie I saw last week, “we all believe in something” (The Three Musketeers). We believe in people. We believe that they are honest or dishonest. We believe that they really care for us and are not trying to take advantage of us. We believe in the character of others. We believe in love. We can’t see it, but we marry for it, write about it, promote it, and so on. We believe in institutions. We believe in our favorite football teams. We believe that our banks will safely hold our money (or that our governments will ensure it). We believe in the unknown and unknowable because we believe in people and the organizations and things they make. To believe makes us human because humans demand relationships with other persons.

So we return to the idea of Christian faith. Why does it bother us that theism demands belief? It bothers us because we expect a god to work within the confines of the natural universe. We expect that our scientists should be able to dissect it and tell us that it exists. We expect someone to be able to take a photograph of it. We expect it to do some sort of grand violation of the laws of physics in order to prove itself to us. We expect it to be something less than us, something completely knowable, and something less than God. We expect it to be a thing and not a Person.

Persons are unknowable. Persons demand faith. I know people who have been married for 50 years and they still don’t know everything they can know about their spouses. They still have to believe. They still exercise faith. I don’t expect things to be very different with God. As a Person, He must be believed implicitly. He must be trusted. As God, He cannot be understood like we can a rock. I don’t expect my belief to be rational. If it were then I would have cause for concern, because my faith would be in a thing and not a Person and in an idol and not the God of the Universe.

Someone reading my post so far is probably thinking that because Christian faith works outside the confines of reason that it must, then, be existential. Christian faith must be a step into the dark or a leap of blind faith. This idea is at the heart of existentialism. The idea that we have no proof or evidence of faith drives this sort of response. I would reply that faith is not a leap in the dark, but a leap into the light. Faith is not blind, but it looks at the evidence before jumping. What I’m saying is that God has not given us the answers to every question (so as to eliminate His Personhood and Deity), but that he has enough evidence for us those who care to look.

The grand example of evidence of faith is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christianity itself is testimony to the accuracy of the resurrection. No other reason exists to explain the rise of Christianity from a small band of men with no formal education following a man crucified as a common criminal to a faith that millions from every corner of the globe ascribe to and would die for. History and reason testify to the resurrection of Christ.

In the resurrection alone we have enough evidence that we are not jumping into the dark. We have a reason for belief and a hope for a future. We don’t take a blind leap as followers of the Christian faith, but we make a jump into the light. I cannot rationalize faith on the one hand, but on the other hand, it is not unreasonable.

Meditations

Blind Spots

October 30, 2011 philipmt Leave a comment

What Sounds Smart Today May Look Stupid Tomorrow

This morning my pastor quoted Matthew Henry’s commentary on James 2:1-4, where the great Christian writer stated as follows:

But we must be careful not to apply what is here said to the common assemblies for worship; for in these certainly there may be appointed different places of persons according to their rank and circumstances, without sin.

Interestingly enough, the passage is speaking to exactly that same issue, but Henry is blinded by the culture of his day and perceives the established tradition to be acceptable. Its easy to throw stones at Matthew Henry, but I realized that I need to take a moment to look at myself. If a guy like Matthew Henry can study his Bible and invest his life in Christian service and still miss the mark in his life, I’m certain I’ve got some blind spots that I need to be on the lookout for. This morning I took a few minutes to think of some ways to identify blind spots in my life.

Pray for wisdom from God to recognize where I’m not living as I should.
Listen to the Word of God and apply its light to all traditions, practices, and applications. Nothing is off limits.
Listen to critiques of Christianity by unbelievers.
Listen to critiques of my Christian subculture by those who are not part of it.
Listen to critiques of individual of other generations.
Seek insight from Christian brothers I rub shoulders with.
Repeat.

If you have any more ideas, please feel free to share!

Delivered From Darkness