Is Christianity Irrational?

Christianity encourages learning. Christians founded 92% of the first 138 US colleges. Oxford’s motto is “The Lord is my light” (Psalm 27:1). The verse “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32) is probably on more US university walls than any other statement.
 
Christianity encourages reasoning. Paul, a man of faith, reasoned, day after day, in Athens’ marketplace with the Epicurean (focused on what one could see) and Stoic (focused on reason/logic) (Acts 17:18). Our life’s foundation should pass through logic and reason. This will help us love God with our whole being, which includes our logical mind.
 
Christians don’t blindly follow authority. For nearly three centuries after Christ, Christianity grew under the hostile Roman Empire.
 
Some believe there is no way to know the truth and treat morality as a matter of opinions, traditions, or preferences. On the contrary, God gives us enough to know Him and lead a godly life (Luke 1:4, 2 Peter 1:3, Romans 1:21).
 
To gain knowledge, some totally depend on science. We rely on science and its method of measurable data to understand the natural world. But science cannot tell us why the universe came into being, the meaning of our existence, whether hope is more valid than despair, or whether people have equal worth.
 
We need to have certain amount of knowledge and evidence of God in our personal experience. This will help us understand the visible and the invisible. Then follow what we have found, wherever it leads.
 
Having said that, acknowledge we can’t fully understand God (1 Corinthians 13:9, 12); and know that God will meet us in our doubts about Him. For example, Christ cured a child though his father asked Christ to help him overcome his unbelief (Mark 9:24). Christ told doubting Thomas to put his finger into His nail wounds, and his hand into His spear wound (John 20:24-29).
 
Furthermore, beware that knowledge can make us arrogant (1 Corinthians 8:1-3). Sometimes, love can be more effective than winning arguments. If we have knowledge but not love, we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
 
In conclusion, Christianity encourages reasoning, knowledge in science, and deepening our personal experience. But we should accept our intellectual limitations and know that without love, we are nothing.
 
Summarized from a John Ortberg’s sermon at:
https://menlo.church/series/thats-a-great-question#/modal/message/4870/mlo
 

 
基督教是非理性的吗？
 
基督教是鼓励学习的。美国最初的138所大学中有92％是基督徒创立的。牛津大学的座右铭是“耶和华是我的亮光” （诗篇27：1）。 美国大学在墙上最普及的标语可能是“你們必曉得真理，真理必叫你們得自由”（约翰福音8:32）。
 
基督教是鼓励推理的。保罗每天在雅典的市场上与伊壁鸠鲁学派（专注于可见的）和斯多亚学派（专注于理性/逻辑）的人辩论（使徒行传17:18）。我们生命的根基应该通过逻辑和理性的分析。这可帮助我们尽心、尽力、尽意、尽性地去爱上帝，包括使用自己逻辑的头脑。
 
基督徒并不盲目地跟从权威。在公元后起初的三个世纪，当时权威的罗马帝国不断攻击基督徒, 但基督教还是大大增长。
 
有些人认为无法知道真理, 视道德为不同的观点、传统的习俗或个人的偏好。事实上与之相反，上帝给人有足够的一切去认识祂而过敬虔的生活 (罗马书1:21，路加福音1：4，彼得后书1：3-5)。
 
有些人完全依靠科学来获得知识。应该依靠科学及其测量数据的方法去了解自然世界。但科学无法告诉人宇宙为什么产生、人存在的意义、希望是否比绝望更有效或者人是否具有平等的价值。
 
需要认识上帝的所是与所为, 也要通过亲身经历寻找搜集上帝的证据。这将帮助我们理解可见的和不可见的世界。跟随我们的发现继续追求，无论它将我们带往何方。
 
话虽如此，要承认我们无法完全明白上帝（哥林多前书13：9,12），并知道上帝可以在我们对祂的怀疑和疑问中与我们相遇。例如基督治愈了一个小孩子，虽然那父亲请求基督帮助克服他的不信 （马可福音9:24）。基督告诉疑惑的多马把手指放入祂被钉的伤痕里，将手放入被矛刺穿的伤口（约翰福音20：24-29）。
 
此外，留心知识会使人自高自大 （ 哥林多前书 8：1-3）。有时爱比争辩胜利更为有效。如果只有知识却没有爱，就算不得什么（ 哥林多前书 13：1-3）。
 
总而言之，基督教鼓励科学上和信仰上的知识和推理, 也鼓励信徒有更深的亲身经验认识上帝。但要接受我们智力的有限，明白如果没有爱，我们就算不得什么。