Qualifications, Assertions, and Faith

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"When the Sceptic in the parable asked the Believer, "Just how does what you call an invisible, intangible, eternally elusive gardener differ from an imaginary gardener or even from no gardener at all?" he was suggesting that the Believer's earlier statement had been so eroded by qualification that it was no longer an assertion at all."   

 This statement reminded me of a conversation I had with Dr. Henderson a few weeks ago. He was talking about how on normal Sunday nights when their church has Bible study, very few people show up. However, when he presented on the estimated population of the earth before the flood, there was a crowd. It struck both of us how often we are tempted to rationalize our faith. People want proof that what they believe exists and to do so, they confine what they believe into a box. 

I think the Sceptic (or Skeptic if you're American) raises a good point: the Believer put so many restrictions on what the gardener had to be, that he really left no room for faith. He didn't believe it so much as he deduced it. Which brings me to a question: if that is the case, what is the true difference between the Skeptic and the Believer? 

 Also, am I the only one who was a little confused by the second parable? 

 PS I commented on Ty and Philip's posts. 

Comments

  1. Phillip VoFebruary 18, 2018 at 11:02 PM

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  2. Phillip VoFebruary 18, 2018 at 11:12 PM

    The second parable kind of drew an answer in me, one I don't agree with but I feel like he was implying at. Its' almost as if he was saying he would have to betray me for me to not trust him. But the parable itself is very limited in nature and has boundaries that God overextends, which I'm sure well go over in class.

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  3. Will BradyFebruary 19, 2018 at 7:54 AM

    Based on Dr. Mitchell's experience, it also sounds like people are more interested in proving their faith than they are in living it. They're more concerned with being right than they are with acting on their beliefs. I saw a webcomic once of a Christian walking down the street with his nose in an apologetics book; he was so engrossed by learning the arguments in the book that he ignored the homeless, lost man on the side of the road seeking help. Believers like that certainly aren't doing any more to act like Christ than sceptics are. I wonder how many people realize that living out something is one of the greatest proofs for it?

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