As you know, I’ve decided to write a series on “Why I Come From A Christian Perspective.”

In this article, I’d like to share the ninth answer that comes to mind:

The Christian worldview provides a solid, rational basis for questioning, intellectual searching, and testing of ideas and beliefs.

Now you might be thinking, “Sean, are you saying that I have to be Christian in order to question things, test ideas, and intellectually explore?”

To which I’d say, “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

Here’s my point, instead.

When you hear words like “questioning,” “searching,” and “testing,” what comes to mind?

I don’t know about you, but for me, I think automatically of the field of science and what we call the “scientific method.”

As you probably remember from school (sorry if science wasn’t your favorite class ;)=, to do experiments you often formulated a hypothesis (an idea you thought may be true) then set up an experiment to determine whether or not the hypothesis held true.

In other words, a scientist believes there is a truth out there he or she is trying to get at.

What the scientist after is I would call objective truth.

If you don’t believe in objective truth – that is, a truth outside of your feelings, perceptions, and opinions – then what would the motivation for such searching?

Through science, there’s so much we have discovered and continue to discover. And sometimes, yes, science even makes mistakes on what objective truth is. It’s a constant refining process.

Incidentally, I don’t think it’s an accident that many famous scientists and thinkers have historically believed in God, and many of those were devout Christians.

Moreover, the Christian worldview presupposes that there is such a thing as objective truth.

And again, how would you philosophically justify a search for truth unless you first believe there is such a thing as truth and that it can be discovered?

And there may be other worldviews or religions that support the idea that there is subjective truth, but not all promote questioning and testing out ideas. Some even actively suppress this type of questioning.

Here’s what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:21:

“…but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.”

In other words, don’t accept ideas simply at face value. Interrogate them. Question them.

Then there’s Paul as he was speaking to various people groups during one of his missionary journeys:

“As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people.” Acts 17:2

“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” Acts 17:11

Paul here is using reasoning and logic to debate and persuade people of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Note here that the “scriptures” referenced are passages from the Old Testament because the New Testament hadn’t been written yet.

You might be thinking, “Well, isn’t Paul presupposing that the scriptures are true?” And the answer is: no, he isn’t.

According to the Book of Acts, Paul actually encountered Jesus in a vision and his life was radically changed by this experience so that is why he logically chose to trust the scriptures because Jesus was revealed in the scriptures and also trusted the scriptures.

[see previous article on why I believe there is a credible rational basis to believe the scriptures -both Old Testament and New Testament- are reliable).

In point of fact, Paul is building his case based upon evidence and reason, not “blind faith” – even though ironically, he had to be blinded by Jesus to see clearly (read about this amazing encounter in Acts 9).

I’ll concede that the history of Christianity hasn’t always shown that people who call themselves “Christian” lived by this principle. Yet there are also many Christians throughout history who have sought to live by this important biblical principle of testing out truth claims and searching out truth.

What I am instead contending here today is that this principle – which is an important one in Christianity – provides a rational basis for intellectual inquiry and the value of questioning/testing ideas and beliefs. And because Christianity is a belief system that communicates the objectivity of truth and the value of searching for that truth. That’s reason #9 why I come from a Christian perspective.

Let’s thrive together!