Some thoughts which fundamental/conservative christians will never approach.

Their usual approach is to “outsource” logical thinking to those in authority over them & run with the conclusions from such people. The consistent trouble with this is mis-used authority, often within churches it takes the form of speaking from outside the realm of one’s knowledge. The corollary to one of the arguments leads to a conclusion of “He’s ‘God’s man’, and God knows everything, so he has access to everything, and his conclusions are best.”

For such fallacious thinking I have no tolerance. It’s amazing people even allow themselves to call such statements ‘reasons’.

By only listening to one source for all epistemology, metaphysics, physics, biology and ethics, one can ONLY wind up with a small, linear path of knowledge and behavior. OF COURSE it’s The Way Things Should Be – they won’t validate any other statements than The One they hear/have heard/agree with.

By outsourcing all logical functions leading to conclusions about reality, a few kinds of people (with their own kind of psycho-pathology!) can created (simply by nature of what people have within themselves.. personality, etc):

1) The paranoid: unable to listen to anything to calm down the thoughts the have from the inside, or hear from the outside.. Having had no familiarity with reason or logic (since outsourced & denied by the church) any tid-bit of semi-reason is more than powerful to put them to sway. To which further abuse from those in category #4 tell them to “Get a grip,” “just believe,” and “Trust Jesus.”.. trust him for what, besides “that he has all things worked out” and “this is for The Good” they cannot say. Who knew they were Platonic?

2) The nice rebel: as stated, the agnostics and mystics. Much like #1, but “on the outside” often who came from the “inside.”

3)  The mean rebel: one who recognizes the abuse of monocular dogmatics/outsourced reason. Becomes sharp with reason to use against #1 or 4. Becomes the authority of #2.

4) The Dogmatic Follower: follows in line with what is said, no matter what, further creating these pathologies.. unable to reason why they are created, unable to admit they create them, unable to fix, only able to label and lambaste. Peaceable, rational, relational interaction is impossible. Statements such as “I don’t understand why you can’t just..(fall in line) are then made to #1 through 3.”

Development occurs in each category generationally. What becomes appalling is when two forms of the same reality develop among each of these group/people types and one is labelled ‘legit’ and the other is demonized.

Simple pride stops people from listening to other sources and admitting there’s more than Their Way Things Should Be.

And on the opposite side, sadly, pride is also what stops the materialist or the mystic or agnostic from finding any conclusion at all. We might even say this psycho-pathology (fear of being wrong) is created by dogmatics.

And isn’t all this mess simply rectified by authorities listening? Reason being restored?  Forbid listening to Ecclesiastes (hmm.. the book of the ecclesia.. church?)

Ecclesiastes 4:13 Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more. 

Rule #1: Authority != (does not equal) knowledge.

Where this rule is denied, you will find chaos and mindless followers, even those who think they are intellectuals, rebels, independent. All are the same, and all need pride removed, often starting with the Authorities, who shall be judged first and hardest.

Note: Jesus said to teach what he taught; Paul said he taught nothing but Christ. I dare say the ‘church’ receives the most criticism/condemnation form inside and out when it tries to teach something other than the true Gospel: Jesus.