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If all of this is just a matter of following principles set by Jesus you’ll likely find atheists in closer step than most Christians. The reason is simple. The idea that one ought not sacrifice their principles to short-term worldly needs did not originate with the Nazarene, nor does it require a belief in his divinity or existence. Thankfully philosophy requires thought and not prayer, scrutiny and not belief and is therefore available to everyone rather than those who claim to communicate with supernatural beings.

How exactly can adherents of a religious text written nearly 2000 years ago claim to be the group which upholds the ‘responsibility and agenda’ to ‘think differently’? Christians’ perceptions of reality are supposed to be perceived through the lens of scripture. How does that framework not inherently discourage critical thinking? Does this not make believers, by the definition you’ve just endorsed, Devil’s Advocates, contrarians, and those without principles (other than the principle to reject)? Your ability to so quickly contradict yourself seems to bring you little internal dischord, you certainly did not address this contradiction yourself. Perhaps that’s just you ‘thinking differently’?

I’ve never been a fan of your writing. I find it narrow and neurotically Christian. By some bizarre path only possible on the internet I have come to your blog because I think your writing perfectly exemplifies the mind of an ambitious believer trying desperately and at all costs to plug up the leak in a faith that is clearly circling the drain. In fact I can see you typing a reply to this wherein I’ve obivously misinterpretted D.A. Carson’s use of the idea of ‘thinking differently’ and that you, him and I all agree that the principle of critical thinking should rightly find its home in the core of all good people. You see, this never ends.

As always, thanks for the blog comment comeuppance!

And, as always, thank you for the non-response.

You don’t like me, my writing, or my worldview, so I don’t imagine any response of mine would satisfy you. In fact, it would just be giving you more of what you don’t like, so the way I look at it, each non-response is a small gift from me to you.

Thanks for your continued readership and participation on the Collide blog.

Don’t be so hard on yourself. In case you hadn’t noticed I bring a difference of opinion to consider so to say that a non-response is a gift to me is to ignore my clear wish that outspoken members of the faith would engage a difference of opinion. I realize that blogs are usually a one-way street and must praise you for not always holding to that shameful format. Here’s to collision, eh?

In that case, I’ll gladly respond:

I guess I don’t understand your objection to the “think differently” phrase when it couldn’t be more apparent that you think differently than I do (or DA Carson, or any other neurotic Christian, does).

The way we see it, the Christian worldview requires, not discourages, critical thinking about everything. Obviously, you disagree, so we find ourselves colliding once again.

Don’t be neurotic. I didn’t say that all Christians were neurotic.

You don’t need to restate your opinion. From here on you can expect that I understand that you are a Christian. I provided plenty of points on which to discuss, so please, discuss or don’t discuss.

The point I made and will now restate was that living according to scriptural commandments inhibits critical thinking. This point is not diminished by the fact that you and I think differently. It seems you’ll use the “think differently” term however it suits you at that time. From here on you can assume he was talking about critical thinking, unless you really want to believe Carson was saying that all Christians are contrarians.

If you can’t be forthright just don’t respond.

“A critic of mine dislikes my writing because it is “neurotically Christian.” It’s nice to know I hit the literary bullseye I was aiming at.”

Speaking of “literary bullseye” you should never end a sentence with a preposition.

I’m trying to imagine which one of us is getting the greatest joy from this…uh, exchange?

Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo