Here is what the modern mind knows:
- Human beings (homo sapiens) are the product of over 4 billion years of evolution.
- Human behaviour is influenced largely by the structure of the brain.
- The scientific method is the most accurate way of evaluating hypothesis to determine the truth or falsehood of a claim.
It is difficult to state with any degree of accuracy even the most basic mainstream “Christian” beliefs without somebody taking issue with it and insisting that the author is simply unaware of what “true Christian doctrine” teaches.
The fact is, for every claim one could make about Christianity there will exist a community somewhere on this earth that identifies as Christian that will deny the claim.
- Original sin
- The resurrection of Jesus
- Substitutionary atonement
Entire books have been written attempting to rationalize why each of the above cannot possibly be true.
There is very little actual unity within Christianity. Most of what passes for unity are adherents publicly proclaiming things that in private they doubt sufficiently enough that they could never pass as “adherents” in the eyes of the true believers.
Those that do believe the things they publicly state are often quick to deny basic scientific facts that most in the modern world have accepted as obviously true (i.e. evolution, the age of the earth, the biological basis of human behaviour as opposed to a “sinful nature”, the impossibility of physical resurrection after death). I suppose if you searched rigorously enough you would find an exception or two. However, these are my basic observations to date.
It would seem, on the surface, that the Christian faith and a modern understanding of reality are mutually exclusive.
And that is why it is necessary to go below the surface to find a world of beauty, mystery, and uncertainty that captivates both the modern mind and the human heart and leads us into an intentional practice that is truly transformative.
It is this world that I will explore on these pages.