The Christian is losing battles on many fronts. This is not to say that God Himself is losing, God doesn’t lose. This is strictly talking about it from a human perspective. One way I believe that Christians are losing the battle pertains to logic. It may seem odd that logic would have anything to do with Christianity, let alone the degrading of God in the American culture, but let me lay out my thoughts for you.
I believe that God created logic. There are several reasons that I have come to this conclusion. Logic is universal. This means that the laws of logic apply to everyone everywhere no matter the time period they were born in or the region of the world they live in. It does not change depending on one’s religion, gender or ethics. This is not to say that all of these people live by the same laws of logic, but that the laws don’t change depending upon who you are.
Because there are universal laws of logic, I believe this points to a universal law-giver. While there are accidental things in our cosmos, to think that laws that transcend time, gender, culture, and religion are pure accidents is, well, illogical.
Now some may be thinking that Socrates, Aristotle or Plato are the inventors of logic. You may think about these great philosophers, or the Stoics, but none of these philosophers or logicians invented logic. The founding fathers of logic discovered logic. They are not the creators, but the ones who unearthed these truths. This is a major difference in understanding who or Who created logic.
The Christian reading this may be skeptical themselves of this idea that God created logic. Let’s remember that God is the Creator of everything true. Everything that is true is not just found in Scripture. God did not write every truth in His book. We never find 2+2=4, how to fix a broken bone, or how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Just because God didn’t write about these things, doesn’t mean they are not true. Let me caution the Christian who thinks that truth is only found in Scripture. While Scripture is the ultimate truth, the pinnacle of truth, and we believe nothing that goes against Scripture, there is truth everywhere that God has not written about.
We find in Scripture that God is the eternal Creator of truth. I was playing with this idea in the sandbox several years ago. I debated with a couple people smarter than me and was told I pushed things too far. Later, while reading Saving Leonardo: A Call to Rest the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, & Meaning by Nancy Pearcey, I found that she agreed that Scripture reveals that God created logic.
Where do we find that idea in the Bible? In Chapter 1 of John, he points out that Jesus, God and His Word are one. They each operate within the same truths as each other and never contradict each other. The word that is used in John 1 is the Greek word logos. This word is often translated word, meaning words on a page. Because of the context of understanding this was written in the light of Greek thought and meaning it can also mean “logic” or “foundational truth,” which again points back to logic. Nancy Pearcey states in Saving Leonardo, “Every Greek who heard John’s Gospel understood that he was claiming that Christ himself is the source of the order and coherence of the universe [logic]. Pg 25.”
John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14 continues this thought, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Most theologians would understand correctly that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one. The text also implies that God’s Word is one with the Trinity. If we are to understand correctly from the passage that Word also means foundational truth or logic, then we realize that all of these persons and things are one, and that all of them have existed eternally.
So what if logic and God are one? Does it matter to understand that logic is eternal? How does logic and God being one influence our daily Christian lives? The benefit of living under universal logic is that we have truths within our world which are fixed. While sometimes logic may seem boring, it is very helpful to have permanent truths because we know that we can rely on them. This can give us some security in a world where things always seem to be changing.
Because logic is universal, it transcends religious beliefs. This is not to say that logic is not being attacked right now. In fact recently I read an article from a national non-profit agency stating that math was unfair to some children in our country because they come from different worldviews. Now you might say, “Tim, did you just go ADD on me?” What does Math have to do with logic? Well, Math is logic. In fact, some curriculum guides have Math books listed under the section, “logic.”.
Logic is like gravity. While you could attempt to deny it, it exists and affects you. Here’s the benefit to the Christian: because God created logic we can explain things logically to others who do not have the same beliefs as us. This is not to say that logic is above Scripture, it can’t be because they are one. Logic is truth just as much as Scripture. We need both. If our logic seems to contradict Scripture, we are probably faulty in our logic, although it may be that we have a misunderstanding of Scripture in that area.
So how can I use logic? Well, I can use it as an apologetic (an argument or defense for something). For example, let’s say I have an atheist friend who does not believe in God, and therefore he does not believe in Scripture. We are debating an issue. I have a certain set of beliefs about certain issues because I am a Christian and believe Scripture. Do I go to that friend and explain what Scripture says about the issue? I can, and there are plenty of times that I do. At the same time, if he does not believe in the Bible or God, he does not care what Scripture or God says.
This is where I start to use logic. Now this is not as easily done as “Scripture says so.” In fact, using logic to argue a point is much harder than using Scripture. Scripture is laid out for us, and I would actually say often in logical sequence. Logical arguments must be built, and as issues change, this takes time. Because logic is truth, and God created logic, I could use logic in this area to pose arguments to this person. Does it mean that this will work perfectly every time? No. But it is a starting point. Since the atheist and the Christian can agree on universal logic, we can have a base to discuss matters.
How does the Christian reclaim logic? Well, there are many books on the subject, and at some point I will make a list as a post. Christian, we must reclaim logic. While we still have math in our schools, very few schools teach logic anymore . However, this is being reclaimed in our country as we speak. Certain groups of schools are reclaiming what is called classical education, and with that they are teaching logic as a subject once again. Christian, our battles are many, and logic is one more tool in the battle of the mind, our country, but more so for the Kingdom of God. Please consider taking time to educate yourself in this area and use it for God’s glory.
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10:45 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.