Graphic by Evelyn Lee
I grew up in the church. I went to a Christian school all the way through high school and now I’m at a Christian college. So yes, I can name all of the books of the Bible and quote the fruit of the Spirit anytime and anywhere. Perhaps the most important thing all those years of Christian education taught me was to challenge anything and everything I learned, especially from my religion teachers. I was always told to seek the truth.
I don’t mean that I was made to filter everything through what I was being taught in the church. I was encouraged to challenge my own beliefs constantly; anything that I assumed to be true, that I was told was fact — and even things that I immediately agreed with — should come under inspection.
This is true for everything, even science. In a study to test the reproducibility of 100 different prominent scientific studies, published on Aug. 28, 2015, by Science Magazine, a collaboration of scientists found that about two-thirds of the studies could not be reproduced. This doesn’t mean that all of those studies are wrong, but it does mean they are not as reliable as previous believed.
Most of us have no problem arguing with someone who believes differently than we do. What most of us don’t do is challenge someone with whom we agree. But when someone says something that either aligns with our beliefs or goes against them, we should ask, “Why?”
We can practice this everywhere. The next time someone brings up a point you agree with in church, in school or in your dorm room, take the time to analyze why you agree with it. Where did that belief come from? Is it based on fact or emotion? The questions are endless.
In his poem, “In Memoriam A.H.H.,” Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, “there lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds.” We ought never blindly follow whatever we have always believed. Beliefs should be built on strong reasoning and the structure should be constantly examined for weakness. If that means we have to rebuild, then so be it. It’s OK to be wrong, but it’s not OK to be ignorant.
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Follow Sarah Kiker on Twitter: @SarahKiker3
