Why converting to Christianity and believing in God doesn't affect your brain and intellect?

Question

This is to clarify a few things that I have read that are incorrect.

People believe that if you convert into a Christian you have to stop using your brain and sacrifice your intellect and ignore the rational processes. This is a myth.

Many of the most brilliant minds in history belonged to Christians. Many were important leaders, influential and famous writers, investigators, missionaries the list goes on. Examples are Martin Luther King (civil rights leader), the writer C.S Lewis, Lew Wallace, Frank Morrison, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Francis Schaeffer, Apostle Paul, Saint Augustine, Martin Luther(german theologian),John Calvin and many many more.

Look for the autobiography of these people like C.S Lewis and Lew Wallace and you will be surprised that they were non-believers just like you and realized he really exist.

The conversion to Christianity doesn't affect the intellect of a person, it complements it.

To many people it has provided relieve, since it gives them the missing pieces they were looking for and that they couldn't see.

Conversion to Christianity stimulates the imaginary capacities and creativities, take C.S Lewis and JRR Tolkien who were catholics and created wonderful works of literature.

Be wise and believe in God, maybe you have some missing pieces that need to be found.

Pro 14:6 A scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not; But knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding.

Hos 14:9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things? prudent, that he may know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein.

Pro 14:15 The simple believeth every word; But the prudent man looketh well to his going.

Pro 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; But the fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident.

Pro 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.

You obviously don't know much about Martin Luther and are looking for his past but not what he did in the present. God forgives peoples seen if they humiliated themselves to him and ask for forgiveness no matter what crime they caused in the past. http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html

I don't know about what Paul are you talking about who hated woman since that's what you claim.

misogynist: who dislikes women in particular.

No Paul I know hated woman. Paul was a persecutor of Jews, his name used to be Saul and was changed when he converted.

Like I said non-believers in old and modern times have been forgiven for all of their sins no matter how bad their acts were. We are the same in the eyes of God. We are all judged the same and deserve God's forgiveness if you ask for it.

More christians who have contributed good things to society:

http://biblia.com/theology/theologians.htm
http://www.adherents.com/largecom/fam_chrsci.html

Answer 1

Your question is more a statement, but a statement I totally agree with and written very well. I do though want to add one point. I feel that accepting Christ and that conversion through the gift of the Holy Spirit, that God gives to each believer, Increases a human's understanding and ability to comprehend many things that once were thought as foolish or unbelievable. Knowledge is also increased but not physical knowledge but spiritual knowledge which is incomprehensible to a person that knows not Christ. You don't become a brain dead convert but your addition of the ability to comprehend all the spiritual concepts about life and the future enhances the person's intellect exponentially.

Answer 2

You do not stop your brain all the time.
Just when dealing with specific issues like evolution. Or the fact that animals engage in gay behavior(meaning that gay behavior has precedents in nature and therefore the argument about it not being natural do not hold true)

Muslims, Christians and other religious people engage in Cognitive dissonance, to make the facts fit when they actually do not fit.

Either God created the world as we know it in 6 days and therefore evolution is wrong, or God is not omnipotent. You can not have both.

I would give another example from the book of Genesis where is is clearly shown that God is not omniscient.(read it and you will find some evidence)

Also in the book of Genesis, God caused human to speak different languages so that they would not collaborate and achieve great things. Well I guess with English, mathematics, and drawings, it would seem that God has failed.

So I guess believing in all this requires that you put your brain in a box and not use it.

I am not saying Judaism is any better than Islam or Christianity, but FYI, Albert Einstein was none observant Jew. Also James Hillman.

Answer 3

Your question was more of a statement, but I do agree with the points you are making. "Christianity is not about blind faith--it never has been. You can go into it with eyes wide open."

By the way, you can tear down arguments, but be careful not to tear down people. Arguing with someone is not usually the most effective conversion tool. Even if you win, any hint of smugness will destroy any chance they might open up to the idea that maybe this God thing is true and the answer to every need.

I say this not because I believe your question was confrontational, but because you are so adamant that I know you'll be getting heated responses from some people who for whatever reason feel differently. Keep the discussion going, but also continue to show people Christ's love through your life. Thank you and God bless :)

Answer 4

The fact that the church has dominated the world for much of the history of mankind does not mean that their teachings or beliefs are true, only that they were in power. And while it is true that there have been many famous and wonderful, intelligent people who converted to Christianity, like the ones you mentioned, it is not because they realized Chrisitianity is "true" but because they decided to believe in it. It is still a belief, a faith, not a fact or a truth. No matter how many people believe in something, that does not by itself make it true (or false). Every person must determine what is true for himself or herself. One of the biggest faults of religion through the ages is that it tried to force people through all kinds of illegitimate means to adopt its teachings and beliefs, without actually encouraging the people to question. Of course, some religious people do question their beliefs and still believe fervently, and that is wonderful for them, though the exception rather than the rule. Other people are just as fervent in not believing. I could just as easily say that you should try NOT believing and see if you don't find that you were previously going down a false path. It is up to the individual and not for anyone to force their beliefs on another or to claim that another is wrong because of his beliefs. However, with the strongly different religious beliefs from different denominations and religions, obviously they cannot all be right, which means that either one is right and the others are all wrong or else they all are wrong. Which you choose to believe is up to you.

Answer 5

Not exactly sure this is a question, but an example is myself, because I'm still smart, and I still have fun, but I have been Roman Catholic for the past 16 years, just extremely for like the past 2 or so. It changed my life in a huge way. I have so many friends from different age groups now, and it is definitely a good thing.

Answer 6

This is more like a rant or an essay, not a question. Sadly this is a questions-based website and you are mistaken to place this here. IF you had worded this as a question and then didn't plaster in such a long essay it would be taken seriously but now you'll be faced with dozens of replies from atheists looking to pick a fight.

Answer 7

Depends what you mean by "brilliant minds".

The majority of people are at least agnostic.

A belief in God does not denote intellectual prowess, nor does it suggest deficiency - it is simply a choice.

I can just as well rattle off a list of influential scientists, the majority of which will not be devoutly Christian (though many might, again, be Agnostic).

Answer 8

This is a great question and comments! For someone to say that I'm insane for my beliefs make me wonder if other that accuse me of this is insane for not believing. I thank God that I'm a Jesus freak! I've read alot of the books on some of the ones who represent Christians and they are excellent reads.

+j+

Answer 9

Curious.

Paul was a misogynist*

Martin Luther was a raving anti-Semite (often held to blame for the German willingness to participate in Hitler's Holocaust).**

Answer 10

Well, if to me taking a religion as serious as you're supposed to means you are basically taught to stop thinking and just believe, it's the perfect tool to control masses of people looking to feel belonging and acceptance