Shouldn't they encourage it? If god is perfect, questioning GOd should yield nothing but more beleivers in God.. Stands to reason....
2006-09-30 13:45:04 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ah, but reason is the enemy of faith. (Martin Luther, paraphrased)
2006-09-30 13:59:13 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because they would be hung by their own petard.
Consider Galileo. He had the nerve to suggest that we are not at the center of the universe and everything in the heavens doesn't revolve around us. He was lucky they didn't burn him alive. It was very important to the Church to stifle that thought. It didn't fit with the malarkey they had been spouting for centuries.
Ptolemy, an astronomer, knew he had to be careful, so he worded his results in such complex "circles within circles" concepts about the motion of heavenly bodies, he got away with it. Now Ptolemy is referred to as a joke.
Newton finally opened a true view into the heavens. And in 1997, the Church pardoned Galileo. Talk about being behind the times.
No, they shouldn't encourage critical thinking. They would lose a lot of money.
2006-09-30 20:53:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Christianity does ask one to humble themselves before God and believe in what is not seen. Humility doesn't stifle critical thinking, it puts your relationship with God in context. A human isn't God's peer, we are subordinates. Many humans thought that God owes us answers elevates humans to the same plane as God. That would be the antithesis of the very definition of God.
Would you walk into your boss's office and openly critcize everything they do? Out of respect, you probably would not. If you have honest questions, I'm sure most can be plausably answered through the Bible.
2006-09-30 20:58:47 · answer #3 · answered by asafam23 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because you start with an unquestioning belief in a particular premise. That kills the ability to think critically right there, because every other statement you encounter must be squared with this particular belief or thrown out. You're never setting out to disprove what you believe, which is the standard test in science or logic for proving a particular hypothesis, but rather just looking for statements that confirm or conform to what you believe. That's why critical thinking and religion are mutually exclusive.
2006-09-30 20:58:06 · answer #4 · answered by Tommy 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You're right :) God gave us brains and he intends us to use them. He created reason and logic! He invented the universe - from the fascinating and complicated science of biology governing the tiniest cell to the elegant and surprising science of physics which governs distant galaxies.
The problem is when arrogant mocking and self-deception take a front seat to honest scientific inquiry.
Some of the greatest scientists in history believe in a god. Sir Issac Newton, Einstein, etc. Becoming a Christian does not mean you turn off your brain, but you do have to OPEN your mind to some ideas that are not popular and leave your preconcieved notions at the door!
2006-09-30 20:50:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Some religions do definitely stifle it. Those are the ones who tell you that only their word is THE WORD, their way is THE WAY, and if you question it then you are committing some horrible blasphemous act. They say this basically because they're too unsure of their own beliefs to have the guts to question it on their own, and thus deride those with the intelligence and independence to do so.
There -are- some religions who prefer people with minds of their own, however. Do some digging, you'll find them. :)
2006-09-30 20:48:53 · answer #6 · answered by N 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
For control. Mind control yields power and money.
2006-09-30 20:52:34 · answer #7 · answered by AuroraDawn 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because thinking turns people from religion. The 2 are incompatible.
2006-09-30 20:51:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Religion has been turned into a tool of oppression by those in power. Ignorant, fearful ppl are easy to control.
2006-09-30 20:48:30 · answer #9 · answered by Medusa 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Why encourage it? We need fertilizer for the gardens but, we don't have to force feed our animals to get it.
2006-09-30 20:54:08 · answer #10 · answered by Midge 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All religions don't. God can handle your questions. Bob Jones University actually has built their curriculum around developing critical thinking skills. Sorry that you were misinformed.
2006-09-30 20:47:19 · answer #11 · answered by Wise ol' owl 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋