Mindful Faith and Loving Debate

Erica Carlson is Associate Professor of Physics at Purdue University

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“My husband says you’re religious.  Do you believe in Creation?  Do you believe in the Big Bang?”

I’m thankful I was prepared to provide faithful answers to a professor’s seeking wife.  I get the same types of questions from believing students. The subtext being:  “Do I have to chuck my brain for the cause of Christ?  Please tell me I can follow Christ with my whole self, including my mind.”

But there’s a far more important battle at stake.  Are we training a generation who knows how to let their faith wrestle with tough questions?  Are we willing to allow thoughtful debate about questions when we may disagree about the conclusions?

These aren’t academic questions.  I’m talking about truly impacting society.  Abortion, pornography, cloning, stem cell research, terrorism, the energy crisis…  How do we engage society on these difficult issues and win?

Part of the solution involves loving God with our whole selves, including our minds.  To impact society on these weighty issues takes street cred.  By which I mean some serious academic credentials.  Young Christians who show aptitude and passion in bioengineering, political science, genetics research, media, the arts, and other strategic areas should be encouraged to pursue them, for the glory of Christ.  We need people in every walk of life, in every area of expertise, with street cred to shine God’s light into the difficult questions society faces which so desperately need God’s love and wisdom.

This is the knowledge side.  But knowledge makes arrogant; it’s love that edifies.

The rest of the answer involves Love.  Are we training a generation who knows how to love their neighbor, even when they disagree vehemently?  Even when you have diametrically opposed solutions to propose to tough questions, do you show the love of Christ by showing respect for the other side?

One way to train a generation who can impact society, by fundamentally changing the debate rules from knowledge and arrogance to love abounding in knowledge, is to first change the Church.  Train disciples who know how to engage in discussion and debate about controversial issues, while maintaining an unswerving commitment to love your neighbor as yourself.

Luckily for us God has provided a great training ground to gain these real-life, game-changing skills and character traits, things that will allow us to engage society on tough issues, fundamentally changing the conversation between the Church and society for His glory.  Scripture provides ample tough questions and issues with which to wrestle.  We absolutely have to teach the absolutes about the faith.  God made you; He loves You; Jesus is The Way.  And we’ve also got to teach students how to wrestle with the tough questions that make up the finer points of theology, including things many of us disagree about.  We need to provide loving, structured environments for Christian students (and their seeker friends) where all questions are welcome.  All questions are taken seriously.  We may not know the answers, but we will respect your questions, and help you on your journey to the Truth.  Everyone is respected.  Everyone is loved.

Even when the other side is completely wrong?  Especially then.  It’s easy to show love to people who think, act, and believe just like me.  It’s harder to show love to people I think are just plain wrong.  It’s so easy to tell them exactly why, where, and how wrong they are.  So easy.

Noisy gong.  Clanging cymbal.  Where is the love?

By providing time and space where mature Christian students are taught how to look at controversial topics right in the Bible, taught how to understand the other side enough to argue for the other side, taught how to always without fail show love by showing respect for people we disagree with, we can win.  We can raise up a generation who confidently enter the public square in love, with well-trained minds, and fundamentally, forever, change the conversation.