Blind Faith
“Don’t believe everything you read,” is a common phrase that is not commonly followed, especially among Christians. It is my observation that if a Christian reads an article or book written by a Christian author, hears a sermon from a pastor, or learns theology from a Pure Flix film, then they likely believe that it is biblical and trustworthy. The following blog represents one Christian who represents how living a life of blind faith instead of reasonable faith has diverted her from all resemblance of true Christianity.
I recently visited my new neighbor, who is a poor, elderly lady living by herself. Up to this point, I had only had brief interactions with her. I just made the usual tedious small talk like, “Hello there. Nice day isn’t it?” But on this occasion I decided it was time to get to know her. She has a litter of outdoor kittens and had previously invited my family to come over and pet them any time. I took advantage of this opportunity to bring my five-year-old daughter, Hannah, over to pet the kittens while I introduced myself. After exchanging names and pleasantries, she threw me off guard by presenting one of her more pressing theological worries. Without providing any warning or transition that our conversation was about to change, she says, “I just don’t know what’s going to happen to these kittens after the Rapture.”
Please understand that she was unaware that I avidly study Revelation, am a seminary student, and am writing my thesis denouncing Rapture theology. I had not even told her that I was a Christian. This concern of hers is apparently so pressing that she may be willing to discuss it with anyone. I responded with an appropriate, “uhm.” She followed up by saying she would have to trust that God would send someone to care for them. My mind was quickly trying to wrap itself around the nature of this new topic. I had several questions pop into my head at once. Assuming she was a Christian and that she believed in the Rapture, I wondered why she cared about the kittens, why she thought God shared her value of caring for the kittens (as she understood it), if she knew that kittens had survived for millennia without human help, who she thought God might send to help them, and why she was asking me.
Before I could form an intelligent response (if that were even possible), she was changing the direction of the conversation yet again to describe the awareness people need to have regarding kittens wandering into the street between our houses. At precisely that moment another neighbor of ours, a kind Mexican man, drove his car down the street. He was not appearing to exceed the speed limit, and all of the kittens were safely in her yard. Regardless, my elderly neighbor, yells, “Slow down!” with a force greater than I would expect from someone who appears to weigh about one hundred pounds. With his window open and seeing his face clearly, I had little doubt that he was able to hear her.
What was she thinking? I could not wrap my head around what this woman was about. On one hand, she cares about what happens to kittens if the Rapture occurs. On the other hand, she risks offending people to advance her own mission or values. Would this be an application of what Paul said when he wrote, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom 1:25, NASB 1997)?
Rather than starting off our acquaintance by presenting her with a list of my concerns regarding her Christianity, I decided to change the subject. With normal people, talking about their kids and your kids is a good way to get to know someone (again, with normal people). I told her that my daughter, who was present, was named Hannah, and that I had an older daughter, Isabella, and my son, Ethan, was in the Air Force. But that was the wrong thing to say.
At learning that my son was in the Air Force, my neighbor said, “He didn’t take the vaccine did he?” For the second time during this visit, I was again lost as to what just happened to our conversation. Quickly recovering, I informed her that Ethan, like all recruits, got lots of shots when he joined the military and does not get a choice. Making a face as if I just announced that Ethan had a terminal disease, she said gravely, “Oh... Then nobody should join the military anymore.” I wondered what she was talking about and asked her to explain. What I am about to tell you is not an exaggeration.
My neighbor informed me that the “globalists” have been conspiring to take over the world by reducing the population down to 500,000. These “globalists” created COVID-19 for the purpose of spreading their vaccine. See, it is not COVID-19 that was to kill off the masses, but the vaccine. Members of our government, including the military, are largely unaware that the vaccine is lethal. Why is it lethal and how are they ignorant to this fact you may wonder? The vaccine is lethal because it contains Nephilim DNA. You read that correctly, Nephilim DNA. I kindly tried to suggest that there are lots of ideas like that and asked her how she could be certain. She smiled and said, knowingly, “because its all in the Bible.”
I write this blog, not only because it is entertaining and true, but because I am dwelling on what to learn from it. This lady has lived twice as long as me and, as a Christian, should have gained wisdom. However, the sum of her combined education, experiences, and influences across her lifetime have led her to see supposed spiritual battles instead of the plain opportunities right in front of her to be a light to others (and not just to our Mexican neighbor. There have since been other instances). Can you identify where your beliefs are found in the Bible? Do you have a good defense for your faith or simply believe what makes sense in your own head? I challenge myself continually with such questions and encourage you too as well to increase your reasonable faith.
29 August 2020
