Do You Have "Blind Faith"?

The creation story (actually, stories) and the story (again, stories) of the flood in the book of Genesis are probably among the best known biblical stories in the western world. You, reader, probably think you know them quite well.  If so, I have a challenge for you - a challenge that gave myself - to take what I think I know about these Genesis stories and put that knowledge on a shelf, to do my best to read these accounts as objectively as possible, and to be willing to see if there's anything I've missed in all my previous readings or anything I've misunderstood.

If you're willing to take that challenge, do so now, even if you've already done your readings for today. Stop reading this blog and go back and read today's reading (Genesis 4-7, and Genesis 1-3 if you are willing) again. Look for those things you've missed in previous readings and/or things you've possibility misunderstood or misinterpreted, things that are different from what you've heard or believed and that appear to be internal textual inconsistencies.

The goal here is not destroy or undermine faith, but to challenge "blind faith." My definition of "blind faith" is having a belief that ignores facts and thus is based to some degree on wishful thinking and is ignorant of certain textual realities. These textual realities can be obstacles to faith in those who want to create God in their own image (i.e., they want God to conform to their idea of what God should be and do), and/or whose faith requires that there be no textual problems in any of the 66 books that we, as Christians, believe to be inspired by God.

In my next blog, I will take note of some textual realities which, for many years, I refused to see, or when they were pointed out to me, I quickly explained away. Yet, I believe in doing so, I weakened or cheapened my faith rather than strengthened or cherished it. I am going on record to say, that because my eyes have been opened to certain textual realities, rather than weakening it, my faith has been sharpened and focused and thus refined and strengthened. I wish only the same for you.