Kaliwanagan Kay Kristo: May 2, 2017 - Christianity is Anti-Intellectual || John Pesebre

Question 1: What is the brief statement of the doubt?

Isang umaga, habang nakasakay sa isang bus papunta sa work si Charis, she overheard a conversation ng dalawa nyang katabi. They sounded like very intelligent young professionals at ang sabi ng isa ay “Christianity is anti-intellectual.” Malimit ko na ring marinig ito at ilang beses na rin sinabi pa ito harap-harapan sa akin. Ito din po ang brief statement of the doubt natin sa episode na ito.

Question 2: Where did this doubt come from?

Dalawa po ang nakikita kong pinanggagalingan nito: una sa kultura natin at pangalawa sa kultura na rin ng mga born-again believers. Ang anti-intellectualism ay “hostility towards and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits, usually expressed through the derision of education, philosophy, literature, art, and science, as impractical and contemptible.”

Isa sa mga dahilan kaya may mga allegations na ganito is because may popular opinion sa Pilipinas na ang Filipino society ay anti-intellectual talaga. Sa isang article ng Rappler.com sa panulat ng Palanca-awardee na si Shakira Sison pinamagatang “What’s up with smart-shaming?” nabanggit niya na ang dominant Pinoy mass culture ay may pagka-asiwa sa mga intelehenteng dialogo. Ika niya,

• Why do we say, "Ang dami mong alam! (You're a know-it-all!)" when we hear someone share a deep thought or provocative question? Why not engage the person and learn? Why do we avoid discussions that require us to think, do our own research, or question beliefs we've long held? Why do we say, "Nosebleed!" when we hear someone speaking English?

Pangalawa, etong kultura na ito ay pumasok na rin sa evangelicalism.

Kung totoo ito, at kung totoo na habang umuusad ang mga modern societies at nagiging bahagi ng “conditions of belief” nila yung criterion ng intelligibility, nakikita nila na ang Christianity is not an intelligent option -- na kailangan nila dito i-suspend ang kanilang pag iisip o yung tinatawag na intellectual suicide

Question 3: What is wrong about this doubt?

Hindi po totoo na “Christianity is anti-intellectual.”

Question 4: How is it wrong?

Una sa lahat, to affirm lang ang ating pananampalataya, a couple of times in the book of Isaiah we read of God invoking reason (1:18) and argument (נִשָּׁפְטָ֖ה [niphal; “to plead:43:26). Sa Acts 18:4 we read that every Sabbath the Apostle Paul “ reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” The word “reason” there is the word dielegeto na ang root word ay dialegomai at maririnig nyo na siguro kung saan galing yung word na dialogue. So Paul dialogued with people and persuaded them to believe what he was persuadingly proposing them to believe.

Kapag sinabi nating proposing or “proposition” ang gusto ko pong sabihin diyan ay isang claim sa reality na maaaring i-reject o i-accept ng nakikinig. Sa incident na ito sa Corinth, the Jews rejected him. Pero previous to this in Athens there were peole who accepted Paul’s proposition by the power of the Holy Spirit: “Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

So pwede mong gamitin ang reason mo to disprove or approve yung sinasabi. Ganyan ang ginagawa ni Paul diyan at ganyan din ang konteksto kapag nagpe present tayo ng case for Christianity -- they could either reject it or accept it. We always find Christ explaining, giving a sermon, giving parables, etc.

By way of refuting the reasoning naman ng nag aallege na “anti-intellectual” daw ang Christianity, marahil ang kailangan niya lang gawin ay tumingin sa history ng science, mathematics, philosophy, humanitarian efforts, education, etc at nang makita niya napaka unstable na sabihin na anti-intellectual ang Christianity.

Question 5: What wrong idea about God is this doubt trying to create?

Isa sa malimit gawin ni Satan is to distract our  minds to the things of God so that lalong ma alienate ang ating isipan at buhay sa paglapit sa kanya. May isang mythological na god ang mga Greeks na ang pangalan ay si Hypnos who "is said to be a calm and gentle god, as he helps humans in need and, due to their sleep, owns half of their lives."

Question 6: What is the Biblical teaching about God that recuperates this wrong idea about God?

Mark 12:29-31 says,

• The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The verse indicates that the intellectual faculty ng tao ay kasama sa pagpapahayag ng pagmamahal sa Panginoon.

Question 7: What application can you draw from this correct teaching about God?

What is interesting about this verse is that the Old Testament passage from where it is taken reads, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Why do you think Jesus added the phrase, “with all your mind”?

How do you see this truth as an important part of your walk and relationship with God?

Question 8: What action point can you resolve to do at this point?

A good part ng ating pag-aalaga ng ating kaisipan ay ang pang-araw araw na pag aaral ng salita ng Diyos. Ang tawag dito ay daily devotion. Malaki din ang maitutulong ng pakikibahagi sa mga group Bible study at taimtim na pakikinig ng sermon.