Opinion Versus Conviction

A conviction is something that actually then in many ways is rooted in your soul. It is in your conscience. To change a conviction will involve a changing of who you are as a person. So, we are really not talking about preferences or opinions, and so when two worldviews collide, when two convictions collide, the best thing one can hope for is at least the cordiality with which we can disagree, and the civility with which we can interact in the midst of that disagreement. –Ravi Zacharias, Veritas Lecture "Is Tolerance Intolerant? Pursuing the Climate of Acceptance and Inclusion

I heard the comment many times in my first congregation, "That's just your opinion."

But it's not just an opinion for many.  It's a conviction.

Ravi Zacharias put it succinctly in the above paragraph from his linked Veritas Lecture.

I don't think we are very good at making this distinction in our society today.  We love spouting commentary about another's opinion.  We actually denigrate their stances by calling them such.  For the truth of the matter is, when it comes to many of the things we debate in this day and age, we are dealing with conviction.

And convictions, more often than not, cannot be proven.  They are taken by faith.

For instance, a person who is a believer of God believes in two types of knowledge: knowledge gained by reason and knowledge gained by revelation. 

A person who does not believe in God believes in one type of knowledge: knowledge gained by reason alone.

Which conviction is correct?  (I would also add here, one could call these convictions "assumptions.")

The person of faith cannot prove there is such a thing as revelatory knowledge--at least not by reason alone.  He or she assumes that such knowledge is real. 

The person who believes all knowledge comes from reason is making an assumption as well.  The statement "knowledge comes from reason" is an assumption.  It cannot be proved by reason.  That's called circular logic and has long been acknowledged as a fallacy.

Both convictions are taken upon faith.  Period.

These basic convictions lead to very, very different conclusions about life.  Period.

To change these convictions changes the entire worldview a person holds.  Period.

And how easy is it to change a worldview?  How easy is it to change one's basic assumptions/convictions about life?  Very, very difficult.  Period.

And so how can we discuss things when people hold vastly different convictions, those convictions are so difficult to change, and they lead to such vastly different conclusions about how the world operates and our place in that world?

...when two convictions collide, the best thing one can hope for is at least the cordiality with which we can disagree, and the civility with which we can interact in the midst of that disagreement.

Cordiality and civility.  Two things hardly evident in much of our discourse in these days, especially since we are hardly taught to be humble.  Everyone has to win.  No one's self-esteem can be harmed.  Everything has to be fair. 

I call B.S.

If we are to have a civil and cordial discourse in this day and age, a massive dose of humility must be given to each and every person.

Christians, shouldn't have much of an issue as The Man instructed us, "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted."  --Matthew 23:12

Faith and Doubt Revisited

Recently, I listened to Francis Collins' Veritas Forum lecture.   Dr. Collins is perhaps best known for heading up the Human Genome Project.  He is a world famous geneticist and a practicing Christian.  He is very thoughtful in his presentation, and his take on the relationship between faith and science is well worth listening to.

In the Q & A portion of the video, Dr. Collins is asked about certainty, and in his response he makes the claim which I have heard on numerous occasions--doubt is a part of faith. 

Throughout my life, I have heard many pastors say the same thing.  The first Sunday after Easter is traditionally the Sunday we read the account of Jesus' appearance to Thomas--Doubting Thomas, many call him.  Recently, this has also become the Sunday when some pastors, particularly those of a mainline denomination bent tell their flocks, "It's perfectly O.K. to doubt.  Faith requires doubt."

I understand why this is said.  I also preached this early in my ministry.  And one might justify this kind of preaching if one focuses on Thomas and sees in Thomas a reflection of ourselves.

But as I said in a blog post earlier this year, this text isn't about Thomas.  It's about Jesus.  And what does Jesus say to Thomas?  "Do not doubt, but believe."

Pastors say, "It's O.K. to doubt," and encourage it.

Jesus says, "Do not doubt, but believe."

There is a disconnect here!

How can it be resolved?  Is it possible to resolve this?  Can one believe without doubt and somehow have absolute certainty?

Believe with out doubt--I think we can come close.

Have pure certainty--no.

But is what I am suggesting even possible?

If someone gets the gumption to ask me about this matter, I will respond, "I believe in God/Christ/the resurrection with the same certainty that I believe the sun will rise tomorrow."

"Aha!" you might exclaim, "You are talking about absolute certainty!"

Let me ask you: are you absolutely certain the sun will rise tomorrow? 

Prove the sun will rise tomorrow using the scientific method.  Bet you can't do it.  You can make the hypothesis, and that hypothesis may or may not be confirmed.  There is a very high probability that it will, BUT, it is not absolutely certain.  Consider the possibility, however remote, that the sun suddenly goes supernova on us unexpectedly.  Stars do explode.  Or consider there is a giant piece of space matter which has been obscured and unseen by our telescopes.  What if such a thing were large enough to smash into our sun without incinerating causing our sun to explode?  What if such an object were to slam into the earth knocking us out of orbit?  These are possibilities.  Very, very remote possibilities, but still possibilities.  Nothing in this world is absolutely certain.

Yet, I don't know many people who live their lives worrying over such matters.  Not too many people go around doubting the sun will come up tomorrow.  They live their lives with the conviction that it will--even though they can't see it until it happens. 

My faith in God is very much like the belief that the sun will rise tomorrow.  I can't prove it with certainty, but I have the conviction that He is there; that He became God incarnate; that He died and on the third day was raised from the dead.  I don't doubt this.  I believe it like I believe the sun will come up tomorrow.