None of us like to be criticized because it implies a failure on our part. However, all of us, including us Christians, are finite. We also are less than perfect. This means we will make mistakes. How do we handle those mistakes and the criticism that sometimes follows? Joel Belz describes how some do.
Too many Christian leaders and too many Christian organizations seem to believe than an open forum for criticism jeopardizes their believability. So they sit on the facts and stifle appropriate discussion. They clam up and shut off the flow of information. In the process they forget that light always trumps darkness. Truth, by God’s order of things, always beats out ignorance. [1]
My question is: Do we hold our theology to the same standard? If questions arise about a particular point of theology, do we have an open discussion or do we ignore the issue? In this blog and in my book, The Renovation of Our Soul, we have raised questions about the doctrine of salvation. What has been interesting is that most Christians with whom I have discussed these questions (including some pastors) either have not asked them or ignore them because they do not have an answer. Why? If “truth, by God’s order of things, always beats out ignorance” should we not make an effort to resolve these questions about salvation?
___________________________
[1] Joel Belz, “Absorbing the punches”, World, March 7, 2015, p. 5.
