From: brian@lpl.arizona.edu (Brian Ceccarelli 602/621-9615)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: God speaks
Date: 11 Nov 92 04:09:17 GMT
Organization: Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, Tucson AZ.


Dave Weaver wrote:

> I would have to respectfully disagree. I have seen no teaching in the 
> gospels that discourages the use of the intellect. But if it's necessary,
> you, Kent and Jim can cite passages and we'll end up disagreeing over 
> the proper interpretation. 

Kent Sandvik says:

> Note also how Jesus time after time uses parables based on the concept
> that those that think like children (in other words rely a lot on
> faith, instead of using introspection, something learned later and that
> is part of intelligent thinking) will enter the kingdom of God. I'm
> interested to hear how this interpretation would imply that intelligent
> children will end up in heaven as well. In other words, what's the
> Christian scope concerning 'act like children'?

Brian says:

   Who really cares what Brian says?  But I'll give it my best shot
anyway hoping that Kent is not into arguing semantics, because I
will not argue over that.  It tends to be folly.

   Jesus really doesn't give a hoot about intellect.  It doesn't impress
him.  Why should it?  He himself created the universe . . . Einstein,
Hawkins, Marilyn Vos Savant and the likes are less than kindergardners compared
to the intellect of Jesus.  To Jesus, we all have insignficant I.Q.s.
He has infinite I.Q.  The sum total of ours approaches zero in comparison.

   Things that may seem important to you and I are not important in His
eyes.  Do you know what impresses Jesus?  It is not intellect. 
Read the Bible carefully.  You will find only one thing.  Faith.
Faith impresses Jesus.  Jesus is amazed and pleased when people show
faith.  That is what Jesus looks for.   And for the definition of
faith, (don't give me that blind faith crap), take faith in context.
Read Hebrews 11 for the contextual definition.

   From Jesus's perspective, more times than not, the intellect
only serves as an inhibitor from entering God's Kingdom.  Not
because intellect is bad in itself, but it usually breeds
pride and ego.  Pride and ego yield the I-can-do-it-myself
attitude.  From there, the next step is the I-don't-need-God 
attitude.  That is the lie.  If you don't think so now,
then wait until later.

    There's a big picture here.  Learning computers until you are
blue in the face, rummaging through tech manuals, collecting facts,
getting good at trivia pursuit, doesn't do you any good in the
end.  You die in the end.   All those intellectual facts we
collect until we die do us no good in heaven nor in hell.  As
for affecting civilization after you leave, well, that's useless
too.  A new earth and heaven will be made.  Intellect
is fine, but you need wisdom to guide it.  Wisdom allows you
to do good works that last eternally.

    Remember when you were a child?  I had a happy childhood.  I
trusted my parents in matters that I didn't know nor even cared
about even if I knew.   There are a thousand things like that in our
adult lives too.  I trust God the Father to take care of them
and he seems fit.  He can do things I simply can't.  That is
the childlike attitude that Jesus is talking about.


1 Corinthians 8:1    Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Brian Ceccarelli
brian@gamma1.lpl.arizona.edu