Breadth of Mind and the Bible – An Illustrative, Philosophical View
There are three systems from which human thought springs: Humanism, Naturalism and Theism. It is doubtful anyone is a purist in any one train of thought – so, each holds some degree of a mishmash. When conflicting conclusions are reached on a subject, it may prove helpful to trace back each conclusion and identify from which fount it springs. The real question then becomes, “Which system is actually the most sound?” To answer this requires an understanding of each thought system – honestly pitted against each another – and honestly weighed.
Defined
Humanism is human opinion. It is an effort to formulate valid metaphysical constructs with no appeal to a power higher than man. Naturalism, on the other hand, confines itself to physical materialism. Naturalists think from a scientific base … with any “values” or conclusions extrapolated in accordance with gathered physical data. As to Theism, if Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, then the material that can be credibly connected to Him carries weight … actually a phenomenally great weight. A Biblical Theist has determined the Protestant Bible of 66 “books” meets that test. The goal is to then accurately represent the position of the Bible’s Author on the given topic.
Humanism: The Weakest of All Human Thought
The bulk of humanity is not really serious about the deeper questions of life. Most are occupied with the present tense. Sometimes the struggle to survive forces this, but oftentimes people simply choose to fritter away their time in trivial pursuits. “Thinking” is not something to which they are inclined. There are many reasons for this state of affairs, but the reasons are ultimately