Reading for understanding. Should you?

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Reading for understanding. Should you?

Post #1

Post by nobspeople »

Many believers may say the bible is the only book they need. That may be debatable, however, should believers read other books about God, or things about God?

Take, for example, The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything
https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-54274-6

Some say these types of books challenge the faith of the faithful. But that's a good thing. If you're faith is strong, it should hold up to such readings.
If it's not, and it causes you to change your mind, that's great, too.


Should believers in God read such things?

EDIT: Accidentally posted an Amazon add link - changed it to a different, non-selling link
Last edited by nobspeople on Tue Mar 23, 2021 2:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

Post #2

Post by 1213 »

nobspeople wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:24 pm ...
Should believers in God read such things?
I don’t see any good reason why it would be necessary. For some reason I feel that book would be waste of time.

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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

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Post by nobspeople »

1213 wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 2:37 pm
nobspeople wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:24 pm ...
Should believers in God read such things?
I don’t see any good reason why it would be necessary. For some reason I feel that book would be waste of time.
Why would it be a waste of time if you learn something from it?
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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

Post #4

Post by Overcomer »

I think it behooves all of us to read and learn as much as possible in this life. And a truly educated person doesn't just read the things he or she agrees with, but views and opinions that don't match his/her own. So I have no problem with reading that book. In fact, right now, I am looking at essays in The Portable Atheist edited by Christopher Hitchens.

How can we possibly speak to people about their beliefs if we have never taken the time to understand what those beliefs are and where they come from? And I would hope that the non-Christian would be as willing to study what I believe and why I believe it in turn.

Personally, I don't know any Christians who say we should just read the Bible and nothing else. God gave us brains. He expects us to use them. We draw on commentaries and studies by scholars and listen to sermons to help us understand the Bible. But we also study other subjects such as history and philosophy and science and mathematics -- a long, long list of fields which may challenge, complement, or confirm the Bible.

Christians enter all walks of life and that means gaining education in a variety of fields. Col 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men". Whatever we do takes knowledge and when we put our brains to work whether it's as an accountant or a kindergarten teacher or a plumber or a gardener, we are to honour God in it. That means doing the best we can which, in turn, means getting the most knowledge and expertise possible.

There's a book entitled Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in France in 17th century. He worked in the kitchen and repaired sandals -- two humble jobs. But he did that work to the best of his ability, with joy, because he was serving others and, in serving others, he was serving God.

But again, I stress the importance of looking at topics, whether religious or otherwise, from a variety of angles and viewpoints, assessing them using our God-given intelligence. I have no use for obscurantism, whether practiced by theist or non-theist.

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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

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Post by Dimmesdale »

G.K. Chesterton, a great Christian writer, was once asked what one book he would like to have, stranded on an island, barring any other book.

He replied, a book on ship building.

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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

Post #6

Post by 1213 »

nobspeople wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 2:51 pm Why would it be a waste of time if you learn something from it?
Maybe if there would be something good and truthful to learn, but I don’t believe there is.

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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

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Post by nobspeople »

1213 wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:59 pm
nobspeople wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 2:51 pm Why would it be a waste of time if you learn something from it?
Maybe if there would be something good and truthful to learn, but I don’t believe there is.
Why do you think that, assuming you haven't looked into it yet?
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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

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Post by 1213 »

nobspeople wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 1:06 pm Why do you think that, assuming you haven't looked into it yet?
Maybe it is because I am quite disappointed to scientists’ theories and claims, they generally are not very intelligent and have nothing good to support them nowadays. But I think Michio Kaku is not the worst. By what I know, he is quite reasonable.

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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

Post #9

Post by nobspeople »

1213 wrote: Thu Mar 25, 2021 2:45 pm
nobspeople wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 1:06 pm Why do you think that, assuming you haven't looked into it yet?
Maybe it is because I am quite disappointed to scientists’ theories and claims, they generally are not very intelligent and have nothing good to support them nowadays. But I think Michio Kaku is not the worst. By what I know, he is quite reasonable.
Have you had bad experiences with people of science personally? How do you judge them not very intelligent, assuming you aren't in their field? In other words, how would you just an astrophysicist or geneticist not very intelligent if you're not one yourself?
And if you think he's reasonable, why should you NOT read his book?
Of course there's no right or wrong answer, simply trying to determine how you make those judgements.
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Re: Reading for understanding. Should you?

Post #10

Post by Dimmesdale »

[Replying to nobspeople in post #1]

Knowledge can be a boon, or a burden.

Perhaps you have spent 20 years learning all the intricacies of particle physics. You did this because you intended to become a great contributor to this field as a scientist at Fermi Lab, or something.

However, let's say that your hands get blown off, you lose your voice, sight and hearing, and become incapable of communicating your knowledge. Does that knowledge then have value?

You may still prize it in your own way. It may mesmerize and amaze you still, but if you are barred from any practical application of that knowledge, it has much less value.

When we study a subject we should first of all decide whether it makes sense for us to learn this subject, or whether it is wasted time because our true vocation lies elsewhere. Someone who is by heart a musician should study music, not particle physics. A poet should study poetry, not math, etc.

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