Carnell: evidence for belief

Tuesday, October 10, 2017
    Feast of Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
    —Matthew 24:23-24 (NIV)
Quotation:
    People make mistakes when they believe. They may even want something so badly that passion creates its own evidences. Reprehensible though these habits are, they nonetheless fall within the pale of man’s general effort to conform the self to things as they are. But when a person acknowledges the deficiency of evidences and yet goes right on believing, he defends a position that is large with the elements of its own destruction. Any brand of inanity can be defended on such a principle.
    ... Edward John Carnell (1919-1967), The Case for Orthodox Theology, Philadelphia: Westminister, 1959, p. 24 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 24:23-24; 24:5,11; 26:41; Mark 13:21-22; Luke 17:23-24; 21:8; 2 Pet. 2:1; 3:17
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You are the only reliable source of knowledge. Inform me, I pray, so that I might have knowledge of You. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    Jonah    Ruth