Starting Points - part 2 Matters of Faith

Where you end up many times depends on where you start. You can change directions, turn around, start over, etc., along the way, but that starting point always has an impact. Last week we looked at hot topics of debate and "proofs" that all depended on starting points. At some point in any debate, we are almost always forced to choose between what may be two diametrically opposed outcomes. Of course, whether the two options are really so opposite is another matter of debate for some.

For example, a two of the hot button issues in the world of faith are creationism vs. evolution and anti-abortion vs. pro abortion. I have close friends, distant acquaintances, and just people I know who fall on both sides of each debate. I'm not talking about people that are considered to be from very different theological camps either. I'm talking about people who are very much alike theologically. My wife and I sometimes end up on opposite sides of the table. Even though their theological perspectives may be the same, some folks are anti-abortion and some are pro-abortion. Some believe in a literal six days of creation and others in a billions of years scientific explanation.

How can this be? If all these people start out at the same place, at least theologically, how do they end up at different endpoionts? At some point along the debate, they had to make a decision. To which particular subset of beliefs that was pertinent to the debate would they give more weight? Even though all people involved may believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, when faced with conflicting arguments they had to choose which way to go. Is it or isn't it literal? Are the scientists mistaken or wrong? The Bible does not explicitly say, "Thou shall not perform abortions," so how do we decide and interpret what it does say that can be applied to this debate?

These are just two of many divisive issues. I'm not trying to argue one over the other. Something that might be worthy of thought is which ones of these are crucial to our faith journeys and which ones are fringe issues.

I'm just trying to state the process by which both sides come to their conclusions. Sometimes the stated starting point doesn't matter. It's the unstated starting point that does. We all have a set of subconscious assumptions about how the world works that gives meaning to how we interpret the events in our lives. Next week I'll introduce miracles into the melee. For now, what are your thoughts? What subconscious assumptions are you aware of? Have any of these ever changed? How important is it to know what they are?