God never asked us to suspend rational thought processes in order to be Christians. That’s because there is a very close connection between logic and truth. Encouraging logical thinking is the influence of Paul, Augustine, and Aquinas on the Western church. The most important teaching in Christianity is a logical conclusion: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). There is evidence for the resurrection. Jesus foretold it. The disciples witnessed it. The church has proclaimed it throughout its long history. We put our hope in it.
When people are irrational, the truth gets compromised. Children will deny sneaking a treat even though chocolate is on their faces. Their denials become hysterical, even to the point of tears. Beware of anyone who asks you to ignore the evidence you can see plainly.
In a court of law, lawyers are held to that burden of proof. The standard they must meet is reasonable doubt. Can they present enough evidence to the contrary to create reasonable doubt in the minds of a judge whether the accused is guilty as charged? “We have an advocate with the Father [in our defense]—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). And though the preponderance of evidence is against us, Jesus’ death and resurrection made it reasonable for our perfect God to declare us not guilty. Because Jesus lives, our victory is won.
