CRITICAL REASONING
When critical reason is scrutinized, the fascinating development of Western civilizations advancement is brought into focus. The pervasive forces of logic and determination seem to be dual lynch pins that undergird the thought process of those who have been bred into the rationalistic perspective of Greek origination of understanding humanity in context to his natural surroundings. As the self-absorbed questions concerning existence’s purveyance gave way to communal and filial responsibilities’ governmental structures, scientific exploration, military development, philosophical ponderings and educational pursuits became central points of deliberation man sought to master the world in which he found himself cast into.
Standing outside the perimeters of this deliberative focus of the acknowledgement is the need for understanding existence in the greater quest: man’s search for that which eludes sensate verification. Is there a God? If so, is God knowable, and more importantly concerning objective analysis, is God’s existence verifiable? Philosophical and theological energies have been spent in countless ways to advance the substance of these queries. The mind of man has sought to discipline the realities of this world as they relate to the intangible possibilities of the world beyond.
These intellectual dalliances have led to the creation of shared knowledge and stored information systems for joint communication to be conducted. Modern educational structures owe their goals and existence to these ancient acts of deliberation. The church’s advancement follows a similar path as Scripture denotes. God has unfolded a significant amount of revelatory interagiencies, comprised of natural revelation, informational transmission and direct intervention supernaturally. The interpolation of these two dynamics of antiquity, faith and reason, has led to a synthesized social expression known as Western Civilization.
Conviction and underlying principles have merged into a system of belief and action that directs those who live within the West’s influence, regardless of acknowledgement or acquiescence. Significant difficulties have surfaced when the foundational assumption of faith’s veracity was challenged during the Enlightenment’s dominion. Advancement along reasons form was made, albeit without the conscience that faith brings. Postmodernity lives with an equally dangerous assumption, with devastating potentiality: religious pluralism without inculcating reason’s limitations. The greatest challenge of postmodernism’s fallacious repackaging of liberal propositions applied to cultural considerations can be seen in the excessive adaptations of thought: anything goes as long as nothing dominates.
Utopian abandonment through disillusionment has led to a prepubescent reaction along a social fault line. Subordinate activities give way to openness and expressiveness of intent. Media, government, and educational institutions: all have fallen victim to the narcissistic tendencies of optimism’s decay. It is extremely important that the church reasserts its focal point of importance into the central place of societal import through action and interaction. Once again, the church has a sterling opportunity presented to it. Society can be shaped by a correct assumption of religious priorities: namely, Jesus Christ needs to be reissued as a priority of lifestyle restrictions and cultural boundaries through His liberating grace.
