On The Role Of Reason In Influencing The Philosophers' Deviation Towards Unorthodox Christianity

The more I read about philosophy (which is very little, but enough, I feel, to form some sort of premature conclusion), and especially philosophers who had background in Christianity or Roman Catholicism, the more I am persuaded that Reason leads many of them to adopt a Christianity that is peculiar, weird and ultimately unorthodox.

There is a philosopher by the name of Soren Kierkegaard, a great mind of Denmark. I read a little introductory book about him. In the 20 or so pages, he struck me as a very original and unique individual. He is nothing unlike any other people you have seen. So convinced was he of his own philosophy that he actually lived it out. I have remarked, that if I become a film director (which is not very plausible), the first film I will make is on the remarkable life of this person. I still know very little of his philosophies.

According to Kierkegaard, 'faith is irrational'. He means it in a very positive light, quite unlike the people nowadays who meant it in the negative light. Faith is irrational, and that makes faith all the more the harder to produce and act upon. This, of course, is rather unorthodox belief, though you cannot deny the good intention of it. It went the way of extremity, away from the goodness of his thinking. The common understanding (which I may call Orthodox) is that Faith and Reason can be reconciled in Christianity, the position I currently hold, yet have much trouble really achieving it.

A lot of people keep saying how easy it is to achieve that. But I suspect they do not understand how hard it is to do that. If anything, history shows that one who holds reason in a high position (which is what we should do as rational beings) often has problems reconciling it with faith. Even your beloved C.S. Lewis should find it hard to do so, judging from the books he had written, and I do not wonder.

What so troubles me is that there is vast ignorance on this subject (I include myself among the ignorant). Scores of Christians keep saying 'Faith and Reason are compatible' without really making an effort to reconcile them. It is like saying 'Sola Scriptura' a million times and then refusing to flip the pages of your bible. I do not apologize for saying there is vast ignorance, even among Christian circles that is plain to see. Yes, even among ourselves. These are people whom if Augustine is still alive today, would plead that they reject such nonsense, theological or scientific in nature. How do you tell people heavenly things, if you accept such nonsensical earthly things?

You do not, so far, understand what I am really trying to get at. I do not find a need to post what is the main problem I am facing. Anyone who is interested in truth would have already troubled their souls with it. I very well forsee that it will shake your faith, and not mine alone! To give Reason its place as an important part in religion (as a Science student) already gives me problems big enough to shake the foundations of my very own faith. It is the words of a wise man who said that true religion cannot contradict true science. And I believe my entire life will be spent to reconcile Faith and Reason.

Whether or not, at the end of the day, I still retain an Orthodox Christianity...