My Two Cents’ Worth

While watching a part of a political debate recently, I saw a commercial for the Freedom From Religion Foundation. I hope that you will notice the preposition in the organization’s name.  It is from, not of.

What caught my attention was a picture of the top portion of a penny. 

 As you can see, instead of the usual phrase we are used to seeing, this one cent piece had this phrase:

IN REASON WE TRUST

I suppose that the intended message is that we must make a choice. We can either trust God or we can trust reason. Apparently, according to the organization that hopes to free us from religion, this is an either/or proposition. The message seems to be that people who rely upon reason cannot, at the same time, trust in God. Likewise, those who put their trust in God cannot have any reasonable reason for doing so.

I’m certain that nobody will ever see a commercial I’ve produced and that I will never be invited to share my thoughts to any gathering of individuals with impressive academic credentials. At the same time, I would like to add my two cents’ worth to this discussion.

First, there is an interesting passage written by Isaiah. In this passage, God is addressing His people who, because of their continuing disobedience, had separated themselves from him. It is of interest that God invites these people to “…reason together…” with Him  (Isaiah 1:8). If people must throw reason out in order to have a relationship with God, why would He do that?

I’m also impressed by the preaching of Paul, the apostle. Please notice how he often tried to “connect” with people.

 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures (Acts 17:2)

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. (Acts 18:4)

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. (Acts 18:19)

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:25)\

The Greek word that is translated “reasoned” in these verses looks a lot like the English word dialogue. Not only does it look like our word, it carries much of the same meaning. Maybe we need to ask ourselves how much we enjoy having a dialogue or discussion with somebody who does not use reason!  

Maybe we need to do something else as well. It might be helpful to study carefully the sermon preached on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. Careful attention needs to be given to the clear, scriptural, logical, and reasonable material preached before this statement was made:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)

The people who were baptized on that day were not invited to “buy a pig in a poke.” They were encouraged to begin their journey toward heaven by obeying a message that was provable.  

The same is true for people today.  Christians are encouraged to:

… sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).

I realize that one penny is no longer worth much. I also realized there is a growing and persistent effort to devalue God and His word in our society.  

However, if it is all the same to you, I’ll take the genuine article in both respects.

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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn