SteveB
Well-known member
Thomas was the guy in John 20 who refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he could stick his finger into the wounds on Jesus' hands, and his hand into the wound in Jesus' chest/side.
So, a few verses later, Jesus shows us, Thomas is there, and Jesus tells him--- go ahead.
So profound is Thomas' reaction that he exclaims--- My Lord, and My God! as he falls on his knees to worship Jesus.
Jesus' response is--- because you have seen, you have believed. But blessed are those who believe without seeing.
This statement by Jesus ascribes a special level of happiness to those who believe that Jesus has risen from the dead, without having seen him. A lot of atheists like to call this blind faith, yet they miss what's taken place here.
Introduction: Defining Religious Doubt
Our newspaper headlines tell the story. We are winning the battle against many dreaded diseases, but new ones are taking their places. Instead of physical calamities like tuberculosis, polio, typhoid fever, and malaria, we have made a switch. Now we have traded for emotional sicknesses like anxiety disorders and various kinds of clinical depression. The latter may even be far worse than the former. Perhaps more common, especially on less severe scales, many think that the emotional sicknesses affect life far more, are more difficult to deal with, and are far more painful than their physical counterparts.
Some have called the last few decades the “Age of Anxiety.” It seems that few descriptions provide a better idea of what this generation is about. We are worriers. We are concerned about every conceivable sort of situation. Yes, almost gone are the days when Russia pushing the button is our chief distress. Gone, too, is the apprehension that I or some loved one might be drafted to fight in some foreign jungle.
But new problems have taken their places. Will I get AIDS? Can my children even be raised today without contacting many opportunities for drugs and pre-marital sex? What if they make the wrong decision, especially given contemporary forms of peer pressure? Will some crazed individual walk into our local school or restaurant and open fire? We have heard that so-called Generation X is the first generation to conclude that their world will be worse than that of their parents. What does that mean?
So, a few verses later, Jesus shows us, Thomas is there, and Jesus tells him--- go ahead.
So profound is Thomas' reaction that he exclaims--- My Lord, and My God! as he falls on his knees to worship Jesus.
Jesus' response is--- because you have seen, you have believed. But blessed are those who believe without seeing.
This statement by Jesus ascribes a special level of happiness to those who believe that Jesus has risen from the dead, without having seen him. A lot of atheists like to call this blind faith, yet they miss what's taken place here.
The Thomas Factor
www.garyhabermas.com
Introduction: Defining Religious Doubt
Our newspaper headlines tell the story. We are winning the battle against many dreaded diseases, but new ones are taking their places. Instead of physical calamities like tuberculosis, polio, typhoid fever, and malaria, we have made a switch. Now we have traded for emotional sicknesses like anxiety disorders and various kinds of clinical depression. The latter may even be far worse than the former. Perhaps more common, especially on less severe scales, many think that the emotional sicknesses affect life far more, are more difficult to deal with, and are far more painful than their physical counterparts.
Some have called the last few decades the “Age of Anxiety.” It seems that few descriptions provide a better idea of what this generation is about. We are worriers. We are concerned about every conceivable sort of situation. Yes, almost gone are the days when Russia pushing the button is our chief distress. Gone, too, is the apprehension that I or some loved one might be drafted to fight in some foreign jungle.
But new problems have taken their places. Will I get AIDS? Can my children even be raised today without contacting many opportunities for drugs and pre-marital sex? What if they make the wrong decision, especially given contemporary forms of peer pressure? Will some crazed individual walk into our local school or restaurant and open fire? We have heard that so-called Generation X is the first generation to conclude that their world will be worse than that of their parents. What does that mean?