Friday, July 11, 2008

An Experience in Education


I had the opportunity to experience a bunch of different things this week. I wanted to share some of them with you because they all boil down to the same result.

First, a friend sent me the following YouTube video on science and faith (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4 ). You don’t need ANY science background to understand this video. It is very interesting and it follows the ideal of this blog, which is to educate others on the beautiful dance between science and faith.

After I finished that video, I clicked on another YouTube video that interested me: “The Church of Oprah Exposed” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA&feature=related ). I’m not a big Oprah fan for the simple reason that another author friend of mine was invited on her show and Oprah was all about Oprah and barely included her guests in her discussion. (I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. Her photo is on her monthly magazine…every month…only her face.) Anyway, that video is worth watching too. If you are Christian, you may or may not see Oprah’s subtle message that is affecting the way many others see Christianity.

Lastly, I received a barrage of emails this week on political candidates and their ideals. There were emails that described Obama Barrack as a caring, thoughtful Senator, concerned with all life issues. Other emails that describe John McCain as a family man who’s raised seven children including a little girl adopted from one of Mother Teresa’s orphanages.

What do all these experiences have in common? My take is EDUCATION.

First, the YouTube video introduces the gluing protein Laminin, it purpose of keeping us “glued” together and how Laminin exists in the shape of the cross. Laminin reveals God’s love in the tiniest protein. Without the help of a microbiologist from Texas, the Christian in the YouTube video Louie Giglio wouldn’t have been able to educate others on how appropriate this protein is to us today.

Secondly, the emails I received were designed to influence me, yet they lacked decision-making information. They talked about the character of each candidate, but their voting records (which reveal their actions) were missing. It made me think. How often do we take the time to go and find the voting records of political candidates? Do we rely solely on what others tell us, or the candidate’s speeches to influence our vote? Without educating ourselves, how do we make an informed decision?

Lastly, “The Church of Oprah” video is enlightening because it shows how vulnerable we are when we don’t KNOW our Christian faith. We need to understand what the truths of faith reveal and why they exist. It’s not appropriate to say, “It’s a church rule”. Our faith cannot increase if we live by rules alone. Rules are there for a reason, and we need to delve into the history of why they are there in order to make full sense of them in our lives.

For example, one thing Oprah said in her video was that there was a time when she rejected her Baptist roots because she heard the minister say, “God is a jealous God”. She interpreted that as the minister saying God was jealous of her. Since she believed God was a loving God, the whole jealousy thing didn’t fit. She rejected her Christian roots because of that simple sentence.

Christians who reflect on Scripture and educate themselves either through Bible study or through classes understand that the author who wrote that verse was indicating that God wants to be first in our lives. He loves us so much that He wants us to love him back as much as we can. It is silly and juvenile to believe that God is jealous of us. Such interpretation comes from a lack of critical thinking.

Taken completely out of context, Oprah is using this statement to persuade uneducated Christians of her “truth” instead of the real Truth.

So what did I learn this week?

Education is key and it doesn’t matter what the topic is! Science, faith, philosophy, and politics are just a few of the things we need to learn about. We cannot afford to be lazy any longer in this country. We are paying for it now as it is.

We need to take the time, learn something new, pray on it, and apply it to our lives. What have you learned today? (By the way: The picture is of a brain neuron.)

5 comments:

Kay Day said...

I love to learn! I love it!
I hope my kids will have a love for learning. That is more important to me than good grades. A hunger for knowledge and the wisdom to apply it is what I pray for them.

Robbie Iobst said...

Wow, Loretta. I watched the You Tube Louie Giglio video you suggested and WOW. It is so cool how God is completely omnipotent and full of unending grace. Thank you for educating me. Learning takes effort (I do get lazy) but adding new information to my world is so enriching. Thank you!

Jan Parrish said...

Loretta, this is so true. We need to research both faith and politics and not allow hearsay, or the opinions of others, to influence our decisions. You can see how the enemy used misinformation to confuse Oprah. Very sad.

Unknown said...

Someone emailed that Laminin video to me a while ago - it's pretty awe-inspiring.

I love the theme of your blog and agree that it's critical for Christians to understand how science and faith go so perfectly together, which is a radical (and mocked) idea in today's culture.

Keep up the good work!
www.diaryof1.com

D. Gudger said...

Good stuff. I'm reading Beth Moore's WHEN GODLY PEOPLE DO UNGODLY THINGS and it's an eye opener.

Satan seeks out weaknesses and has an anti-plan for each life. Oprah's weakness is her lack of understanding of language (however, Tolle's book is so ambigous and abusive of the English language, I'm surprised she's enamored with it).

Sitting in the tiny rural PA church in which I grew up, hearing KJV words read from the pulpit, I was struck by how important clarity is. Modern folks need to hear the TRUTH in the language they speak. What worked in the 1600s to describe God doesn't work today. But the truth doesn't change.

Okay, I'm on a rabbit trail so I'd better go!