The More I Read, The Less I Know

Or in other words, I realize there’s a wealth of knowledge that is way above my pay grade.

That’s what’s happening in my deconstruction process. I’m “forcing” myself to read material that challenges my beliefs. I just finished reading a book that deconstructs the popular Christian belief on human origins. It was very eloquent, well-researched and convincing.

Basically, the author argues against taking the Bible literally. That didn’t surprise me because there are significant differences even among literal Christians. Saying that taking the Bible literally is the proper way will inevitably leave us with opposing teams.

I stopped taking the Scriptures literally some time ago after studying the origins, inspiration and interpretation of the Bible. That was an enormous step for me. It was radically opposed to what my denomination predominantly teaches. It was a freeing maneuver, though. My faith in God grew exponentially. The Scriptures stopped causing me to doubt because I approached them with flexibility. Today I respect the Bible more than ever before.

However, even if I feel free as a huge burden is lifted off my shoulders, another load appears with the latest book: evolution.

Biological evolution, cosmos, and quantum physics are far beyond what I can comprehend. Where do I start? I bought yesterday a book(1) that is pro young earth; I want to give my denomination a chance to enlighten me. I’m looking for an “evolution for idiots” type of book, too. I also bought two books(2, 3) on Bible interpretation.

So, this is where I am. It’s going to be a lengthy process, which is ok. I am not in a hurry.

(1) Stories About Earth’s History. A geologist ‘s Dissent from Deep Time. By Monte Fleming
(2) How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers―and Why That’s Great News.
By Peter Enns
(3) The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our “Correct” Beliefs.
By Peter Enns