Building a Table of Faith
How can faith and reason coexist in a world that often sees them as opposing forces? Sometimes the answer is closer than you think—maybe even under your dining room table.
One place where the tension between faith and reason is particularly apparent is in debates about the origins of life. Biologist and author Richard Dawkins claims that Charles Darwin and the evolutionary model made it possible to be an “intellectually fulfilled atheist.” But is it also possible to be an intellectually fulfilled Christian? Many people today dismiss anyone who questions evolution, equating them with someone who believes the earth is flat. Yet, this comparison is misleading. Many gaps in evolutionary theory remain unresolved, and when evolutionists lack a clear answer to a scientific problem, they can appeal to faith in their model and still be considered “intellectual.” Meanwhile, Bible-believing Christians are often denied that same intellectual latitude.
This interplay between evidence and belief is not limited to debates about evolution; it touches every aspect of the Christian walk, raising questions about how much we should investigate and how much we should simply trust God.
Discussions about the interrelatedness of faith and reason have existed for some time. Every genuine Christian, at some point in their walk with Jesus, has wondered how much evidence they should seek from God and to what extent they should simply believe and trust Him. I wish I could give people the perfect formula—50 percent faith, 50 percent reason—but it doesn’t exist. What I do know is that the God of Scripture invites us to reason in Isaiah 1:18. Peter also encourages us: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15. Scripture makes it clear that God has nothing to hide, that He invites us to reason with Him rather than exclude Him from the process and that truth is logically coherent and defensible. Surely no one would invite others to reason with them if they were unreasonable.
Ellen G. White echoed this principle, emphasizing that intellectual engagement and reasoning are essential to glorifying God and understanding His Word. “Ignorance will not increase the humility or spirituality of any professed follower of Christ,” she wrote in Christian Education. “The truths of the divine Word can be best appreciated by an intellectual Christian. Christ can be best glorified by those who serve Him intelligently. The great object of education is to enable us to use the powers which God has given us in such a manner as will best represent the religion of the Bible and promote the glory of God.”
In my class, I often use the metaphor of a table to represent the truth one holds about their worldview, faith and beliefs. Some tables have only one central leg that widens to create a large enough surface to keep the table stable. Yet, such tables are often easily overturned. Lean a little on one side or lift one end and the table quickly collapses. What we want is for our table of truth, values and beliefs to have as many legs under it as possible. That way, if we ever encounter a notion that causes us to reevaluate or even remove some legs from our table, it won’t collapse because the other legs can still support it.
To help readers continue building a strong foundation for their faith, Insight, a new column in the Record, explores how our beliefs intersect with the contemporary world. This year, the column will focus specifically on faith and reason, helping to add a few more legs under your table of belief.
It’s my hope that as we reason together, we will arm ourselves against cunningly devised fables, while building our confidence to share what we believe with the world around us.
By Endi Stojanovic
Assistant Professor, Department of Religion, Southwestern Adventist University
