Mind Games

As a Christian do I believe what I believe - simply because of my upbringing and cultural setting?

This was a question (or perhaps accusation) poised to John Lennox from the floor during his debate with Christopher Hitchens. It has also been raised in a related post on my blog.

This is the thinking that says: 'You are a Christian because you were taught to believe in Christianity - however, had you been brought-up in Saudi Arabia you would probably be a Muslim and believe just as passionately in that'. After all there are few converts to Christianity in Mecca.

The problem is, of course, that that argument works both ways. Because you yourself have to admit that if you are indifferent / lukewarm / sceptical about 'faith' and the existence of God, it is probably just because you were brought up in a home and/or country that culturally has those same type of attitudes (e.g. C21 Britain). That is, your point renders you as unable as those with faith to come to any objective conclusions about such matters.

If you protest, 'No I was brought up to believe that God did exist but through a process of reason and investigation came to the conclusion this was false' - then you have to concede - that the notion that people are inevitably prisoners of their upbringing & culture doesn't actually stand up (you have personally disproved it).

You therefore must extend to others the recognition that they too are capable of examining their beliefs, and coming to reasoned conclusions about their validity - albeit you may disagree with them. To do other is set-up atheists as somekind of uber-intelligentsia - while depicting those who come to other conclusions as feeble-minded and intellectually inferior. A sinister proposition indeed!

Another piece on this subject can be accessed HERE.