More on value judgments
In this same section, Bavinck makes the following point:
“A religion that fails to furnish comfort and satisfaction to the moral needs of people is certainly false. Conversely, not every religion in which people look for comfort or satisfaction is true.” (p. 1.552)
Many evangelicals today hold to Christianity because they think it meets their felt needs (e.g., comfort and satisfaction). But the fundamental question is not whether Christianity meets my felt needs (and thus accords with my value judgments), but rather whether it is true.
A Christianity that simply affords pleasing experiences, that merely supplies me with things I personal value, is a Christianity that is ultimately nothing more than a competitor to psychotropic drugs. I really don’t need a Christian praise-band to give me the emotions that attend music. I don’t need a Christian counselor to hold my hand and affirm my self-esteem. I don’t need to go to church to get a latte. I can find other religions (and for that matter non-religious groups) that teach kindness and respect toward one’s neighbor. I can even find other ideologies that offer comfort on my deathbed. And I can get all this without a pastor telling me I am a sinner who can be saved from everlasting ruin only through the blood-letting of the Son of God. All the good stuff is available elsewhere.
Category: Biblical Authority Comment »