Daniel N. Lee

I encourage you to read the article, too. But read it with an open mind and an open heart. Really try to pay attention to what seems to be going on behind the scenes: Does It Matter That Atheists Are Smarter Than Believers?

Have you read it yet? And have you calmed down a bit? Good. Then let’s proceed. Here are some of my initial thoughts, and I’ll try to keep them succinct.

WHY WOULD THIS SURPRISE US?
Probably not the first reaction you were expecting. Hear me out. Think about the men that Jesus called to be his closest disciples. They were fishermen, blue-collar workers, a zealot or two, an accountant. They were by no means the religious or intellectual elite. Their IQs (with the exception of maybe Paul and Apollos in Acts) were probably average at best.

In fact, look at what we’re told about the apostles in Acts: When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).


And just look at what Paul writes to the church in Corinth. It’s pretty much a rebuttal the the above article, yet it was written nearly 2000 years ago!

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Intelligence and wisdom by the world’s standards has never meant a whole lot to God. It’s not how his movement spread. It was not through logic and reasoning that Christ’s followers “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Why should we be surprised if researchers have “discovered” what the Bible already claims to be true?

CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
With all that in mind, it is important to note that just because there may be a correlation that does not mean that religious faith causes a person to be less intelligent. I have my wife to thank for the phrase “correlation does not equal causation.”

Christianity has always appealed more to those of lower social standing, the outcasts, the rejects, the nobodies. In fact, while the Christian faith seems to be declining through much of the West, it is thriving throughout Africa, South America, and Asia. The hub of Christianity tends to move away from wealth and power. Once a person becomes rich and powerful they tend to become their own god. They think there is no longer a need for the “crutch” of faith – a reality pointed out in both the above article AND in Scripture!

So does that mean that wealth, power, and intelligence cause people to lose their faith? Again, no. It has been my (and others’) experience that very few people actually “think” their way out of faith. It almost always has to do with cultural/societal factors. Many were burned by the church. Some feel their faith choked out by the pressure to “fit in” with their colleagues. But all that is the work of Satan, not academic advancement.

THE CHURCH COULD & SHOULD DO BETTER
The studies cited in the above article have all taken place mainly in the Western world over the last 100 years or so. In that context, yes, the church has lost substantial ground in the realm of academia. But it was not always so. In fact Theology used to be hailed as the “Queen of the Sciences.” The idea was that to know about creation one must know about the Creator. Sounds reminiscent of  Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”


And yet I look around the world, especially the Christian world, and wonder, Where are the Galileos and the Michelangelos? Where are the Newtons and the Bachs? What happened to the Pasteurs and the Leonardos?


Somewhere along the line (probably after Darwin’s theory hit it big) I think the church decided that higher learning was unimportant, at best, or evil, at worst. So we wiped our hands clean of physics, biology, chemistry, art, and music. We built our own Christian schools and universities. We focused on big-T Truths and abandoned the search for little-t truths about the universe.

I think that’s got to change. If we truly believe that God created to universe and everything in it, then there is NOTHING that we can discover that would shake our belief in him. There are still things about the universe we don’t understand. That’s to be expected. There are current theories we hold that may one day be proven false. It’s happened before and we’re still here. The face of science and academia is constantly changing, but the One who created it all never does.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). I think it’s time the church started acting like it.

[I have more points I could make, so this blog might get a part two sometime.]

When did we get off thinking that Christianity was supposed to be easy? Let me rephrase that. When did I get off thinking that Christianity was supposed to be easy?

I can’t think of a single time I’ve had to face any kind of suffering for my faith. I can’t think of any close friendships I’ve lost because I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I have not been ostracized by my family because of my baptism – in fact, my dad was the one who baptized me.

I have a secure job in a (semi)comfortable office (the A/C is out, but that’s my only complaint). I get paid for teaching about Jesus. Never once have I had to fear for the safety of my wife and son because of the fact that I am a minister of the gospel.

You would think that in a nation where Christians are free to worship and practice their faith at will that they would be exuberant, on fire, passionate, and active. But really what we are seeing is a post-Christian society in most of Europe and a (pre)post-Christian society forming in the US. It would seem that where the gospel can be spread risk-free is the very place where it begins to flounder.

At my college Alma Mater we had social clubs for men and women. They were sort of a “baptized” version of fraternities and sororities. And each fall the clubs add new members. Hundreds of students spend much of their time through September and October working hard to get into these clubs. Over the years, however, the administration has set some very strict guidelines on what can and cannot be done to prospective members of these clubs. Almost any club-sanctioned activity that could possibly submit new members to physical “abuse” or public embarrassment has been banned. New members can’t even be called “pledges” anymore. They are walking on eggshells to avoid even a hint of so-called “hazing.”

My college is not alone in this respect. Universities across the nation have really cracked down on these type of activities. And the outcome has been positive…and negative.

You see, there was not much that we as a pledge class had to endure together. There was very little hardship. The blood, sweat, and tears had been wiped away. The whole process sterilized and individualized. There was never really that moment of “am I going to make it?” And because we were “saved” from these trials, many club brothers, including myself, failed to make a tight, long-lasting commitment to the group. Many went inactive over the following semesters.

There was no risk, so there was not much reward.

I think that is what happens many times in our churches. We don’t actually risk anything when we take the plunge of baptism. Sure, we may be stepping out on the tight wire above the gorge, but we’ve got a harness and a safety net beneath.

That’s what brings me to this old hymn from the 1800s, “Father, Hear the Prayer We Offer.” So often in our prayers I hear people pray for safety and comfort. I think we’ve got that down. We are all ABOUT safety and comfort, and many times we don’t need God for that. But look at the lyrics to this hymn and how different this prayer is:

Father, hear the prayer we offer:
Nor for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength, that we may ever
Live our lives courageously.

Let our path be bright or dreary,
Storm or sunshine be our share;
May our souls in hope unweary
Make Thy work our ceaseless prayer.

There is some pretty scary stuff in the Bible. Have you ever really thought about what it’s going to be like when Christ comes back? People bursting out of their graves. Fire. Lightening. War horns. The skies being ripped open. Reading the imagery used by John in Revelation, by Daniel in his prophecies, and even by Jesus toward the end of his life can be frightening.

But in my opinion, the most frightening chapter in all of Scripture is Matthew 25. When I read through the stories Jesus tells in this chapter I realize that I am a foolish virgin, a wicked and lazy servant, and a goat.

TEN VIRGINS
The five foolish maidens ran out of oil while waiting on the bridegroom to come. They left the group in search of more oil. While they were away, the party started without them. They came running back, banging on the door, but their names weren’t on the guest list.

They left the group. They went searching for fulfillment somewhere else. Sound familiar?

THREE SERVANTS
A millionaire businessman goes away on a trip and entrusts his funds to his three most loyal servants. To one he gives the equivalent of about $4 million. To another he gives roughly $1.6 million. To the third he gives about $800,000. The third servant is afraid of his master so he buries $800,000 in the ground. Upon his return the master gets exactly $800,000 back from that third servant. The master calls him wicked and lazy. He takes away everything he has and kicks him out on the street.

He was afraid of his master. Why take risks? Better safe than sorry, right?

SHEEP VS. GOATS
Lastly, Jesus paints a picture of the judgment scene. Those entering life had clothed, fed, and cared for Jesus inasmuch as they clothed, fed, and cared for their needy brothers and sisters. Those entering eternal punishment turned a blind eye to the needs of their brothers and sisters, thus ignoring the needs of Jesus himself. Nothing is said about worship practices, faith, baptism, doctrines, or patterns.

The goats may have said the right things and believed the right things. The sheep DID the right things.

I desire to be a wise, good, faithful sheep. But when it really comes down to it, I’m more like a foolish, wicked, lazy goat.

I feel like Paul at the end of Romans 7: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

THANKS BE TO GOD
In Matthew 25 Jesus gives us a warning. It’s a wake up call. “Be alert!” he says. “Keep watch!” he urges. It doesn’t have to be that way. We still have time. Each and every one of us still has today. This moment. He tells us these stories to warn us about the jagged rocks along the coast line, about the sharp bend in the road ahead. He doesn’t want any of us to become the foolish virgins or the wicked, lazy servant, or a goat.

And so I, like Paul, can say, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

We are working our way through the gospels in our Wednesday night teen class. We are in the end of Matthew during the last days of Jesus’ life. In chapter 24 his disciples ask him about the end of time, the destruction of the Temple, the return of the Messiah, you know…simple matters.

…or Why I Don’t Buy Into Evolution

I’m willing to give a little wiggle room to the theory of evolution. It has its benefits. It is one way of helping us understand the world around us. And on the purely animalistic side of it, survival of the fittest seems to be the natural order of things. The slowest, sickest zebra gets eaten by the lion. That lotion kills 99.9% of bacteria, leaving the strongest 0.1% to survive and grow into incurable super bugs. I get it.

But I don’t see that happening in realm of human beings. And I don’t think it should be survival of the fittest. When that starts manifesting itself in society, weak babies are left to die in the elements and millions of people are slaughtered because they have the “wrong” genetic makeup.

So how could “survival of the fittest” have led us to evolve to the point of declaring that very idea morally wrong for humanity?

Also, if humans were still attempting to climb the evolutionary ladder, shouldn’t we be getting smarter as a species? But by all accounts we are collectively dumber than previous generations. Could we actually be devolving?

We all dream of a future for our children that is better than our current generation. Always have, always will. And yet we seem unable to make our dreams a reality, no matter how noble. We dream of a world free of poverty, oppression, and prejudice. We dream of a world rid of AIDS and cancer. We dream of a world where people work together, love each other, and promote knowledge, freedom, and democracy. We dream of a world full of MLK Juniors and Ghandis.

But what are we actually doing to get there?

I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the wisest, most loving, most generous, and most genuine man to ever walk the earth. I believe he came to show us how to make the next generation better than the last. If we loved like he loved, if we behaved like he did, if we followed in his footsteps, then I believe we would see that dream fulfilled.

But sitting around waiting for evolution to get us there will never work. It’s not like Jesus himself was any further up the evolutionary scale than we are. In fact Scripture tells us that he was made like us in every way (Hebrews 2) and that he had no divine advantage in this life (Philippians 2). We are even reassured that Jesus was not born with any prior knowledge stored away in his infant brain. Luke tells us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Jesus still had to go through childhood. He still had to mature mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially – just like each and every one of us. Children continue to face the same challenges that Jesus did – having to grow up in a corrupt, evil, fallen world. They have to learn everything they know. They have to be taught how to love – and how to hate. And yet we are living in a time when almost half of all children grow up in a broken home and society says that’s okay.

One day I have hope that we will see that dream come to fruition. I know one day that there will be no more hunger or poverty or oppression or corruption. There will be no more boundaries and people will be free to love completely. But God is in control of when that day comes, not evolution.

Until then, the responsibility lies with parents and with the church to help raise our children into the type of people needed to make the future a little bit brighter. Because God knows no one else is doing it.

We’re still growing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man – and I pray we never stop until that day comes.

Aiden is a really good helper. It makes him so proud to be able to help daddy do things – moving furniture, putting away dishes, digging in the garden, pushing the wheel barrow, and on and on. You should see the look on his face when I ask him to help me with something.

The other day that got me thinking about the way God works in the world. When Aiden is “helping me” move the coffee table so that we can vacuum around it, there’s no doubt that he is pushing with all the strength in his little toddler body. But is that enough? No. Not yet. So even when he “helps” me, it’s still daddy doing all the real work.

So why have him help? Because it teaches him how to do things. It gives him confidence. It helps him develop independence. There will come a day when I expect him to be able to do things all by himself.

People often question God about why he lets poverty, disease, death, and heartache run rampant throughout the world. I think it’s because God wants us to “help.” Now, is there really any miraculous healing or global change that can come about simply by our own efforts? That would be like my toddler trying to move that coffee table all by himself. We can’t do these things without God’s help. But that doesn’t mean he lets us sit back while he does everything. He urges us to help him.

Why? For all the same reasons that I encourage my own son to help me! While God may not need our help, we need to be helping him. That’s why he urges us to imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). That’s why he puts it in the hands of the church to feed the feed, to house the homeless, to take care of orphans and widows (Matthew 25:31-46; James 1:27).

Could God say the word and cure all diseases, equalize all wealth, and change the hearts and attitudes of everyone on earth? Of course! And one day he will (Revelation 21:5-3). But what would we learn from that?  What would that teach us about having compassion for others? How would that help build character? What would that do to build a sense of community? How would that unite people around a certain cause?

When Aiden helps daddy, he benefits more than I do. When we “help” God, we’re changed for the better. We reap the benefits.

Are you your father’s helper?

If there’s one thing the church needs right now, it’s an extra measure of God’s power. But how often do we actually ask for it?

To find out more, watch my sermon from Sunday night:

If everyone in the church prayed the following prayer on a regular basis, I believe God would show up in an incredible way, a way that has never been seen before in America.

Glorious God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
   May You pour out on Your church the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know You better.
   May the eyes of our hearts be opened so that we may know the hope to which you have called us, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in your holy people, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe.
   May we experience first-hand the same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated Him at Your right hand, and placed Him above all rule and authority.
   By that power, may we learn what it truly means to be the body of Christ.

Think about that one thing that you just absolutely love to do. Maybe it’s a sport, maybe it’s hunting or fishing, maybe it’s playing an instrument, or maybe it’s creating works of art.

Now think back to the time when you were just starting out. How much fun were those first few months of guitar lessons? It’s not really that much fun to stretch your fingers all sorts of weird ways. It’s not so cool to have to suffer through the pains of developing callouses. But isn’t it worth it once you finally learn how to play well?

Or what about conditioning for your sports team? Two-a-day football practices in late July/early August in Tennessee were no fun. But when it came time for kick-off under the lights on that first Friday night of the season, all that hard work was just a distant memory. And without putting in that work, there’s no way you could make that touchdown-saving tackle or make that catch for a first down.

Think about all the areas in your life that took effort, training, and discipline. The hard work that you put in on the front end pays off in a lifetime of enjoyment. That doesn’t mean you stop learning and growing in whatever area it is. But it doesn’t require the same amount of determination and perseverance.

And aren’t those things much more enjoyable once you’re good at them? Another thing I like to do is play hacky-sack. I know it sounds weird. You don’t hear many guys in their 20s say that. But I played all the time with my friends in high school. To this day I like to join a circle of high school guys and kick around with them. And let me tell you – it’s way more fun when the people in the circle are actually good. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to play with a bunch of kids that let it drop after one or two kicks.

But all these things take time and practice and training. That’s called discipline.

Discipline has such a negative connotation because we think it’s a synonym for punishment. But that’s just one of many aspects of discipline. There’s hardly an area of our lives that doesn’t require some amount of discipline or training. But good discipline always pays off.

I was having a conversation with some of our teens on a Wednesday night recently and I asked them, “What do you think the church expects from you?” Their answer? To show up to church and not to do bad things.

That’s it. Those are the only expectations placed on our young people by the adults in the church. Is it any wonder that so many young people are leaving? The church has no meaning to them because they aren’t having to go through that initial learning period. They aren’t developing the callouses and the achy muscles, so to speak. They aren’t being trained or disciplined. And without that, then how can we expect them to really understand and appreciate what it means to be a Christian?

We’re teaching them that to be “faithful” is to come to church. Well guess what? Even the demons come to church (Mark 1:21-26). Even the demons believe in Jesus and obey him.

Our teens are learning what it means to “go to church” but not what it means to be the church. They believe in God but they don’t know how to develop a relationship with him.

The speaker in Hebrews has some harsh words to say about spiritual immaturity in the church:

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)

It’s time to expect more out of our church. It’s time to embrace the disciplines of a spiritual life.

Because it’s always more fun if you’re good at it.

Today, March 14, is my re-birthday. In other words I was born again through the waters of baptism fourteen years ago today. With that on my mind, I always like to sit back and reflect on the significance of that moment in my life.

One of my favorite illustrations of baptism comes from Galatians 3:26-29

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

When you are baptized you are clothed with Christ. And if we are clothed in Christ, then our former identities don’t matter anymore. When God sees us, he sees his children.

There is an Old Testament foreshadowing of this in Genesis 27. It’s not a pretty story. It’s really one of those “Why is this in the Bible?” type stories.

Jacob and Esau were fraternal twin brothers who could not be more different. Jacob was the clean-shaven mama’s boy. Esau was the burly, hairy, outdoorsman. Their father, Isaac, was growing old. He was bent, blind, and hard of hearing. His time was running short, so it was time to bestow a blessing on his sons, as was the custom.

Esau, the older son, was to receive the first and the better blessing. Isaac asked him to hunt down some wild game and make his famous stew. While Esau was out, Jacob, with the help of his mother, was able to trick his dad into giving the blessing to him instead. Rebekah made a stew while Jacob clothed himself in Esau’s clothes and wrapped furs around his arms.

He went to his father, presented the stew, and was able to make Isaac believe that he was really Esau. Isaac blessed Jacob with the first and better blessing, leaving Esau out in the cold. Thus we see the climax of a decades-long feud between the brothers.

So what does this have to do with us? When we are baptized, Paul says that we clothe ourselves with Christ. Thus we become God’s children through faith. We all become one in Christ because we’re all clothing ourselves in Christ. And as long as we are clothing ourselves in Christ, we are freely receiving the blessing that should only belong to Jesus himself.

The beauty is that Jesus doesn’t seem to mind. We don’t have to weasel our way into God’s presence and somehow manipulate him into blessing us. He wants to bless us. He wants us to put on our big brother’s clothes. He wants us to look like, smell like, sound like, and act like Jesus.

Jesus alone should be the heir to the Father’s blessing, but he invites us all to share the inheritance!

Who are you wearing?

Pardon me while I think out loud. Sometimes it helps me to write my thoughts down in order to sort them out.

I’ve been thinking about worship a bit lately. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about the passage in John 4 where Jesus is having a conversation with a Samaritan woman alongside Jacob’s well. It goes like this:

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23, NIV).

“May they also be in us” – in God and in Jesus, in Spirit and in Truth. “I in them and You in Me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.” What’s the purpose of being in God and in Jesus? Unity. What was the problem with the Samaritans worshiping in one location and the Jews worshiping in another? Division. Strip away the locations, the formalities, the self-imposed rules and regulations and what are you left with? Tear down the church signs, break the denominational ties, and unite with other believers in Spirit and in Truth.

That’s worship.