Do you ever feel like you don’t know enough? I often do. I feel it now.
But I have to ask: know enough for what?
To make a decision. To take an action. Both.
Thinking I don’t know enough puts me at a standstill. I’m frozen in time, inactivated, suffocated, inert. I’m gripped tight by an intellectual/emotional straight jacket that grieves my soul. What can I do?
Apologetics has taught me the value of facing doubts in my worldview -why not also my personal doubts?
I believe that for every problem there is a solution that can be found, therefore it’s merely a matter of sorting out the “cause and effect”. In other words, if I discover the cause of the effect I can then go to work to repair or remove that cause.
Let’s analyze this.
To say “I don’t know enough” assumes the premise: “the more I know the better decisions I can make and actions I can take”. But is that true? And even if it were true, taken to its logical conclusion infinite knowledge would be required for inerrant decisions and perfect actions. And since only God has that ability, and we aren’t God, none of us can live by that standard. The only option we have is to make decisions and take action based on the finite knowledge at hand, otherwise we continually wait to “know enough” until we’re dead! Perfectionism is a death sentence. A form of suicide! A license for perpetual procrastination! We don’t have time for that!
But let’s back up. Did you notice I avoided the question “Know enough for what?” with a general, philosophical response? I’ll corner myself now by asking a more specific question.
For what decision and action do I not know enough this morning?
“I‘ve decided I don’t know enough to regularly write an Apologetics blog.” Now we’re getting somewhere! Which prompts yet another question.
How is it I know enough to decide I don’t know enough to decide I know enough?
Wait what?! I know, it gets convoluted doesn’t it? Kind of a fun riddle to unravel when you look at it logically. The whole argument falls apart in light of its inherent absurdity. Apparently, the cause of my reticence to write an Apologetics blog is illogical! The fatal flaw of perfectionism.
Yay!
Now, a nasty little burr of illogic is something I can understand. A brooding cloud over my heart not so much.
Does knowing that make it any easier? I wrote this blog didn’t I?
More important than that, I’m reminded that a good Apologist must regularly clean the cobwebs and clutter of illogic from his own house.
I Definitely know I liked what you wrote and I didn’t need to know enough to decide that as my decision feels like it does not involve my rational but my ‘gut feel’. Does it make sense? I sense God takes part in some of my ‘gut feel.
Hi Angela! Aren’t there times when we can “feel” the logic or illogic in something someone says? But we can’t stop there! When I hear a statement I know doesn’t make sense, I often “feel” it first before I can articulate why, which motivates me to take the next step which is to analyze what was said to see if it holds water logically. For example, the statement “There is no truth” doesn’t feel right, does it? That’s because logically it can’t be true! It contradicts itself because it is in itself a statement of truth, so if “there is no truth” the statement “there is no truth” couldn’t be true! This is an example of the law of non-contradiction covered in the first chapter of the book “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. I highly recommend this book to everyone! If you haven’t read it do yourself a favor and get a copy!