God loves fools

As you may have figured out if you read my April post, “It’s a Miracle?”, I enjoy thinking about what the Bible and Christian tradition have to say about the value of knowledge, intelligence and analysis. In the earlier post, I wrote about how even a children’s song reflects some Christians’ lack of interest in how the world works beyond “God did it.”

Lately, I have been reflecting on what the Bible actually says about intelligence. If God created humans and their functions, including thought and reasoning, would he not value brainpower and encourage us to use that faculty to the best of our abilities?

Let’s look at these verses from I Corinthians 1:18-31…

18 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. 19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 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. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 26 Brothers, 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. 27 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. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 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. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (NIV)

From these verses, one can surmise that God does not place a high value on thinking. On the contrary, thinking is discouraged because it might lead one away from the Bible and lead one to believe “the message of the cross is foolishness.” The Christian concept of salvation is so beyond thought, beyond understanding, Paul implies, that it befuddles “the intelligence of the intelligent.”

Why would God want to destroy wisdom and frustrate intelligence?

Let’s skip down to verse 26: God calls losers. Perhaps in reminding the Corinthians how stupid, poor and common they are, Paul simply means to put them in their place; perhaps they were getting a bit snooty about being so morally superior to the pagans around them. Indeed, this passage has recurring themes of equality and humility. But we can also glean from this verse (and those following and preceding), that Christianity not only appeals to those who cannot take care of or think for themselves, God actually desires to have this type of follower: “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” God delights in those who can swallow nonsense.

Are all Christians idiots? Of course not. But throughout this passage, Paul states over and over that “worldly” intellect has nothing to do with salvation and, in fact, is a liability: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”

And again, we encounter the theme of God’s mysteriousness and omniscience, which in many instances sort of lets believers off the hook regarding the hard questions: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” You will never be able to understand God’s thoughts and plans, so why bother asking questions in the first place? If God’s always going to have the last word—and if that last word’s going to only be, “Because I said so!”—what’s the point in even starting the conversation, right?

Is accepting “Christ crucified” the same as surrendering your powers of reasoning and judgment? Many nonbelievers would have a quick and snarky answer to this question (“Yes, Christians are morons!”), but such an answer is no more illuminating than the Christian go-to of “God works in mysterious ways/It’s all part of His plan.”

I offer no answer, but one of the luxuries of nonbelief is that I can continue to think—furthermore, I am rewarded for thinking—about these questions without fear of damnation.

—Bellapoison