Knowledge: Nothing to Fear

For a long time, the church has been in the business of suppressing and denying truth as revealed by science. It's time for something different.

Here is at great example. In the 17th century Galileo lived the last years of his life under House arrest for advancing the "hypothesis" that the Earth moved around the Sun, because it contradicted their strict literal interpretation of Scripture (Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 104:5, Ecclesiastes 1:5). In fact, the church actively opposed heliocentric "theory" well into the 18th century, and it wasn't until the early 19th century (1822) that the Roman Catholic Church allowed the printing of heliocentric books in Rome.

Fear always supports the goals of the enemy; this is especially so when it comes to fear of knowledge. If the Church acts as if knowledge as something to fear, the non-believer will reason that Christianity is just like other religions--a set of superstitions, eventually to be undermined by the onslaught of ever-increasing knowledge.

Contrast this to the believer who, through humility and faith experiences a powerful and personal relationship with the Creator on a daily basis. He knows that God cannot be undermined. He knows that what may appear to contradictory to God's word can be reconciled by the power of the Holy Spirit. When faced with new truths that seem contrary to established doctrine, he will respond with utter fearlessness.

When the non-believer sees that response, he will be intrigued. He might even start seeing Christ as somebody worth knowing.