Most people catch their presuppositions from their family and surrounding society the way a child catches measles.
Francis SchaefferRead
If Christianity is really true, then it involves the whole man, including his intellect and creativeness. Christianity is not just 'dogmatically' true or 'doctrinally' true. Rather, it is true to what is there, true in the whole area of the whole man in all of life.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that Christianity affects every aspect of a person's life, including intellect and creativity, beyond mere doctrines.
Francis Schaeffer's quote suggests that Christianity is not simply a set of doctrines or beliefs to be accepted intellectually; rather, it is a comprehensive truth that engages the entire person. It challenges individuals to recognize that their faith should resonate in every part of life, integrating belief with intellect and creativity, thus shaping a holistic understanding of existence.
In practice
In a discussion about the intersection of faith and creativity, this quote could inspire deeper exploration.
Most people catch their presuppositions from their family and surrounding society the way a child catches measles.
In two areas above all others the Christian demonstration of love and communication stands clear: in the area of the Christian couple and their children; and in the personal relationships of Christians in the church. If there is no demonstration in these two places, on the personal level, the world can conclude that orthodox Christian doctrine is nothing but dead, cold words.
Christian art is the expression of the whole life of the whole person as a Christian. What a Christian portrays in his art is the totality of life. Art is not to be solely a vehicle for some sort of self-conscious evangelism.
There are two main reasons why we may not be bringing forth the fruit we should. It may be because of ignorance, because we may never have been taught the meaning of the work of Christ for our present lives.
We should not view men with a cynical eye, seeing them only as meaningless products of chance, but, on the other hand, we should not go to the opposite extreme of seeing them romantically. To do either is to fail to understand who men really are--creatures made in the image of God but fallen.
You must not lose confidence in God because you lost confidence in your pastor. If our confidence in God had to depend upon our confidence in any human person, we would be on shifting sand.
All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.
My own being can be judged by the depths I reach in making these historical origins my own.
I would not question the sincerity of vegetarians who take little interest in Animal Liberation because they give priority to other causes; but when nonvegetarians say that "human problems come first" I cannot help wondering what exactly it is that they are doing for human beings that compels them to continue to support the wasteful, ruthless exploitation of farm animals.
I hear the wind blowing across the desert and I see the moons of a winter night rising like great ships in the void. To them I make my vow: I will be resolute and make an art of government; I will balance my inherited past and become a perfect storehouse of my relic memories. And I will be known for kindliness more than for knowledge. My face will shine down the corridors of time for as long as humans exist.
There are some people who need to wear a label round their necks to show that they are Christians at all, or else we might mistake them for sinners, their actions are so like those of the ungodly.
I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.
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