Study Suggests Analytical Thinking Hazardous to Your Faith in God
The results of a study published a few days ago in the journal Science suggest that people who think analytically tend to have less religious faith than those who don’t think that way. Based on the study, faith in God is more of an intellectual process than we first thought. So are we to regard analytical thinking as a liability to our efforts to have strong faith in God?
As part of the study, students were subjected to several exercises during which one group engaged its analytical skills more than the other group did. Those who went with more of a gut feeling tended to score higher on the religious belief scale, according to the study results.
I am not sure how to reconcile the study with the reality of how we get faith in God. First of all, faith in God is not as simple as these tests suggest. The Bible says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). To get a better understanding of what this verse means, one must know that this verse belongs to a discourse that addresses the preaching of the gospel. In that tenth chapter of the book of Romans, Paul the apostle explains that an objective of preaching is to proclaim the Word of God so others can hear about Jesus, and in turn believe on Him. Accordingly, active faith in God and in Christ comes about by hearing the witness of Scriptures proclaimed through preaching and by studying the Bible.
Moreover, faith in God is not a unilateral action, but it involves the work of the Holy Spirit in our heart: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him,” Jesus says (John 6:44).
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