I listened to a lecture by Os Guiness yesterday where he lamented how few young American’s have thought critically about what they believe. They have beliefs and opinions galore but if asked to explain them, would come up with little more than an appeal to visceral intuition.
My excursion into reading and study these past two years has largely been a reaction to my own frustration at not being able to explain in a satisfying way what I believe. This includes matters of faith and philosophy mostly, but also ideas about art, beauty, parenting, you name it. I feel think I’ve only scratched the surface.
Along these lines is this quote from George MacDonald I came across yesterday:
What many men call their beliefs are but the prejudices they happen to have picked up.
-George MacDonald, from Sermon: The Hope of the Universe