The Hearing of Both Sides

By Craig M. Watts

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     Recently I saw in an advertisement for Radio Free Europe a picture of a young man with a chain locked around his head. The young man was supposed to represent the communist student who had been exposed only to the knowledge to which his country's leaders had given him access. Along with this picture was the question, "Shouldn't these people have the right to hear both sides?"

     How many members of the church are given the right to hear both sides of any issue? The minister usually writes the church bulletin and if anyone disagrees with what he says, they must disagree in silence, because congregational communication media are given only to the "sound" Christians; that is, men who will only present "our" teachings. Tracts are carefully chosen and sermons are proudly preached to make it clear that we couldn't possibly be anything else but right. A straw man of false doctrine is built up, only to be ruthlessly ripped to pieces. Doctrines which have puzzled the greatest theologians in history for hundreds

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of years are dealt with and destroyed in a thirty-minute sermon. Because of this kind of censoring, members of the church are being deprived of the right of choice by being denied the fair presentation of anything but "our" doctrine.

     It is difficult to read through the rising smoke from the modern book burnings. Though these book burnings do not literally consist of setting literature on fire, they nevertheless hinder true learning by prejudicing minds against certain points of view, and various theological works. When people's minds are poisoned, they often see what, in reality, might be an honest effort to find truth to be nothing more than a plot to deliberately propagate lies.

     Why do Christians remain locked and chained? Why do members of the church allow themselves to be deprived of hearing more than one side of an issue? I suggest that most Christians have lazy minds. John Dryden once wrote, "But far more numerous was the herd of such, who think too little, and who talk too much." True learning requires much thought, and only after a sufficient amount of thought does one deserve to talk.

     Many people memorize passages of scripture as proof texts to recite to anyone who might call them into question, yet, they give little consideration to the context of the scripture. To memorize things that others have said is good, but it is far more simple than a personal search after truth. So many have been deceived by over-working their memory and underworking their minds.

     There have always been men who would much rather sit back and take the minister's word on every topic than to question and test his words. "If the minister, a professional religious man, has taken a stand, who am I to contradict him?" they think. The easy way out of challenging one is to conform to his ways, whether they be right or wrong. John Milton said, "A man may be a heretic in the truth; and if he believes things only because his pastor says so, or the Assembly so determines, without knowing other reason, though his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy."

     I believe that another reason many remain content with hearing only "our" teaching is because they are rooted in an incomplete understanding of the concept of unity. How many times I have heard 1 Corinthians 1:10 used against individuals who have tried to understand views which are not generally accepted. Paul said, "I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement." How often has this been used as a lever to insist that we can never have unity until you agree with my interpretations?

     We must, of course, endeavor to agree together perfectly, but we are not infallible. We must overcome our fear of division with a love for truth. In "Areo-pagitica" Milton stated, "Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making. Under fantastic terrors of sect and schism we wrong the earnest and zealous thirst after knowledge and understanding which God hath stirred up...A little generous prudence, a little forbearance of one another, and some grain of charity might win all to join, and unite into one general and brotherly search after truth; could we but forego this prelatical tradition of crowding free consciences and Christian liberties into canons and precepts of men."

     If we desire others to be good enough to listen to what we find to be truth, shouldn't we be fair and let other views be expressed? It's time to remove our locks and chains and examine all views with open minds.