Cutting It Down To the Edge

You may have heard of Occam’s razor. It’s not the next group to take of the big shaving industry, but a scientific and philosophical rule. Simply put, the simplest answer, all other things being equal, is the best answer. Entities are not to be multiplied without necessity. Less is better. Don’t add things you don’t need. The more assumption you make the more likely you are to be wrong.

It is named after William of Occam a scholar and professor at Oxford in the 1300’s. What you may not know is he didn’t just apply this rule to science but religion as well.

In that day the Catholic Church was the dominant force but William of Occam was a critic. He spoke out even when it was not popular and dangerous to do so. He saw the addition that had been made to the Christian religion as unnecessary. He remarked. “Scripture and not the decisions of councils and popes is alone binding on the Christian”. He insisted that Scripture is “the final seat of authority for the church”

His words applied then and apply today. In the giant mess of religion, we find in the world today, we might need to take Occam’s razor to it. Cut away all the man made doctrines added over the years. Slice away the personal opinions and preferences. Shave away the conventions, creeds, and causes. Instead of religion by committee, let keep it simple and just hold to the Scriptures.

All other additions are unnecessary. We don’t need to multiply divisions. One faith, one body, one hope, one baptism, one Spirit, one Lord (Ephesians 4:4-6). If it is in the Bible, we teach it we believe it and we practice it. If it isn’t, then we don’t

What could be simpler than that?

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