To begin, R. C. Sproul's (2000) text entitled "The Idea of Consequences"
was a near mind-blowing experience for me. I have easily found one of my
new favorite authors. Like many others here, this is my fourth post-
secondary degree I am pursuing, having been required to take, or
encouraged to take, many different philosophy classes. Sproul has literally
summarized all of the major and introductory philosophical schools of
thought and their founders in such a smart, succinct, yet comprehensive
way that for the first time I understood all of it. Beyond understanding, he
made each topic so clear that I found myself adamantly criticizing and
disagreeing with many, mulling over many with awe, comparing and
contrasting the lot, and understanding life and reality more with a few.
Unlike Johnson's (2010) text, which was dry and unnecessarily wordy
which detracted from its message in its superfluity, Sproul's (2000) text
was written so intelligently and artistically with word choice, syntactical
strategy, and humor, that complex topics became engaging. The text was
composed so coherently and logically that I could see the progression of
historical and era-dominated thought in such an understandable and
thought-provoking way. I genuinely believe that Sproul's book should be a
staple in post-secondary educational reading, secular or non-secular for
the basic sake of making philosophy clear and the understanding of the
basic ideas that shaped our Western world philosophically.
With all of that in mind, I have come to the conclusion that the
consequences of ideas are multifold. Ideas are thoughts, and often times
belief systems. IN fact, they cause belief systems and are usually the
results of belief systems. These belief systems are often infectious and
dogmatic. Other times, new belief systems arise as ideas challenge
current belief systems. To the vast majority, ideas are accepted without
question. To all, ideas and belief systems are passed on as naturally and
without question as language and culture is passed on. With this being
said, it is no exaggeration to emphasize the severe necessity to assess
our current belief systems; our accumulation and network of ideas. Ideas
have consequences, and these consequences do not only affect us, but
the people around us, and eventually and naturally, all of our generations
to come.
To continue, in the practical sense these ideas shape policies, law,
social norms, culture, values, morality, educational systems, etc. Ideas
shape reality, and paradoxically reality shapes our ideas. The clear and
burdensome issue that spans all of philosophy, religion, and ideas is this:
what is reality and truth? The argument and impossible verification of
what is reality is the fundamental question that has spanned the dawn of
man and ideas is exactly that, and it all boils down to our ideas (i.e.,
Christianity and Christian ideals are truth, the belief in the ideals of Kant
and other skeptics or agnostics, the ideals of followers of other religions
and the secular world, etc.).
As we reflect on Sproul's impactful writing I think constantly about his
words that spoke to my heart. In his final chapter he writes, "But there are
sonly so many minutes in a day, and therefore you must be selective in
choosing what specific purposes you want to achieve... Why did you select
the particular purposes you have chosen?... In other words, who kind of
child are you trying to produce and why?" (Sproul, 2010, p. 201). I believe
we all need to ask ourselves and be exceptionally aware of these
questions. As a follower of Jesus Christ, these answers to me are very
clear, and I intentionally choose to live my life and raise my children
according to my ideas around God.
References
Johnson, E. (2010). Psychology and Christianity: Five Views (2nd ed.).
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 9780830828487.
Sproul, R.C. (2000). The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the
Concepts that Shaped our World (redesign). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. ISBN:
9781433563775.
