independent thinking, intellectual empathy, intellectual humility, courage, intellectual curiosity,
faith in reason, intellectual civility, and intellectual responsibility,
These traits are not only present in critical thinkers, they are
consciously utilized to guide the
thinking process.
ONLY DO THE SAME, BUT
HAVE PLEASURE IN THEM
THAT DO THEM”. - ROMANS
1:29-32
One of the strongest criticisms
against critical thinking has been
objectivity over subjectivity. Critical thinkers often question, analyze, evaluate, and reflect, but
And a constructive evaluation of the difference above all is the
the need to bring through knowl- ability to know the difference
edge, love, passion, and rever- between all of these and judgence, the biblical awareness ing. of obedience and understanding is in the presence of a true “THERE WILL BE NO MERCY
believer- a follower, a sinner, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT
and a righteous child of God. SHOWN MERCY TO OTHERS.
The person with a critical spirit BUT IF YOU HAVE BEEN MERusually dwells on the negative, CIFUL, GOD WILL BE MERCIseeks for flaws rather than good. FUL WHEN HE JUDGES YOU”.
“They’re a complainer, usually - JAMES 2:13
always upset, and generally have
a problem or a complaint about Judgment is necessary, and only
something. They often have little God can deliver judgment on
control over their tongue, their our behalf. If we understand the
temper, and have tendencies for experience that we each deserve
gossip and slander,” which Paul from God, we will be less inclined
said in the book of Romans were to use that judgment against
“sins worthy of death” others. Only God reserves the
right to judge you, to judge me,
“BEING FILLED WITH ALL and to take revenge. The Bible
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR- reads- the Bible says- Every
NICATION,
WICKEDNESS, person is a sinner, and that sin is
COVETOUSNESS,
MALI- what drives us apart. CIOUSNESS; FULL OF ENVY,
MURDER, DEBATE, DECEIT, “WE ARE ALL INFECTED AND
MALIGNITY;
WHISPERERS, IMPURE WITH SIN. WHEN
BACKBITERS, HATERS OF WE DISPLAY OUR RIGHGOD, DESPITEFUL, PROUD, TEOUS DEEDS, THEY ARE
BOASTERS, INVENTORS OF NOTHING BUT FILTH Y RAGS.
EVIL THINGS,
DISOBEDI- LIKE AUTUMN LEAVES, WE
ENT TO PARENTS, WITHOUT WITHER AND FALL, AND OUR
UNDERSTANDING,
COVE- SINS SWEEP US AWAY LIKE
NANT BREAKERS, WITHOUT THE WIND.” - ISAIAH 64:6
NATURAL AFFECTION, IMPLACABLE, UNMERCIFUL: WHO Thank God each day for those
KNOWING THE JUDGMENT blessings, and for those people
OF GOD, THAT THEY WHICH in your life, and even the ones
COMMIT SUCH THINGS ARE who think judgmentally, and not
WORTHY OF DEATH, NOT critically of you. Ask the Lord to
bless them and reveal His will
to them. Spend time with God
in prayer and study the Bible.
Read the Scriptures, ask God to
help you to be patient with those
around you. Always be humble,
be gentle, be patient, and be
kind to each other and love each
other. Try your best to let God’s
unite your heart and your spirit.
We encounter many people,
and some days we encounter
media through stories on television, or through social media, or
through papers we read. With so
much we face grief and horror,
we hear lies and deceit, and we
understand harmful and shameful things happening for a reason
to people, but for why? Reasons
that matter to whom, and should
they matter to us as individuals
or as believers?
As teachers and parents of
children who need to grow and
develop into reasonable, fairminded critical thinkers, then
I would say, yes. We need to
show our family, and those
others in our care, critical thinking is about questioning and reasoning. However, it is not just a
situation where you ask, “Why?”
Once you receive an answer,
you must be able to demonstrate
the skills of questioning, reasoning, predicting and patterning
experience. A child has to question how, when and what to ask
and then determine how, when
and what reasoning methods
need to be used to deduce order
and meaning in their life. At the
learning age asked, a child must
be ready, willing and open to the
world that is still ahead of them.
The answer they get today to a
question is based on the information their mind and experience can comprehend. There is