It is undeniably that ideas of Hume, Kant, and many other Enlightenment thinkers brought a large impact on the modern society. Of course, a contemporary church, which has become radically different from the first-century church, has been impacted by this Enlightenment philosophy along with the Protestant Reformation.
Learning about Kant's philosophical ideas was certainly an intriguing experience. In his first work, the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant wrestles with the idea of God being knowledgeable by the pure reason. He argues that because the religious doctrines and beliefs are categories in our minds, the knowledge of God and spiritual world is impossible in principle (since it cannot be done by human reasoning). If our mind provides a framework for our experiences and ideas, how do we know if God is real, and how can we trust our …show more content…
Even though his thought that if the public is "only given freedom, enlightenment is almost inevitable" can be considered as utopian, the idea of "freedom to think" makes universal sense. However, it is fascinating that Kant is not the first person to bring the idea of freedom. Jesus was talking about it during his earthly ministry: "So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!" (John 8:36, NIV). Does the freedom that Jesus offers include the "freedom to think"? I believe so. I would argue that there is no true faith without a doubt, as the authentic faith relies on the freedom to think, to doubt, and to question the faith itself. Now, Kant agrees that if God cannot be known from the human reason, he can be understood by a practical reason through the moral consciousness or intuition. Even though one cannot prove that God exists, one can assume that God exists because of our moral consciousness. He writes that morality is possible only on condition of the existence of God. In Kant's own words, "It is morally necessary to assume the existence of
Learning about Kant's philosophical ideas was certainly an intriguing experience. In his first work, the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant wrestles with the idea of God being knowledgeable by the pure reason. He argues that because the religious doctrines and beliefs are categories in our minds, the knowledge of God and spiritual world is impossible in principle (since it cannot be done by human reasoning). If our mind provides a framework for our experiences and ideas, how do we know if God is real, and how can we trust our …show more content…
Even though his thought that if the public is "only given freedom, enlightenment is almost inevitable" can be considered as utopian, the idea of "freedom to think" makes universal sense. However, it is fascinating that Kant is not the first person to bring the idea of freedom. Jesus was talking about it during his earthly ministry: "So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!" (John 8:36, NIV). Does the freedom that Jesus offers include the "freedom to think"? I believe so. I would argue that there is no true faith without a doubt, as the authentic faith relies on the freedom to think, to doubt, and to question the faith itself. Now, Kant agrees that if God cannot be known from the human reason, he can be understood by a practical reason through the moral consciousness or intuition. Even though one cannot prove that God exists, one can assume that God exists because of our moral consciousness. He writes that morality is possible only on condition of the existence of God. In Kant's own words, "It is morally necessary to assume the existence of