Be Rational. Don't Rationalize.
Establish common beliefs in good faith to find greater truth
The Reformer Community believes the Church is called to proclaim Christ as we live and build in the Kingdom of God. This letter explores how we can use modern technologies, governance structures, and teams towards that mission as we answer the commission to make disciples of the nations.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
1 John 4: 1-3
A core thesis of the Reformer Community is the belief that we have responsibility and agency to engage society with the talents and tools at our disposal. If you believe there is a technology or organization which will be influential in the future, you have a calling to learn it, get involved, and use it to lead people to Christ. We started with a particular focus on crypto/blockchain/web3, and we expand as new opportunities are discovered.
This agency is paired with a need to clearly test and justify our engagement. We must be grounded in the truth of the Scriptures as we engage the world since frontier technologies are magnets for liars, cheaters, and false prophets. Just as the Apostle John states we are to test spirits with a grounded truth “that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” we must have a firm foundation in truth to test partners, leaders, and movements before we lend our support.
Unfortunately, today’s basis for establishing truth is broken. Where we should be engaging rationally, we instead get voices rationalizing their broken beliefs and unsustainable worldviews. It is important to understand the difference so we can navigate the increasingly dynamic world around us.
Rationalize: Prove Your Point with Certainty
Everyone wants to be “data driven” when arguing about the major movements of the world around us. The thought is that using data to prove your point establishes credibility and implies any divergence from your claims can be rejected outright as incoherent and unfounded. However, data cannot help you reach the truth if you do not have the right frame of reference or underlying assumptions — the people who believed the Sun revolves around the Earth were “data driven” in that daily evidence proved the ground stands still as the disc of sun went hurtling around it. Using data to rationalize incorrect beliefs is an ancient practice.
This is still true today, particularly in discussions around policy, technologies, and society. For instance, experts on all sides of the economic spectrum are weighing in on trade policies: “tariffs are bad,” “tariffs are effective in a trade war,” “trade deficits are stifling,” etc. Facts become jumbled since any real-world economic decision must involve trade-offs; some positive outcomes balanced by negative responses both predictable and unforeseen, so these experts can always find some piece of data to back up their claim. Everyone can use data (positive or negative results) to rationalize the point of view they want to project, and in doing so they complete a chain of circular logic and provide themselves ammunition to unload a satisfying “I told you so!” None of us are better off, better informed, better aligned, or better prepared to face the future.
Scripture shows us one of the most cosmically significant acts of rationalizing when a hostile court determined Jesus was guilty of the crime of claiming innocence…
“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
Luke 22:67-71
…which led to an accusation freed from the bounds of logic…
So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
John 18:29-30
The human tendency towards rationalizing helps us establish a self-serving belief, synthesize data to prove your point, and create mastery over reality with the force of a mob behind you.
Rational: Navigate Uncertainty with Clarity
The institutions which guide society today look different than they did when we started this community three years ago. All of a sudden, discussions about faith and how that effects our lives — our work, families, communities, etc. — are not as taboo as they once were. So when we engage with others faithfully, we are called on to do so with discernment and wisdom.
This is not an essay on “how to have more civil discourse”, but it is a recognition that our ability to communicate with clarity and reason is an explicit part of evangelizing new institutions. We must be prepared to do this rationally.
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15
Rational engagement requires pursuing trust and starting from a point of mutual understanding, not dominance over data. Establishing a point of shared agreement and underlying assumptions, no matter how simple, allows you to extend towards logical conclusions together. Your goal may not be to sway or convert, but to uncover truths which can enlighten you and those around you. Ideally, you can uncover new viewpoints along with others.
The Church fathers living in times of great change (our current time has much precedent) give us a solid example of how to rationally engage fellow believers and society at large, even as that society is crumbling. During the decline and fall of the Roman Empire they gave us the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed which built and sustained the Church through the Middle Ages. From the later religious wars, Age of Discovery, and Great Divergence in the 15th-17th centuries, we get the confessions of faith that enabled believers to communicate better, engage rationally, and grow and build the institutions that created the modern age.
For Christians living in the today’s world, establishing points of mutual understanding within our institutions can grow from obvious areas — most everyone can agree that we are building products that can benefit people and eventually lead to greater human flourishing. Bitcoiners even made bumper stickers to let us know that…
Establish that building an economy on sound money is important, and you know that because you have built your life on Christ the Cornerstone. Generative AI and LLMs will enhance human knowledge, and you believe all knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord. The Church as the Body of Christ has been in the business of “fixing the world” through Christ’s redemptive work for a very long time.
The Reformers and Church Fathers of the past were known for their use of prolific writing and clear oratory to transform the world- they were citizens of the “Republic of Letters.” I believe we are in a similar moment of transformation and uniquely positioned to affect great change. Let’s continue their tradition.