There are certain pious-sounding statements that are not always pious, but are often both lazy and unspiritual. These are what I call "blinders". Blinders are those impediments on horses that keep them from seeing distracting scenery that takes away from their task at hand. In our case however, the blinders are often right in front, taking our eyes off of the path ahead of us (the straight and narrow, as well as the unaccustomed straightforwardness of divine revelation). Here are some of these "blinders":

1. "I believe in "Pan-Trib"."
"Whatever pans out will be fine with me." In other words, whatever way God's promises are fulfilled -- or (by logical extension) IF they are fulfilled...

2. The "Two-Pillar" Argument to end all argument.
This one is most often used in the debate between election and free-will, but it can be applied for any set of two supposed irreconcilable tenets of the faith. The idea is that we have to live with certain paradoxes, so "why examine them and come to a premature conclusion?" Why indeed? We are told to "prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good." (1 Thess. 5:21)

The two-pillar argument goes like this: "Free-will versus election are like two pillars that reach up into the sky. We cannot see how they can be reconciled, but somewhere up there they come together, only God knows where ... and how."

I have wanted to answer, "Yes, it is like two pillars. And as your eyes travel up the pillars, you are startled to notice that they are actually the legs of the angel of Revelation, with one pillar on the dry ground and the other in the sea. And He cried, "Give glory to God! Do not add to God's words or take away from them, etc."

But this is not what the angel said, so I can't use that little rhetorical picture. At any rate, the use of that metaphor of the two pillars is actually, if you stop and think about it, a shabby little rhetorical trick - just like mine - to shut down debate, to lull Bereans into not "proving all things" and not "holding fast to what is true" (Acts. 17:11).

This pillar metaphor shuts down critical thinking before it even starts. What if what we are examining is not a paradox, but is a knotty problem that awaits Bible-honoring Bereans? Some knots can be untied, after all. But it takes a willing mind, an open Bible, openness to the possibility to your having been wrong -- and prayer, of course. After all this - who knows? you may still find an unsolvable problem. But at least you will know that you have tried the door. Maybe it will open to you later. Or maybe it will have, after all, proved to be one of those mysteries of Deut. 29:29 that belong to God.

It is one thing, and certainly worthy of blame, to speak glibly of divine mysteries, and gloss the ineffable with convenient labels. It is another to refuse to examine hard truths, peremptorily declaring them to be unassailable. We are to love our Lord with all our mind, as well as our soul and strength.