Reclaiming Critical Thinking: Is Christianity Supposed to Be Mindless?

“The mind cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit.”

“Too much thinking will quench the Holy Spirit.”

“Faith believes in what doesn’t make sense.”

Phrases like these have become all too common in many churches today. They sound spiritual, even pious, but they have created a troubling trend: the abandonment of the mind and the acceptance that critical thinking has no place in the Christian life.

I say this as someone who came out of the prosperity gospel and hyper-charismatic movement. And when I look back, I often ask myself: Why didn’t I see through these empty statements sooner? How did I not see that they didn’t add up—or that they even contradicted Scripture? Because on closer examination, many of them fall apart under the simplest logical test. Yet at the time, I accepted them without question. 

But then again, the reason is simple. In such environments, you are subtly conditioned not to think. Reasoning is painted as unspiritual. And you are told to “just believe,” to silence your mind, and to rely only on feelings and experiences. It is all heart, but no mind.

This phenomenon is what I want us to examine today. My hope is to encourage you, especially if you’ve been caught up in such an environment, to reclaim your God-given ability to think and to see why doing so is not optional but essential in this age of deception.

1. The Disconnect Between Faith and Reason

Within many church circles today and cults, a false dichotomy is drawn between faith and reason. They are painted to be odds; things that cannot go together. Faith, we are told, belongs to the heart, while reason belongs to the mind. To question or to think is portrayed as the opposite of trusting God. The result? A culture that not only discourages questions but also frames spiritual maturity as something that can only be achieved if we “switch off” the mind.

Yet Scripture never pits faith against reason. Jesus Himself declared that the greatest commandment is to love God not only with our hearts and souls but also with our MINDS (Matt. 22:37). The apostle Paul repeatedly urges believers to be transformed by the renewing of the MIND (Rom. 12:2) and to THINK on what is true, noble, right, pure, and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). Clearly faith does not call for the absence of thought.

2. Thought-Stopping Techniques

Part of the reason we see a version of Christianity today that is increasingly mindless is that many spiritual leaders in unhealthy movements maintain control by employing thought-stopping clichés. These are phrases or practices designed to keep followers from thoughtfully engaging with their claims.

Some examples include:

• “I know this is about to make some of you upset…”
• “Touch not the Lord’s anointed.”
• “If you doubt, you lack faith.”
• “This is a mystery you cannot understand with your mind.”
• “I know you’ve not heard this before, but let me shock you.”

Such statements are far from innocent; they are deeply manipulative. They cultivate an environment where the words of the “man of God” are elevated above Scripture and accepted as Gospel truth. Even when they are not.

In such a culture, the Bible is sidelined, healthy questioning is stifled, and leaders place themselves beyond accountability. What’s worse is that over time, members may internalize the idea that asking questions is unspiritual, even rebellious. This not only undermines the authority of God’s Word but also sets the stage for spiritual abuse and deception.

Just in case you still don’t see how dangerous this is, let me remind you of the Shakahola massacre that happened right here in Kenya. In 2023, the world watched in horror as mass graves were uncovered in Shakahola forest. Buried in the shallow graves were the bodies of hundreds of men, women, and even children. Victims of a deception so dark it robbed them not only of their faith but of their very lives.

Pastor Paul Mackenzie had convinced them that starving themselves to death was the surest path to heaven.

This heartbreaking tragedy is a sobering reminder of what happens when spiritual authority goes unchecked and critical thought is suppressed. And while Shakahola may seem extreme, the same seeds of mindless obedience are being sown in many pulpits every week.

3. Showy Preaching and the Power of Empty Words

Another characteristic of the mindless Christianity we are witnessing today is preaching that prioritizes performance over the clear communication of God’s Word. Let me explain: it has become increasingly common for preachers to lean heavily on charisma, dramatic delivery, and well-crafted word salads (swelling statements that sound spiritual but carry little to no biblical substance).

Strung together with energy and passion, these phrases give the appearance of depth. The result? Congregations stirred into excitement, clapping, shouting, and cheering. Not because truth has pierced their hearts, but because style has dazzled their senses.

For example, a preacher may declare, “Step into your destiny dimension, for heaven is downloading breakthroughs into your spiritual atmosphere!” or “Every word spoken carries power, shifting atmospheres and igniting faith for a new season!” Sounds deep, right? But it collapses under biblical scrutiny.

I believe that this style of preaching works to bypass the mind and appeal directly to our emotions. Once the congregation is worked into a frenzy, critical thinking is suspended. This not only allows empty words to pass as “powerful revelation” but also creates a smokescreen for smuggling in heretical teachings. Because the energy in the room and stirred-up emotions become the measure of truth, rather than the Word of God. 

This is exactly what Scripture warns us about when Paul cautions that “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim 4:3–4). This verse perfectly captures the reality of much of the showmanship and empty preaching we are seeing today.

Related: The Endless Pursuit of God’s Presence in the Hyper-charismatic Movement

4. The Rise of Mysticism Over Biblical Literacy

One of the subtle yet deeply dangerous outcomes of a faith that discourages critical thinking is the growing tendency to seek God primarily through mystical experiences. The demonizing of the mind has convinced many that dreams, visions, and other spiritual encounters are the highest ways of knowing Him.

This mindset is seductive because it is so much easier. It bypasses the discipline of reasoning, studying, and wrestling with Scripture. Instead of engaging the mind, it offers an alternative that produces a feeling of closeness to God.

But the reality is that Scripture, not our experiences, is the unshakable foundation for truly knowing God. Paul warns us against those who “delight in false humility and the worship of angels, dwelling on visions they have seen, puffed up without reason by their sensuous mind” (Col. 2:18). He also reminds us that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

When Christians elevate experiences above the Word, they trade the solid ground of God’s truth for the shifting sands of subjectivity. And those shifting sands do not lead to spiritual growth or maturity; they lead straight into deception.

I have discussed this topic at length on Mysticism: The Dangers of Seeking Special Revelation. So be sure to check it out.

5. Bizarre “Prophetic” Practices and Theatrics

When critical thinking is abandoned, the door swings wide open to practices that range from the bizarre to the outright disturbing. And tragically, that is exactly what we are witnessing in the church today. Under the banner of being “prophetic,” believers are urged to embrace behaviors that, if examined soberly, look far more like staged theatrics or worse, echoes of witchcraft than anything rooted in biblical Christianity.

Across Africa and beyond, countless believers have been manipulated into:

• Eating grass or snakes at the command of a “prophet.”
• Drinking petrol or harmful substances to lay claim on their breakthrough.
• Rolling on the floor, barking like dogs, or laughing uncontrollably as supposed signs of the Spirit’s power.
• Buying objects like anointed oils, handkerchiefs, or “mantles” that promise healing, deliverance, or wealth.

Instead of raising an alarm, such practices have become normalized. The justification given is that “the mind cannot understand the things of the Spirit” or that questioning these acts will cause one to “miss out on what God is doing.” As a result, believers silence their concerns and accept practices that would otherwise cause anyone to take a step back in bewilderment.

The irony is tragic: what should be a faith that commends itself as reasonable (Acts 26:25) is turned into a spectacle that brings ridicule to the name of Christ. To the watching world, these bizarre practices paint Christianity as a religion for crazy people and nut jobs. Yet Paul clearly tells us that “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33).

But then again, without the safeguard of critical thinking, anything can be labeled as “spiritual,” no matter how unbiblical or degrading. And by casting off discernment, churches not only dishonor Christ but become breeding grounds for spiritual abuse and manipulation.

Related: Should We Expect to Be Slain in the Spirit?

Christianity as a Thinking Faith

Far from discouraging thought, Christianity has always been a faith that prizes the mind. The history of the church shows that intellectual engagement was never seen as opposed to spirituality but as essential to it. 

In fact, some of the world’s most prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, were originally founded by Christians with the aim of advancing Christian scholarship ¹. 

Many pioneers of modern science, such as Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, and Robert Boyle, were devout Christians whose discoveries were motivated by their desire to understand God’s creation ². For them, faith and reason were not enemies but partners in the pursuit of knowledge.

Likewise, the Bible itself repeatedly affirms the role of the mind in the Christian life. It calls us to:

• “Come now, let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18).
• “Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2 Tim. 2:7).
• “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).
• “Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15).
• “Think over these things” (Phil. 4:8; 2 Tim. 2:7).

All these commands show that the Christian faith engages the mind. After all, why would God give us the ability to think if thinking were somehow unspiritual?

The truth is that critical thinking is not the enemy of spirituality but its safeguard. Discernment requires testing and evaluating what we hear. And we cannot “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) as we are commanded, with our minds shut down. Similarly, apologetics (the defense of the faith) is a biblical mandate (1 Peter 3:15), and it is impossible to engage in it without appealing to the mind. 

Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the idea that spiritual growth requires circumventing the mind is not from God; it is a deception of the enemy. Satan knows that if believers can be persuaded to stop thinking, they become perfect candidates for manipulation and error. 

Because here is the thing, saints, a faith that does not think is a faith easily deceived. But a faith that reasons, tests, discerns, and considers is a faith that stands firm in truth.

Conclusion

In an age where deception is rampant, the church cannot afford to set aside the mind God has given us. Christianity has never been a blind faith but a faith built on the sure foundation of God’s Word, where both the heart and the mind are engaged in loving Him (John 4:24). Thus, to abandon critical thinking is not spiritual. Rather, it is to leave ourselves exposed to the very schemes Scripture warns us about.

If you, like me, have ever found yourself swept away by thought-stopping techniques, dramatic experiences, or teachings that seemed powerful at the time but crumbled under the light of Scripture, let me remind you of this: God is not threatened by your questions. He calls you to test all things, to examine carefully, and to hold fast to what is true (1 Thess. 5:21).

So let us be Bereans. Let us reason from the Scriptures. Let us train our minds and hearts together to love God with all that we are. For only then will we stand firm in a generation where deception is dressed in the garb of spirituality. The church needs thinking Christians now more than ever.

Footnotes

[1] “Fruits of the Ivy Vine,” Christian History Magazine, Christian History Institute. Available at: https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/139-fruits-of-the-ivy-vine

[2] Pearcey, Nancy, and Charles Thaxton. The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy. Crossway, 1994.