With the upcoming event at UK’s Memorial Hall, “Cold Case Christianity” (Wednesday at 7 p.m.), about an LAPD cold-case detective who investigated the death of Jesus, I started thinking about Easter and how it is important to investigate what we actually believe.

In a culture where truth is advertised and information overflows, we find ourselves swamped with preconceived ideas that infect our thoughts without investigation or testing.

People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic.

Only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith — or lack of it — will you be able to provide grounds for your beliefs to skeptics, including yourself. Such a process will lead you, even after you come to a position of strong faith, to respect and understand those who doubt.

We all believe certain ideas and situations without really giving two minutes of thought toward it. As Easter approaches, let’s all investigate what we believe in.

Our society and our thought life will be better for it. When we allow ourselves to adopt opinions without understanding the opposing views, negative social forces such as bigotry, discrimination and hate worm their way in. Let’s be a people with a solid foundation of what we believe in.

If we disagree, it’s OK! I just ask that we understand why we disagree.