Filed under: Alternative Religions/Philsophy, Emergent Theology | Tags: alarmists, Christianity, modernism, postmodernism
I am currently in the research phase of developing a class about postmodernism for my church. I had to do some major soul searching before I taking on the task largely due to my own doubts about the necessity of such a course. Is postmodernism a term that is on the lips of the average parishioner? Will we be talking about postmodernism in 10 years? In 50 years? (I feel very sure we will still be talking about subjects such as Hermeneutics or Christian Disciplines in 100 years.) How can a class on postmodernism be formative and not simply informative? These are questions I’ve been wrestling with as I have mulled over whether to teach this class. After considering it for over a month, I’ve decided that yes I will develop and teach the class, but that does not mean I have answers to the questions I just asked.
As I’ve been developing a reading list (currently 33 books strong) for myself in preparation for the class, I’ve been thinking about the true significance of the postmodern movement (or any human movement for that matter). I’ve been learning that when it comes to Christianity and Postmodernism, there are many types of people. But most interesting to me are the Christian alarmists, Postmodern Christian alarmists, Postmodern alarmists and Unaware (or apathetic) Modern Christian.
The Christian Alarmist views postmodernism as utterly anti-Christian, and thus is stacking the sandbags for the oncoming postmodern flood. Most of these people are reacting against a movement they are unfamiliar with. They usually are unable to name the postmodern authors, works, or basic concepts.
The Postmodern Christian Alarmist considers him or herself to be postmodern, in the sense that he is uncomfortable with what modernity has done to Christianity. This individual embraces what he or she agrees with from every era of thought and rejects what he or she disagrees with. This individual is an alarmist in the sense that he sees the postmodern shift to be a pivotal moment in the life of the church. To borrow a John Shelby Spong title, this individual believes that Christianity Must Change or Die.
The Postmodern Alarmist is an individual whose cynical, anti-authority worldview makes them seem like much more of a threat than they really are. These people usually have an anarchist or atheistic worldview when it comes to religion. Much of the time they are predicting the imminent apocalypse of deism.
The Unaware (or Apathetic) Modern Christian can be either a liberal or conservative Christian who is content with his or her church as it is. Largely these Christians are members of stagnant congregations. What is interesting about these individuals is that their theological background is largely unimportant because their view fo Christianity involves Christians and has little to do with the secular world.
You might be asking yourself, “What is the significance of these types of people?” Well frankly, I’m not sure. It is unclear to me at this point whether any of these people will make a huge difference on history as we shift from modernism to postmodernism to post-postmodernism. What I am sure of, is that postmodernism presents no more of a threat to the Church than the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Crusades, the Enlightenment or the Theory of Evolution. Is it crucial that we understand it? Yes, just as key to any good missiology is an understanding of the context in which the gospel is preached. Is it a sign of the apocalypse? No, and those who disagree are probably embracing the kingdoms of this world more than the Kingdom of God.
I should point out that none of these thoughts are particularly organized or even coherrent. Expect more of this as I am wrapping my mind around Postmodernism 101.
Filed under: Christian Living, Theology | Tags: humanism, Humility, narcissism, Pride, self-centeredness
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you’re looking down, you can’t see something that’s above you.” – C.S. Lewis
I am well aware that “Pride goeth before a fall,” but lately I have thinking about what causes pride to be such a powerful vice. I have long held to C.S. Lewis’ idea that “evil is only spoiled goodness.” That is to say that evil does not exist on it’s own, but is only a corruption of things that were made to be good. I believe that this idea is both logical and biblical, and it leads me to consider: “What is the pure fulfillment of my corrupted desire which cause me to sin?”
The case of pride is an extremely complicated sin to consider because it is so pervasive in our society. Everything in our society preaches that at the end of the day the number one priority is you. Pop psychology teaches that the most important thing is to love yourself. Popular culture teaches that the person with the most toys wins. The brilliant Garrison Keillor refers to popular websites MySpace and Facebook as “exercises in narcissism.” Even philanthropic exhibitions such as Oprah’s Big Give completely ignore Christ’s teaching, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4). Even charity has become further opportunity for ego inflation.
This complete obsession with the self is also moving into churches as sermons move from having Jesus as the main character to having people as the main character. I recently heard a very influential pastor teaching on Jesus’ walking on the water saying:
I always assumed that Peter doubts Jesus. But Jesus isn’t sinking. Who does Peter doubt? He doubts himself. He loses faith in himself that he can actually be like his rabbi. Jesus wouldn’t have called him if he didn’t think he could be like him.
I’m sorry, but short of talking about flying spaghetti monsters, I don’t think there is a worse interpretation of this story from Matthew 14. This story is not about Peter’s faith in Peter, it’s about Peter’s faith in Jesus. In fact, I don’t think that the placement of this story is a coincidence. In Matthew’s gospel, this story comes only one chapter after Jesus’ parable of the “Sower and the Soils.” Peter began to sink as “he saw the wind” and “was afraid” (Matthew 14:30). I think in this instance Peter might be a parallel to the seed that fell in the rocky soil which Jesus explains, “yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:21).
I say all of this only to show that people are completely and utterly focused on themselves. But I do not consider this to be a sign of hopelessness. Thomas Traherne once wrote that, “The noble inclination whereby man thirsteth after riches and dominion, is his highest virtue.” This may seem counter intuitive. It seems like the selfish focus of seeking money and power should be a vice which should be abhorred. But Traherne makes it more clear with the whole quote:
The noble inclination whereby man thirsteth after riches and dominion, is his highest virtue, when rightly guided; and carries him as in a triumphant chariot, to his sovereign happiness. Men are made miserable only by abusing it. Taking a false way to satisfy it, they pursue the wind.
I think what Traherne is getting at is the fact that the part of every person which makes us want money and power, is the same part of every person which makes them desire God. Riches and dominion were never meant to fulfill the deepest desires of our heart. We think being seen, recognized and envied by all people will ultimately make us happy, and in thinking so way we have never been so wrong and never been so right. Being in famous in front of people will never make us happy, and in the case of many celebrities, might make us go insane. However, it is about being known, by the one who knows us better than we know ourselves…God.
About this intimacy with God the Apostle Paul writes, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). For Paul, a large part about being in a relationship with God is being known by him. Jesus says much the same when he states:
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
(Matthew 7:22-23)
Apparently it is actually of the utmost importance to be known by God. I think this is why the gospel stands in such stark opposition to self-centeredness. If the focus is on our own comfort, we will never know true contentment. If the focus is on our own appearance, we can never recognize the true beauty of God. If the focus of our worship is on the created and not the creator, we are idolaters and pagans (Romans 1:25). If I am too busy worrying about my own glory, Jesus will ask us, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God” (John 5:44)?
So what is the answer to this self-centeredness? The gospel. The gospel of a king of came to serve. The gospel of the sinless who became sin. The gospel of the Creator suffering at the hands of the created. The gospel which “opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). C.S. Lewis once wrote, “‘Nothing, not even what is lowest and most bestial, will not be raised again if it submits to death.’” This is the gospel. Losing our lives that we may be found in Him. Only then will we find any significance.
Filed under: Biblical Studies, Theology | Tags: Easter, Gospel of Luke, Old Testament, Parable, Resurrection, Rich Man and Lazarus
In my own personal devotional preparation for Easter, I have been reading through the Gospels. It is two days past Easter Sunday, but I was reading through the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus from the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke and it hit me just how pertinent this passage is to understanding the gravity of Easter. If you haven’t read Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus, go read Luke 16:19-31. Then come back and read my comments.
I will start from the end of the parable. When I think about Easter and the resurrection stories of Jesus, it tends to be a joyful reflection on Christ conquering Satan, sin, and death (and it well should be). However, there is a verse from this parable that gives me chills.
He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
(Luke 16:31)
Now let’s rewind. Jesus tells the story of a rich man who lived his life in the lap of luxury, and a poor man named Lazarus who lived in misery. Both men die and Lazarus is delivered to the bosom of Abraham (heaven) and the rich man goes to hades. The rich man first asks for mercy (which he does not receive) and then he asks for the ghost of Lazarus to go to his brothers so that they will believe and be saved from the oncoming torment. Whenever I read this passage I cannot help but be reminded of the ghost Jacob Marley visiting Ebenezer Scrooge to warn him about the consequences of his evil deeds. Maybe Charles Dickens was reflecting on this passage of scripture when he penned A Christmas Carol because even after being visited by a spectre, Scrooge does not believe that he need change his life. Regardless, Jesus answers the rich man that if his brothers did not believe Moses and the prophets they will not change their minds when a dead man comes to life.
This parable forces me to reflect on many passages of scripture. Such as when Christ tells the scribes that they “search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). These men who knew the Hebrew Bible more than anyone were incapable of recognizing the fulfillment of scripture when it came in the flesh. Even more troubling to me is part of the Sermon on the Mount.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:17-19)
What is so daunting about this passage is the call to know God and cherish God’s law. Having spent a significant around Christian culture, I am well versed in the Christian bumpersticker philosophy that Jesus is about “relationship not religion.” I get sick to my stomach when I here this because I wonder if they understand what the seriousness of a disciple’s relationship with Jesus.
Most of all, I think there are three significant things I take away from Jesus parable in light of Easter.
1. Easter was not God’s plan B.
When Jesus speaks of men not being “convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31b), he is making a theological statement about belief and the resurrection. The first statement he is making is about hardened hearts. Jesus is trying to explain that it is not evidence that will prevent people from believing in him, it is the hardness of their heart towards the Gospel. Secondly, I think Jesus is alluding to the fact that the Old Testament already spells out how to identify the life, death and resurrection of the Messiah.
Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12 (among others) are clearly to be seen as predictions about the Messiah. What Jesus wants them to understand is that his death and resurrection will come as no surprise to those who are paying attention. God has known all along that Jesus was the plan for redemption.
2. Jesus’ Bible was the Old Testament.
This fact is overlooked by so many Christians it is remarkable. It is amazing to me that people think they can understand Jesus and the New Testament without knowing anything about the Old Testament. When Jesus tells Satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), he is not at that time referring to the Gospels or the Pauline Epistles, he is talking about the Old Testament (and even quoting Deuteronomy 8:3). Many Christians think the Old Testament is stale and boring, but Jesus saw it as his very sustenance.
3. There are very real restrictions that will keep people from believing in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
In Matthew 13:13, Jesus tells his disciples, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (actually quoting Isaiah 6:9 here). If Jesus is instinent that dead men coming back to life will not be enough evidence for people to believe, then we must take faith very serious. In listing some spiritual gifts, Paul includes faith (1 Corinthians 12:9) and in Ephesians he emphasizes the point saying, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). For believers, this should be a humbling reminder that we cannot even take pride in our faith. We should be reminded that, “no one seeks for God (Romans 3:11)” and apart from the Spirit’s work in us we would still be slaves to sin (Romans 6:22). Let us be thankful and humble in the knowledge that his blessing has fallen upon us.
With that said, we must also be reminded that there are those who will not believe. We can give them as many copies of The Case For Christ as we can get our hands on, but they will not repent and believe. I do not bring this up as some call to “Puritan uncertainty” wherby we doubt our election and devote ourselves to worry. Far from that, we should pray for God’s mercy and revelation to our friends. Easter has come and gone for another year, but the empty tomb is still empty and is still powerful. Let us be aware of our failure and deficiency before a sovereign God, and let us be transformed by Christ in such a way that men would see our “good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Filed under: Christian Living | Tags: charity, economy, generosity, recession, stewardship
I listen to National Public Radio like it is my job. I listen to it when I’m driving in the car, I listen to podcasts of various shows on my iPod, and I even bought a little tiny radio so I can listen to it when I ride my bike to school. Perhaps I’m a little obsessed, but that is not what this post is about. Obviously, as I have been listening over the last few months probably the most talked about subject — next to Barack Obama’s election — is the economy. Regardless of the intended subject matter of the show I’m listening to, it all comes back this recession we now find ourselves in. Now I am not suggesting that they should not talk about it, as it is an extremely pressing issue, but I feel as if I do not need the news to teach me about the recession and its implications. In fact, I think it may actually be important to recognize not what we can learn about the recession, but what we can learn from the recession. Now I’m not going to write about sub-prime mortgages or money market mutual funds, but I have been learning some things recently.
First and foremost, I’ve been learning that Jesus was right when he said:
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
(Matthew 6:24)
Now you may be thinking, “That is so obvious,” but let us examine this closer. Jesus is not just insisting that we choose God or money and whatever one we choose shall bless us accordingly. That is why Paul said:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
(1 Timothy 6:10)
Therefore, Jesus is saying that you may choose to serve God or money. One will be blessing and the other will be a curse. People, even some claiming to be Christians, have spent a long time justifying why their lives are so motivated by mammon. Perhaps they just need to get to a place of “financial stability,” which for many involves the hording many things they do not need. Or perhaps it starts with people who are only being greedy with the little they have, so one day they might be generous with much. I believe they need to be reminded that in the Parable of the Talents, the master says to the good servant:
Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.
(Matthew 25:21)
If we cannot be faithful with the little God has given us, how can we expect Him to trust us with much? My guess is that Bernard Madoff did not suddenly come to the realization that he should steal from everyone who trusted him. My guess is that his sin began in small ways, but Satan was faithful to multiply it.
The Bernard Madoffs of the world are not my primary concern. If I could speak with anyone, it would be the churches. I do not say this out of some self-righteous pathology, but out of a heart that recognizes its own sinful nature and desires to help others. There are four lessons I believe we the church should learn from the recession. I will list them here first and then expound upon them.
- We Christians value the immaterial over the material.
- Security and comfort are illusions.
- If we neglect generosity, generosity will neglect us.
- We will trust God and seek His will in bad times and in good times.
We Christians value the immaterial over the material. I am not a dualist or a gnostic, believing that matter is evil and only the spiritual is good. In fact, I usually lean towards the policy of, “What God has made clean, do not call [unclean]” (Acts 11:9). However, I still believe that we as Christians do not place ultimate value on material things. Paul was making this point when he wrote:
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
(2 Corinthians 4:18)
Paul is writing about the eternal, but more remote reward that is promised for those who are faithful. However, I do not think he was only referring to such a heavenly reward. We deal with unseen gifts on a daily basis. No one has ever seen love, or peace, or patience. No one can see the joy that comes from a loving family, we may visualize our own experience, but not in its abstract nature.
One thing that troubles me the most about our society is the fact that the “good life” is synonymous with having a lot of stuff. The societal proverb tells us that “Money cannot buy happiness,” but people still equate happiness with nice house, an expensive car, and a flat panel television. The message the world needs to hear from the church is this: “Money cannot buy happiness. Only Jesus brings fulfillment.”
Security and comfort are illusions. One of my teachers in high school once claimed that the purpose of life is “long-term financial security.” Probably the most far-fetched part of that theory is the illusion of security. Paul writes about this:
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
(1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)
For the follower of Jesus, this passage should speak of amazing hope. If you have centered your entire existence around Jesus, then His return should be cause for celebration. However, if you placing your trust in anything else this verse was intended to be frightening. Paul is trying to emphasize the fact that people will be lulled into a false sense of security by money and power, but their peace is only an illusion. If the recession can teach us anything, it should be that possessions are not dependable. David clearly knew what he could depend on when he wrote:
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
(Psalms 73:25-26)
If we neglect generosity, generosity will neglect us. In times of economic crisis, the agencies of goodwill will be overwhelmed as a much larger part of the society feels the burden of poverty. I recently heard someone say that they were thankful that this sort of crisis was happening in the United States where people can always fall back on the Rescue Mission or Salvation Army. This way of thinking is incredibly circular. Organizations that offer relief always depend upon the generosity of those who have. What I really wish my acquaintance would have said is, “Thank God this is happening in the United Sates, because there are so many generous people who help one another.”
I wholly believe that our society has a serious illness called entitlement. One of my biggest frustrations is when I hear my Christian friends laud over capitalism as if it were handed down to us by God himself. It is not that I really care about economic systems, but I am fairly confident that the Kingdom of Heaven does not embrace the free market system. As we’ve already discussed, money should not be the source of a Christian’s happiness, so why are we so concerned about holding tight to what is “ours.” I’m not saying we all need to live in Christian communes where we share all things in common (although it would be cool), but we need to be more openhanded with what we have.
Jesus really says it the best:
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:34-40)
Whenever you give what you have to serve others, you are doing it to Jesus himself. And what is almost scary about this passage is that Jesus makes it known that when we decide to not serve others, we are choosing to not serve Jesus. But God doesn’t really care about this does he? I mean not everyone can be Mother Teresa can they?
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
(Matthew 25:41-46)
God in his grace and mercy has shown us the ultimate generosity. If we are serious about following Christ, we must be generous towards those in need.
We will trust God and seek His will in bad times and in good times. One thing that becomes clear to me as I read the Bible, God is begging for His people to seek him always. The problem is that people seem to forget the “always” part. People love to depend on God when it seems like they have no other hope, but when they are delivered, they just want autonomy. There are probably many people asking for God to help them get through this economic crisis. God loves his children and he will provide as always. What is of the utmost importance is that people continue to rely on God after they have achieved economic stability again. God is big enough to deal with our problems, but we cannot figure that he is important enough to always be at the center of our attentions.
I think my fourth point actually sums what we really need to learn from the recession. As Christians, we cannot afford to live life in rebellion to God when we think we have things under control. Right now the world is looking for hope. The hope is not an economic stimulus package. It is not a politician. It is not the possibility of one day being able to buy what we want to buy. The only hope the world has is the Gospel. Christians must be the example to the world.
One of my favorite authors, Graham Tomlin, uses the analogy of Robin Hood to describe how Christians should operate in the world. We are like Robin Hood. We are followers of the True King. Things may not be as they should be and the forces of evil think they are in control. But we are here to enact signs of the Kingdom to remind the world that there is a true king. Perhaps we are not supposed to rob from the rich and give to the poor (although we should do the second part), but we must do something. Paul and Silas were described as having “turned the world upside down,” (Acts 17:6) and if we show the world that money is not God, the same will be said of us.
So we have a new president now and it seemed like the whole world revolved around Washington D.C. this past Tuesday as now President Barack Obama was sworn into office. The huddled masses in D.C. braved the bone chilling cold weather to catch a glimpse of our new Commander and Chief, who has become a source of hope to so many people. The President gave an interesting and someone somber inauguration speech, but for me (and apparently many other people), the talk of the inauguration was the dichotomy of who gave the opening prayer of the festivities on Sunday and who gave the invocation on Tuesday. On Sunday, the Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly gay Episcopalian bishop, gave the invocation at the kickoff to the inauguration week festivities and on Tuesday Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist minister, who opposes same sex marriages, gave the invocation at the Inauguration ceremony. These two individuals are seemingly polar opposites in the Christian world, but both are involved in the ceremonies surrounding the same political figure.
You can view Bishop Robinson’s prayer here and Rick Warren’s prayer here. Before Warren’s prayer, Robinson commented that he was shocked at how “aggresively Christian” past inauguration prayers had been. After Warren’s prayer, journalists and bloggers remarked that the “inclusive” prayer was anything but “inclusive.” Now, I’m about to applaud Warren for the tone and verbage of his prayer, but I don’t want to people to misunderstand me. First, I’ve actually never been a huge fan of Rick Warren and I have been critical of a few of his public statements in the past. Second, I do not think that our country was ever or should ever be a Christian nation. That said, I was pleased with what Warren said in his invocation.
When President Obama asked Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration, he no doubt was reaching across the proverbially aisle. He also probably was aware of the uproar his selection would cause. However, I’m not sure what President Obama was expecting Warren’s prayer to be like. Everyone can claim all they want that Warren’s prayer was too Christian or not inclusive enough, but what are people expecting. I mean, if you ask a Christian pastor to pray at your event, to whom do you expect them to pray? Vishnu? Zeus?
To illustrate my point, I want to use the example of a question someone once asked me. I was teaching a class at my church titled “Comparative Religions,” in which we discussed the theologies of Judaism, Islam, Mormonism and Buddhism. During the week we studied Islam, someone asked me, “In your opinion, is a Muslim praying to the same God who Christians pray to?” I told him that in order to answer his question thoroughly, I needed to preface my answer. I answered him, “I believe that the Muslim who prays to Allah is not praying to the same God that Christians believe in, in the same capacity as the Jew who prays to God. This is because we as Christians believe that Jesus is God (the 2nd person of the trinity) and if you don’t believe Jesus is God then you do not believe in the same God as I do.” T0 me, this is of the utmost importance to every Christian.
In Matthew 11:27 Jesus states, “no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him”. Jesus can say this because he himself is one person of God. In addition, when asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus says, “The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Matthew 12:29). Logically, if you need to know Jesus in order to know God and if there is only one God, then praying to anyone other than the God of Christianity is praying to nothing.
I applaud Rick Warren for being explicitly Christian. We cannot forget that, “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The reason Bishop Robinson is worried about past inauguration prayers being so “aggresively Christian” is because he is apostate. He has a low regard for scripture and is living outside of anything that be considered reasonably Christian. Christians must be Christians regardless of political correctness. Solomon writing about pursuiting everything but God saying, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). I pray that Christians would not pray to the wind any longer, but to the Way, the Truth and Life.
I spend a lot of time around the future of our world. Mostly, because I am of that age that I am constantly being reminded about my role as the hope for tomorrow, but also because I work with high school students and go to a major university. While I am in both places, I always (without exception) encounter people reveling in their hatred. It doesn’t really matter the subject – school, work, personal life, whatever – people are always talking about something or someone they hate. For instance, as I was waiting to cross a street today I overheard the following conversation:
I can’t believe they didn’t fix my #@%!ing bike. As soon as I get out of class I am going to call the shop and tell them how much I #@%!ing hate them and demand my money back.
When I first heard this I just laughed to myself about how much this person was overreacting, but as I have thought about it more I have come to see that this is a serious matter. It’s not serious because I really need to fix that person’s perspective; it is of the utmost seriousness because I really need to fix my own perspective. Whether it is someone cutting me off on the freeway or waiting an excessively long time for a venti, extra hot, no foam, vanilla latte, my instinct always seems to be hatred and anger.
In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ (Matthew 5:43)
The interesting thing about this statement is that it is note quoting a previous place in scripture. Generally speaking, when Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said…” he is about to quote scripture, but in this case he is not. Some very poor bible scholars have claimed that he is misquoting Leviticus 19:18, but if I know one thing about Jesus it’s that he does not misquote scripture. The latter half of this verse says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” but nowhere does it say to hate your enemy. It is very likely, that this verse was corrupted by teachers of the day claiming that since love is to be directed specifically at your neighbor, neighbor is not referring to your enemy.
I believe that who corrupted this teaching matters very little because Jesus is not simply offering a criticism of Jewish teachings of the day. What he attacking is central part of human nature. Jesus recognizes clearly that it is the natural human impulse to hate. When Jesus speaks of the close of the age he says:
And many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another…And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:10, 12)
Obviously Jesus is making prophetic statements about the end, but it can tell us something about people in general. We have to remember that this side of heaven, sin will always be the a constant. Because of sin, people will see bad situations in their life and they will turn to hate. They will often claim that what we need is love, and they will be truthful in this way, but they will not turn to it.
For many of the high school students I work with, anger is the only way of dealing with undesirable confrontations, and for many of them violence is the only logical outworking of their anger. Generally as we get older, we learn that violence is not acceptable in society, but that does not mean we learn how to deal with hatred. Instead, we gossip, we harbor bitterness, we practice the fine art of breaking others down and we consistently justify whatever feelings we have. How quickly we forget wisdom in these situations.
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. (Proverbs 14:29)
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11)
There is no doubt in my mind that this is why Jesus instructed people to pray, “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). We have a very short memory when we are angry. The man who is enraged by getting cut off on the freeway operates under the assumption that he has never done the same to someone else. Even more ridiculous, the person impatiently waiting for their Orange Mocha Frappucino is probably assuming that their barista is a malicious individual who wants to make them late for something.
Yes indeed, hate does make the world go round, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The beloved community that Paul envisioned includes, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other” (Colossians 3:13). In Romans he also writes:
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:17-21)
In this passage, Paul is arguing against the logic the world uses. It is the natural impulse to hate your enemy. The idea is that if they are against you, you should be against them. But Paul flips it around saying that you should do good to your enemy. When he refers to heaping “burning coals on his head,” Paul is not suggesting that this is an attack, but rather it will lead him to repentance. The image of the burning coals is one also used in Proverbs 25:21-22, but is meant to evoke the image of melting away impurities from ore and leaving the precious metals. Or as the poet Thomas Parnell eloquently puts it:
“So artists melt the sullen ore of lead,
By heaping coals of fire upon its head.
In the kind warmth the metal learns to glow,
And pure from dross the silver runs below.”
We must remove ourselves from the cycle of hatred. What we think is natural will only make things worse. As Paul writes, “we must over evil with good”. We must be the love of Jesus to a broken world. We must remind the world that “the love of Christ controls us,” (2 Corinthians 5:14) and that in him “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:7). We live in a world dominated by hatred, brokenness, and resentment. The Body of Christ need only show the world that these things are not the final word.
Filed under: Emergent Theology | Tags: Bible, Oral Torah, Rob Bell, Scripture, Trajectory Hermeneutic
As a Christian, my major interests have always been in the areas of Systematic Theology, Biblical studies and evangelism, but unfortunately none of these are areas of study in my secular Religious Studies department. Regardless, studying at a secular university has given me the unique opportunity to gain a greater understanding of other world religions. Partly because of its close ties to Christianity and because of my own personal family background, I have taken more than a handful of classes on Judaism. I have said for a long time that I think most Christians do not have an adequate understanding of Judaism. However, recently I have seen that a proper understanding of Judaism has become almost crucial because as each faith has developed over the past 2,000 years each has been forced to define itself by the other.
For instance, I believe one of the Apostle Paul’s most important writings is his letter to the Galatians. This is an important book because Paul is setting Christianity as a distinct faith apart from Judaism for probably the first time in history. Likewise, in the book of Hebrews, the writer seeks to reconcile the Christian faith with that of Judaism, that regards only the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as scriptural. On the opposite side, what we know today as Judaism (a term coined by Greeks, not Jews) has developed as Jews of the diaspora (great dispersing of Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem) have worked out how to be Jews in the midst of a gentile world. I would suggest that it is important for Christians to understand the Jewish faith because the faith of the Hebrews was clearly God’s preparation for His bringing salvation to the world. However, today some Christians are asserting that we cannot understand the Christian faith without a Jewish perspective. Not only is this a completely false notion, but it is also dangerous.
For instance, the popular writer and pastor Rob Bell uses numerous references to Judaism and Rabbis in his book Velvet Elvis. He interpretation of Jesus is based upon viewing him as a Jewish rabbi, but there is a major problem with this interpretation from a modern day viewpoint. Bell is viewing Jesus as a rabbi from the perspective of the modern day Rabbinic Judaism, rooted in the Mishnah (circa 200 AD) and Talmud (circa 425 AD). He is borrowing his understanding from a tradition that really began its development after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD (approximately 40 years after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus). More importantly, he is borrowing ideas from a viewpoint that denounces the fact that Jesus was God. That is a major problem because if you do not believe that Jesus is God, then you do not believe in the same God I believe in.
The question still remains: Why is this such an important issue? The main issue for me has to do with the Jewish notion of Oral Torah. According to Judaism, Moses and the Hebrew people received both Oral and Written Torah from God at Mount Sinai. The teachings of the Oral Torah are a guide to the interpretation of the Written Torah which is considered to be the authoritative reading. Because of this, Jewish law and tradition is not based upon a strict literal reading of the Hebrew Bible, but on an understanding of combined Oral and Written Torah. The Oral Law was written down in what is known as the Mishnah, but is continually interpreted in the Talmud and by rabbis today. Oral Torah is both a text and a gift from God used for interpreting all parts of Jewish life. It is has been used to understand everything from why Jews no longer make sacrifices to how to interpret Jewish dietary laws in light of modern science.
I see two major difficulties with Oral Torah. First, it is based in the hearts, minds and whims of men. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” Second, according to rabbinic tradition, Oral Torah can and does contradict written Torah. For instance a passage from the Talmud goes like this:
“Thus do You teach the sinner the way to go” (Tehilim 25:8) – that Hashem shows the way to Repentance.
Wisdom was asked ‘What should be the punishment for the sinner?’ She answered, ‘Let evil pursue the sinner.’ (Mishlei/Proverbs: 13:21)
Prophecy was asked, ‘What should be the punishment for the sinner?’ She answered, ‘The soul that sins shall perish.’ (Yechezkel/Ezekiel 18:4)
The Torah was asked, ‘What should be the punishment for the sinner?’ She answered, ‘Let him bring a sacrifice, and be atoned for.’
The Holy One, Blessed be He, was asked, ‘What should be the punishment for the sinner?’ He answered, ‘Let the sinner repent and he will find atonement.’ This is the meaning of the verse, ‘Thus You show the sinner the way’ – ‘You show the sinner how to repent’ (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehilim/Psalms 25)
The passage is interpreting what scripture says will happen to the sinner. They ask wisdom literature and find that evil will pursue the sinner. Prophecy tells them that sinful souls will perish. Torah reveals that people who sin must make a sacrifice, and be atoned for. However, the writers consult God who gives tells them that repentance is all that is needed for the atonement of sins. Christians believe in this notion as well, but believe that Christ is the vehicle and sacrifice allowing for the repentance of sins. Jews have no such notion and are in direct contradiction Leviticus 17:11 which tells us that, “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” Hebrews 9:22 emphasizes the matter stating that, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” No sacrifices leads to no atonement. No atonement leads to no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews makes it clear that the sacrificing of bulls and goats was never meant to take away sins and only Jesus’ sacrifice can remove the guilt of sin, but Jews obviously do not consider this to be the case.
You still might be asking yourself, how does this notion of Oral Torah have anything to do with Christianity? Well the answer lies in the fact that some Christians have used and are using Oral Torah. They just do not call it by such a name. The popular term for this practice in Christianity is, “Trajectory Hermeneutics.” The underlying idea is that what we refer to as the words of scripture, sets ideas into motion that result in a contradictory outcome. For instance, the Bible may say one thing about not having women as elders, but because we are much more evolved and enlightened today than people 2,000 years ago, we understand the concepts they were talking about, but we bring them to their logical conclusion. This hermeneutic used for interpreting scripture fits very nicely into a postmodern and deconstructionist worldview. However, it downplays the authority of scripture; an idea which no follower of Jesus should be comfortable with.
Isaiah tells us that, “The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:7-8). People very often quote the second verse about how God’s word will stand forever, but they very often neglect the first verse which speaks of the impermanence of man. Oral Torah, trajectory hermeneutics and the idea that we understand a more enlightened version of the faith our fathers, all sound extremely nice, but they just aren’t true. People who lean on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) are not wise people, but fools. Not only is God not happy with us when we disobey and disavow His word, but we likewise are made unhappy and unfulfilled. We need the authority of scripture and we are in a case where God’s Law was made for man, not man for God’s Law (Matthew 2:27). This doesn’t mean that we can do away with inconvenient parts of scripture, but that we need to have a proper perspective on the purpose of scripture in our lives.
The best analogy I’ve heard for this comes from Professor Jerry Root of Wheaton College (Illinois). He explains that we are all lost in a hedge maze (mazes made out of tall bushes). From our perspective, we cannot see our place in the maze because our vision is obscured by the obstacles. However, if one was able to get over the maze, they would be able to see the whole picture with the correct path and the errors. God is such a person with such perspective, and scripture is his guide for navigating the maze. The only person who can guide us out of the maze is God and when we lean on our own knowledge or the knowledge of others’ (who have the same limited perspective) we are destined to be lost. This does not come from the professor, but I would add to the analogy that if one memorizes the maze (or memorizes scripture), one is even better prepared to navigate life. This still is not our own wisdom, but allowing God to write His word on our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
The great prophet Bob Dylan once wrote that, “All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie” (Things Have Changed ). My prayer is that we would look to truth from the one who is in us and, “is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Filed under: Alternative Religions/Philsophy | Tags: Cults, Eckhart Tolle, New Age, Oprah
For a long time, I have been extremely skeptical whenever people have told me that they were inspired by Oprah Winfrey. In my opinion, truly inspirational people don’t host talk shows. More than that, I believe that people are inspirational when who they are and what they believe leads them to great acts of compassion, love and sacrifice. To me, Oprah has never fit that description. James, talking about the source of people’s speech, asks the question, “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water” (James 3:11-12). James hits a sensitive, but important point: If the source of our life isn’t God, then what comes out of us (whether word or deed) isn’t from God either. That is not to say that people who do not follow Christ cannot produce loving or compassionate acts, but it is safe to say that such good deeds will not be at their center.
Jesus even describes a similar scenario saying, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23). Furthermore, John tells us how to sniff out the impostors reminding us that, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). I would suggest that Oprah falls into this category almost perfectly.
Apparently, Oprah grew up in church and was nicknamed, “the Preacher,” because of how well she could recite verses from the Bible. Since 1986, Oprah has been broadcasting the Oprah Winfrey Show and has been inspiring people across the nation and around the world. Now she is a media mogul appearing in numerous films, publishing two magazines, co-authoring five books, updating her crazily popular Oprah.com, and let us not forget Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give. Recently, Oprah launched an online class as part of her Oprah’s Book Club, on the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. Oprah’s website tells us that Eckhart Tolle, a graduate of the University of London, “is a contemporary spiritual teacher who is not aligned with any particular religion or tradition.” Not surprisingly, Oprah has aligned herself with a new age guru who is not a part of any particular religion. Oprah herself has always been a big fan of religious pluralism. On her show she was quoted as saying, “There are millions of ways to be a human being and many paths to what you call god.” In response to someone telling her that the only way is through Jesus, Oprah responded, “There couldn’t possibly be only one way.”
The website for Oprah’s class has some interesting things to say as well. Here is an excerpt:
My holiness is my salvation.
My mind is part of God. I am very holy
My salvation comes from me
Let me remember that there is no sin
Do not make the pathetic error of “cling to the old rugged cross.”
The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross.
I’ve been told by many people that I am very blunt about some things, but in this case I think it is appropriate. This stuff the Oprah is putting out there is absolute nonsense. It is not backed up by anything other than the fact that it sounds very convenient. Oprah is using her fame to broadcast modern day gnosticism to the world. This notion that some secret knowledge is needed to transcend the suffering of this world is not only not Christian, it sets itself in opposition to Christianity. While Oprah’s charisma is undeniable, I must argue that I do not think she is a particularly caring individual. Caring individuals do not gather in millions of followers and teach them a way of life that is unable to deal with sin, death, and ultimately hell.
In his first epistle, John writes, “about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie just as it has taught you, abide in him” (1 John 2:26-27). John is writing about a situation that is so similar to “Oprah’s church”, it’s uncanny. He is telling us the same way he told the initial recipients of the letter, we do not need a special guru or guide to tell us the secrets of the universe. My prayer would be that God’s Word would be our guide, the Holy Spirit would be our teacher, and that the truth and glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be our chief concern.
Filed under: Christian Living | Tags: Non-violence, Peace, Resistance, Sermon on the Mount
I must confess that the topic on which I have been meditating recently is probably my greatest weakness in my own life. I do not write this as a condemnation of others, but rather as a humble confession. My hope is that people who struggle with my habits would hear truth and would repent in the way I am repenting. I feel much like Paul in Romans 7:15 when he writes, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” With that said, I want to discuss the subject of resisting evil.
In Matthew 5:38, Jesus teaches His disciples saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’“ Jesus is referring to Torah’s answer to crime (Exodus 21:24), but he is not discrediting it outright. I know quite a few skeptics who would say that Jesus has a very low view of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), but those people forget that it was the only scripture, which Jesus knew. When Jesus quotes Torah and expounds upon it, He does so with the highest authority because the scriptures “bear witness about” Jesus (John 5:39). So let’s do away with the nonsense that Jesus was trying to do away with the Hebrew Bible; Jesus himself is its fulfillment (Matthew 5:17).
Getting back to the point, Jesus does quote Exodus saying, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” He quotes this because this God’s word and it is truth. Matthew 16:27 tells us that, “the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” In Revelation 22:12 Jesus declares: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.” These are absolute realities and Jesus knew this. Jesus is going to teach something that sounds like it is in direct contradiction to the Old Testament, but it is not. Jesus never disputes the “eye for an eye” line, but his teaching for His followers is different because He wants them to remember that, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Some recent Christians want us to believe that God is not angry with sinners, but they forget that God “hates the wicked and the one who loves violence” (Psalm 11:5). God is still angry with sinners, let there be no question there. The only hope sinners have is Jesus, the one who intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34).
So that is where Jesus begins, “an eye for an eye.” But, He has something for His followers that is going to be a sign of the gospel among the whole world. He tells them:
“But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matthew 5:39-42).
Like I said before, Jesus seems to be contradicting what He previously said, but in fact, He is not. Jesus is teaching his disciples to act out His gospel. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Sinners still deserve death, but God chooses to spare some from His wrath. The method He accomplishes this with is by sacrificing His son. Jesus’ followers are called to do the same. Now don’t misunderstand, Jesus does not intend for you to turn the other cheek because you will save people from their sins. But your obedience in turning the other cheek might be the sign that God uses to point people towards His Son, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). By not resisting evil, we are able to say as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” As I meditate over these ideas, I am hugely convicted because they are possibly the clearest expressions of the gospel, but they are the practices most absent in my own life.
Another misconception we need avoid is that we are communicating Jesus’ permission of sin. Make no mistake, Jesus not condemning the woman caught in adultery was high on His list of priorities, but so was repentance. Romans 2:4 tells us, “that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” This is my biggest qualm with street preachers who scream at people on busy sidewalks. They forget that, “he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47). Maybe these people have not embraced their own forgiveness enough. If God’s kindness is meant to lead people to repentance, then not resisting evildoers might be the missing piece of the gospel proclamation.
Some may protest that this is not a practical way to live one’s life. Turning the other cheek doesn’t seem like a good survival strategy. Well, what crazy heretic told you that Christianity is about survival strategies? “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). The problem with Jesus’ methods isn’t that they aren’t practical; it’s that aren’t comfortable. They are problematic when comfort comes before conviction and entitlement comes before humility. This is part of Jesus’ plan for loving our enemies, and if we do not take part in His plan we are no different from anyone else (Matthew 5:46-47). This is the plan for peace. The only way to stop violence is with non-violence. The only way to combat hate is with purposeful love. In this way we might “be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). In a world where the circle of violence reigns supreme, this is our only hope.
Filed under: Apologetics, Uncategorized | Tags: Apologetics, Atheism, Questions
I recently stumbled upon this video on YouTube which insists that every Christian must answer these 10 questions. The questions are as follows:
- Why won’t God heal amputees?
- Why are there so many starving people in the world?
- Why does God demand the death of so many innocent people in the Bible
- Why does the Bible contain so much anti-scientific nonsense?
- Why is God such a huge proponent of slavery in the Bible?
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why didn’t any of Jesus’ miracles in the Bible leave behind any evidence?
- How do we explain the fact that Jesus has never appeared to you?
- Why would Jesus want you to eat his body and drink his blood?
- Why do Christians get divorced at the same rate as non-Christians?
The creator of this video insists that the answer to all of these questions is simply: “God is imaginary.” In light of this answer the speaker maintains that “When you use your brain and when you think logically about your religious faith, you can reach only one conclusion…” The said conclusion is simply that God is imaginary. I must say that I am intrigued by this logic, but it is not this specific argument that I am concerned with.
I am truly interested in finding this fountain of knowledge and sound thinking which militant atheists seem to be drinking from. My friend who hides behind his YouTube video (and website…Why won’t God heal amputees?) insists with full assurance that an imaginary god is the only conclusion to his questions. Richard Dawkins tells us that God is a delusion and Christopher Hitchens maintains that God is not great at all. The overarching theme seems to be that there’s no way in hell (which is not a real place) that God is real. What I am truly puzzled about is how men such as Dawkins and Hitchens, who hold science to be the highest authority, have become so arrogant to look in the other direction in regards to their own convictions. We as a human race (not just individuals, but collectively), know so little of all available knowledge, I am just not sure how anyone is an atheist. If an atheist believes that God does not exist and an agnostic believes that God may exist, but one cannot or does not know; Why does anyone pull the atheism card?
Now my main point is not to argue against atheism or even to try to defend God (He surely does not need my help), but I would like to discuss the criticisms I see happening. The “10 Questions” video questions why God would care about what day of the week a person works and Hitchens outright claims that believing in Jesus taking other’s sins on the cross is immoral. I wonder if these men would argue against physics when their car comes to a stop. I wonder if they would argue against a teacher after clearly having marked the wrong answer on a test. I guess what I’m saying is, “When did we get the right to argue against reality?” If God exists and He is the ultimate reality, how would Christopher Hitchens critique of substitutionary atonement matter one bit? And furthermore, they are giving some credit to the idea because they are arguing against it in the first place. People do not tend to oppose that which does not exist. C.S. Lewis puts it best in Mere Christianity when he writes, “When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.”
In light of the 10 Questions for Christians, I think I have some questions for atheists?
- Why have humans somehow reversed natural selection (i.e. Why do we care for the poor and help those who can’t help themselves?) even though it always has worked the same way without exception.
- Why are morals important if there is no higher authority, no afterlife and essentially no meaning?
- Why do people have desires for something that can never be quenched by this world (i.e. people are hungry therefore there is such thing as food, people get thirsty therefore there is such thing as drink, etc…)?
- Where do ideas like love come from (no biochemistry please)?
- How has the crazy story of a carpenter God from Nazareth, Israel fooled so many people into giving up their lives for a nonsensical tale?
My list isn’t exhaustive, but I might suggest that the answer to all these questions is: “God is real and He is the ultimate reality.”
