Monday, August 15, 2016
Passing Through My Mind Today: If Not God, Who?
Passing Through My Mind Today: If Not God, Who?: Well known Christian apologist, author, and speaker, Ravi Zacharias brings up an interesting dilemma in his book "The E nd of Reason.&...
If Not God, Who?
Well known Christian apologist, author, and speaker, Ravi Zacharias brings up an interesting dilemma in his book "The End of Reason."
The question is this: How do we know what is evil and what is good? Why is genocide evil when self-proclaimed experts promise us that the earth is in danger of extreme over-population and starvation? How do we know that Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Idi Amin, and others are evil? Why is it bad to take a human life? How do we know that taking care of the poor is good?
Colleges study Nietzsche as a genius. Was he a genius or a fool? How do we know? Carl Sagan said that if man must worship a god, why not make it the stars? Why are most of us uncomfortable with that statement?
Zacharias points to the need for an objective definition of evil and of good. He believes that into every soul is built a common knowledge that there is good and there is evil, and that only God can have placed that in our beings. That makes sense when you consider that classic evolution predicts that the evolution of life in general and man in particular is based on survival of the fittest.
If survival of the fittest is the rule of norm instead of a set of moral absolutes established by God, then Hitler and Stalin, when they killed millions of their own people, were merely fulfilling "survival of the fittest" -- their own loyal followers and themselves.
The question cannot be answered in a few paragraphs, but I would point to this as a path that indicates it is God who is the Author of morality: In America, we have soundly shouted God out of our way. Since that has happened, has there been even a moment that all Americans, or even most Americans agreed on what is good and what is evil? As Isaiah wrote, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil." St Paul wrote "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God."
We have turned to our own wisdom, and do we not now call evil good and good evil? I think we have and we do.
The question is this: How do we know what is evil and what is good? Why is genocide evil when self-proclaimed experts promise us that the earth is in danger of extreme over-population and starvation? How do we know that Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Idi Amin, and others are evil? Why is it bad to take a human life? How do we know that taking care of the poor is good?
Colleges study Nietzsche as a genius. Was he a genius or a fool? How do we know? Carl Sagan said that if man must worship a god, why not make it the stars? Why are most of us uncomfortable with that statement?
Zacharias points to the need for an objective definition of evil and of good. He believes that into every soul is built a common knowledge that there is good and there is evil, and that only God can have placed that in our beings. That makes sense when you consider that classic evolution predicts that the evolution of life in general and man in particular is based on survival of the fittest.
If survival of the fittest is the rule of norm instead of a set of moral absolutes established by God, then Hitler and Stalin, when they killed millions of their own people, were merely fulfilling "survival of the fittest" -- their own loyal followers and themselves.
The question cannot be answered in a few paragraphs, but I would point to this as a path that indicates it is God who is the Author of morality: In America, we have soundly shouted God out of our way. Since that has happened, has there been even a moment that all Americans, or even most Americans agreed on what is good and what is evil? As Isaiah wrote, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil." St Paul wrote "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God."
We have turned to our own wisdom, and do we not now call evil good and good evil? I think we have and we do.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Passing Through My Mind Today: Whom Shall We Please?
Passing Through My Mind Today: Whom Shall We Please?: Proverbs 25:26 "Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked" In our world tha...
Whom Shall We Please?
Proverbs 25:26 "Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked"
In our world that insists evil is good and good is evil, many a Christian has fallen into this trap for fear of not being politically correct, or facing the loss of friends, or being belittled.
Better to be belittled for defending God than to have a thousand friends for approving the "wisdom" of man.
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