The Voice of the Enemy (2)
Brian D. Dykstra, teacher at Hope PR Christian School in Walker, MI
“Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually” (Psalm 74:23).
[In the previous article we looked at an article by Mr. Gregory Paul, which concluded that belief in God is bad. Society is better off when there are fewer people who believe in God.]
The paper then concludes with several pages of e-mails sent in by listeners.
Diamond Sutherland (USA): “I completely agree that we have the most dysfunctional society. Anyone who needs to believe there is something more than them [sic] has no control over their own lives. We should be beyond believing in Gods by now. Gods were created because the early humans had no control over what was going on around them. We have control. Yet for some reason the Christian right believes we do not. Someone please throw a science book at these people.”
Jan Velema (Canada): “The reason that religion, especially Christianity, is bad for society is because most Christians believe that people come back from the dead. This is absurd! The ancient Norse and Greeks believed their Gods were real as well. To continue to teach your children impossibilities displays a lack of intellect. There must be an admittance of these mistaken past teachings in order for Christianity to survive. If not, it will continue to die a slow, painful death.”
Cliff Prosser (USA): “ But religion isn’t the issue ... faith is the issue. The Bible itself is replete with examples of religiosity that has no real substance. For example, the Pharisees of old who held great religious stature but gained no favour with God because they were self absorbed, intellectual and arrogant. Religion is not the answer. A true, deep, abiding belief and faith in a sovereign God and the blood of the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb (Jesus Christ) that He provided is the answer.”
Neil (USA): “Fact: Here in America we eat more ice cream in July than any other month. Fact: Here in America there are more rapes committed in July than any other month. Conclusion: Eating ice cream causes rape. This is the kind of shoddy statistical analysis your report depends on.”
Thomas Anderson (Canada): “Religion is the world’s most deadly weapon of mass destruction.”
Gern Blansden (USA): “Yes, religion is bad for society. Faith in each other is not. But the way modern religious leaders have warped and skewed faith in each other to become a basis for persecution and discrimination has turned religion into more of a liability for society than an asset. There is nothing religion provides to society that cannot be achieved through faith in each other and an extension of one’s own benevolence to others. Throw away the guilt, rules and controls of religion and instill faith and hope in each other and you turn around the state of this world. Open your minds. This world, our society, is not a mythological entity.”
We can hear the voice of God’s enemies, the spirit of anti-Christ, in this discussion. Mr. Paul believes he has proven, scientifically, that God is more of a nuisance than a help. Society would benefit if there weren’t so many of His followers around. We can only expect such an attitude to increase and become more vocal. Despite society’s praise of open-mindedness and tolerance, for how long will society tolerate those who would truly worship God or be open-minded toward those who hold God’s Word as Truth?
There is the assertion that God was only needed to explain the origin of the universe. Man no longer needs the creative power of God. However, is there no need for God’s recreative power in redemption? It appears mankind sees no sin from which he needs to be delivered. The Russian author Dostoyevsky was correct, apparently, when we wrote, “If God does not exist, then everything is permissible.” It’s becoming evident that not only are all things permissible, but nothing is sin either. No wonder anti-Christ has no need, and little tolerance remaining, for God.
Are we concerned about the perilous days which lay ahead for us and our covenant children? What will the voices of the enemy be saying soon, and what tumults will be raised against God’s Anointed One? God will not forget the enemies’ voice but His is the stronger voice. By the clear, unmistakable voice of His Word, God will gather, defend and finally raise from the grave all those who look to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith.
