Why? - To Mature

For reasons other than "lashing out" for the pain one has felt as being caused by God, why do people hate Christianity?

I believe I understand why people characterize some Christians as 'jerks", but here in America why is Christianity so despised by so many?

Why do those who despise Christianity spend so much effort (especially in the academic field) "proving" Christianity as false?

Why is there a war between those who are Christians and those who are not?

Providence - God provides everything - creator of all
Necessity - There is no arbitrary (i.e., fate) then there must be an order (the best possible way)
Freedom - The best possible world means to be free means to be free to choose the wrong thing
Negativity - Choosing the wrong thing has harmful effects on us and those around
Maturity - Choosing to do the right response in the mist of negative stuff

Providence - 1 Cor. 4:7
Necessity - Eph. 2:8-9
Freedom - Gen. 3:21
Negativity - Matt. 8:5-13
Maturity - Phil. 4:6-8

Thoughts from afar!

The Temptation of "If..."

My dad pointed out an interesting Biblical fact as we were engaged in a deep theological and philosophical discussion. Temptation is activated by the word "If". His source for this proposal was the temptations of Jesus Christ in the desert as found in Matthew 4:1-11

Verse 3: "If You are the Son of God command..."
Verse 6: "If You are the Son of God throw..."
Verse 9: "... if You fall down and worship me [Satan]."

This "If" of temptation continued at the crucifixion in Matthew 27:40 where leaders as they passed by Jesus nailed to the cross, hurled abuses at Him saying:

"If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

I imagine the temptation on the cross was incomprehensibly robust. Immediate relief verses Eternal satisfying joy - The Nobility of Character.

How many times have we received the "If" suggestion. It is oh so tempting when the suggestion is presented to you as, "Hey this is an proven, easy to get ..." When properly translated the tempting suggestion actually says, "If you do to this less than honorable thing you will become very wealthy, happy, powerful, etc. right now, but you will have to pay for it much later at an extremely towering cost to your reputation and the generations that follow." It is significantly more easy to agree with the "if"; however, it takes incredible courage to resist and say no to the "if" of temptation. "If" carries quick gratification with long-term harm, whereas honor carries some sacrifice followed by long-term peace and fulfillment.

The answers to these "if" temptations can be found in maintaining a long-term perspective. How will this effect my reputation and those around me 5 years from now, 10 years from now, 50 years from now, 150 years from now, etc. Eternity is .... Respect is worth it and lasts for eternity, shame is burdensome and lasts for eternity (unless one is forgiven - see Rom. 1:16-17).

Contrast the man who wrote the legendary hymn "Amazing Grace" to the CEOs of the recent banking meltdown. How must the city manager of the city of Bell in Los Angles county, California justify his actions? What is the status of his reputation and of his generations to follow? Somehow I do not see a long-term vision of respect, honor, duty, etc. from these disgraced "leaders".

The "morals" of a self-love do not produce a virtuous society of citizens. It is time for our leaders, both locally and nationally, to return to a "Nobility of Character" and actively teach (in words and deeds) this to the generations to come. Without the "Nobility of Character" we are seduced "by the Dark Side" of the Temptation of If.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6

"Revolt against Rationality"

As I am getting ready to fly a late night trip, I watched HLN to get up to speed on what is happening in the US. I was taken aback by the small icon in the lower right corner listing the number of days Lindsey Lohan has been in jail. Then I see the continuing news on Mel Gibson’s troubled meltdown.

What is going on that I need to know the number of days Lindsey is in jail? What is going on that someone on top of the world from the financial to the professional ranks has lost control of themselves? What is the example that is being set for American’s to view?

Back in the 1970s Christopher Lasch wrote a bestseller titled The Culture of Narcissism – American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations. In his section on The Eclipse of Achievement, Lasch writes:

“Self-approval depends on public recognition and acclaim, and the quality of this approval has undergone important changes in its own right. The good opinion of friends of friends and neighbors, which formerly informed a man that he had lived a useful life, rested on appreciation of his accomplishments. Today men seek the kind of approval that applauds not their actions but their personal attributes. They wish to be not so much esteemed as admired. They crave not fame but the glamour and excitement of celebrity. They want to be envied rather than respected.” (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1979, pg. 59)

This is the spiritual and moral condition of many in our American society. As James Allen wrote about in his famous treatise on “As A Man Thinketh”, thoughts crystallize into habits which solidify into circumstances. Noble thoughts cannot produce bad fruit.

Or better put: “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:17 NASB).

Mel Gibson’s road must not to be traveled by us or by our children and our road of life can/must be guarded with noble thoughts. Lindsay Lahan’s road is not to be traveled by us or by our children and our road of life can/must be guarded with proper actions not personal popularity. Why? Actions speak loudly. Jesus Christ spoke of the proper actions (not a concept well received today with the new religion of “tolerance”) in John 13:17, “If you know these things [those from prior verses 5-16], you are blessed if you do them” (NASB).

These things: server others, bear good fruit, etc. are mandatory to maintain a civilized society. Lasch concludes with the indictment of, “More than anything else, it is this coexistence of hyper-rationality and a widespread revolt against rationality that justifies the characterization of our twentieth-century way of life as a culture of narcissism” (pg. 248).

The time is now to study and regain a rational lifestyle.

C'ya

Eagle Driver

check 6