Wasn't it Blaise Pascal who said that there is within us a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill?
I thought about that the other day when I went shopping in an area of town close to Denver known for its lack of tolerance for conservative thinking and particularly for people who worship God.
Although the kind of people who populate this area pride themselves on being open thinkers, tolerant of all others' philosphies, and compassionate, caring humans who are concerned for the environment...
I have observed that these so-called free-thinkers are among the most intolerant.
The ones who put bumperstickers on their cars touting concern for the environment are usually the ones that I see throwing trash and cigarette butts out the window.
The same ones who wear the "coexist" bumperstickers and peace signs on their cars are usually the ones who show the least courtesy toward other drivers.
In short, I find that those who demonstrate god-lessness, show me another kind of spirit altogether.
I call it the quality of "GODNESS."
If Blaise Pascal's statement is true about the vacuum inside our spirits, then one without God must surely fill that vaccum with some other god.
The most convenient god for those who reject God, is the god of themselves.
After all, one's own god is invariably pleasing to one's ego, looking out for one's interest, defending one's sense of righteousness, searching for one's own truth, pleading one's own desires, judging those who can't or won't conform to one's god's ways.
What a perfect god....You!
Why worship and have to be accountable to an objective God, a God outside of yourself, when you can be your own god ...
who suits your own world view, your own morality,
who never expects you to adhere to a set of beliefs that don't perfectly suit you?
I'd call that "Godness:" the quality of being god.
The late Dr. James Kennedy who pastored a large church in Florida once said, "There are really only two religions in the world: the "I" or the "Cross."
"The Cross": Faith in Christ calls us, as believers, to identify fully with Christ's death and resurrection. He is the transcendant God. We declare ourselves sinners, totally incapable of becoming worthy of moral perfection and therefore, heaven. We place our trust in this wonderful God, who did what no one can do: pay for our sin. In placing our faith in Christ, we submit to Him, love Him, worship Him. Nothing qualifies us for heaven; it's only what He has done on our behalf.
"I": All other faiths place the burden of achieving moral perfection on our own efforts.
We either try and try, but never find peace about our efforts. Our failure leads to guilt and fear.
Or we attempt to justify ourselves, and thereby achieve our own kind of moral perfection, based on our own moral template. Godness.
Who will sit on the throne of my heart today?
God
or godness?
"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." (Judges 21: 25 NIV Bible)
I thought about that the other day when I went shopping in an area of town close to Denver known for its lack of tolerance for conservative thinking and particularly for people who worship God.
Although the kind of people who populate this area pride themselves on being open thinkers, tolerant of all others' philosphies, and compassionate, caring humans who are concerned for the environment...
I have observed that these so-called free-thinkers are among the most intolerant.
The ones who put bumperstickers on their cars touting concern for the environment are usually the ones that I see throwing trash and cigarette butts out the window.
The same ones who wear the "coexist" bumperstickers and peace signs on their cars are usually the ones who show the least courtesy toward other drivers.
In short, I find that those who demonstrate god-lessness, show me another kind of spirit altogether.
I call it the quality of "GODNESS."
If Blaise Pascal's statement is true about the vacuum inside our spirits, then one without God must surely fill that vaccum with some other god.
The most convenient god for those who reject God, is the god of themselves.
After all, one's own god is invariably pleasing to one's ego, looking out for one's interest, defending one's sense of righteousness, searching for one's own truth, pleading one's own desires, judging those who can't or won't conform to one's god's ways.
What a perfect god....You!
Why worship and have to be accountable to an objective God, a God outside of yourself, when you can be your own god ...
who suits your own world view, your own morality,
who never expects you to adhere to a set of beliefs that don't perfectly suit you?
I'd call that "Godness:" the quality of being god.
The late Dr. James Kennedy who pastored a large church in Florida once said, "There are really only two religions in the world: the "I" or the "Cross."
"The Cross": Faith in Christ calls us, as believers, to identify fully with Christ's death and resurrection. He is the transcendant God. We declare ourselves sinners, totally incapable of becoming worthy of moral perfection and therefore, heaven. We place our trust in this wonderful God, who did what no one can do: pay for our sin. In placing our faith in Christ, we submit to Him, love Him, worship Him. Nothing qualifies us for heaven; it's only what He has done on our behalf.
"I": All other faiths place the burden of achieving moral perfection on our own efforts.
We either try and try, but never find peace about our efforts. Our failure leads to guilt and fear.
Or we attempt to justify ourselves, and thereby achieve our own kind of moral perfection, based on our own moral template. Godness.
Who will sit on the throne of my heart today?
God
or godness?
"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." (Judges 21: 25 NIV Bible)
No comments:
Post a Comment