Christian Confusion

Well, we are bracing for another round of covid restrictions. As suggested a couple of weeks ago, based upon the number of new cases. Digging into the recent election fraud is still ongoing, and there have been ‘unity’ calls. All expected. How are we reacting to current events? More importantly, how should we be reacting?

Many things have been laid on my heart over this last week. This article offers information so we can move forward together. They are said with hope, rather than a heavy heart. God’s giving us evidence that He’s in control. The only real question is will we listen?

Christians and Positive Rights

There is much we’ve forgotten. We often argue with each other using half-knowledge, when we are commanded instead to work with each other. (Gal. 6:2) As Christians, God calls us to love both Him and our fellow man. This is the primary New Testament message (Matt. 22:37-9); but it’s also found in the Old Testament (Deut. 10:12-5, Lev. 19:18). It is the positive aspect of God’s law. It tells us what we are to do.

The real question is how are we to go about it—in a word, morality. Much of the how comes from the Old Testament, within the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. These are the negative aspect of God’s law. They provide the ‘how’ about what we are to do. They are negative because they primarily tell us what we are not to do. In other words, the evil we are to avoid. These commands include:

No other gods, idols, or using God’s name profanely
Honor His sabbath, and your parents
Not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet another’s possessions (Ex. 20:1-17)
Not distort justice (Lev. 19:15-6)
Not oppress the poor, widows, or orphans (Isa. 10:1-2)
Not treat a foreigner wrongly (Lev. 19:33-4)
No difference in our nature before God (Gal. 3:28)
Not turn away from God (Deut. 29:18)

God called the Israelites to act; Christians to act with a right heart. We are to avoid vice and seek virtue. We are to make the most of our talents and abilities, thereby learning to do good and bear fruit. This is the parable of the talents. We are to grow and reproduce, both physically and spiritually. We received an excellent 11 minute sermon this weekend from Fr. Chris Gaffrey on this subject. You can listen to it here.

What Do We See?

We are to put God first. Everything else then falls into place. Much of the rest is left up to us. How are we doing? Some confusion exists, and confusion is a sign we’ve turned from God. Two very different views exist, even within the church. One focused on what we do. The other considers what we do and how. The first places dependence on people and things to bring about salvation, the second looks to God.

We have only to look at the last four years. They are some of the most contentious I can remember, even going back to the 1960’s. The division rests in two contrary and incompatible sets of ideas held within our society. One set based in God’s principles, the other in man’s. President Trump has been a lightning rod in this battle. His style sometimes makes Christians wince. But he does what he says. There is no one I would rather have beside me in a fight, and we are in a war of ideas.

God often works through us, using the most unlikely of people to work through. Examples include selecting; the least of all peoples (Hebrews), a man of slow speech (Moses), a boy to save a nation (David), and coming into the world as a simple carpenter (Christ). The President has done more supporting Christian principles in the last four years than the church has done in the last fifty. The proof is in the fruit. His accomplishments are long. Do we have ears to hear and eyes to see? I believe God is calling to us to return to Him. We can see evidence in many areas. We’ll look specifically at three.

Media

We can look at all the blasting of each other we see on social media. I used it briefly, and today not at all. I find it to be a black hole in terms of time and return for the effort. It is a tool, but it requires a moral people to exercise its use effectively. It is no different with our broadcast and print medias. They have a perspective and must eliminate opposing views at all costs.

The same conflict exists among editors and writers of Christian publications. Each side villainizing the other. How we are to go about fulfilling our mission is largely up to each one of us and will be different. None of us are perfect, nor will we ever be in this life. We are to each do the best we can with what we’ve been given. But we are to look for ways to support each other to make things better rather than tear each other down.

Morality in the Church

We see these changes coming into the church as well. Ideas like critical theory entering its teachings and actions. Ideas supporting a false compassion and charity. They are anti-biblical, mere imitations of their heavenly counterparts.

The following example relates to a specific denomination, but is not intended to single them out. We see the same issue playing out across the Catholic church and Protestant denominations. It is a product of the time we live in.

An Example

During the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, the Southern Baptists passed a resolution affirming public official’s character matters. In a word—their morality. Its basic thrust is that all public officials should live by the same moral code as everyone else. That no one is above God’s moral law.

Fast forward twenty one years. The 2019 convention saw another resolution passed concerning critical race theory and intersectionality. This document’s resolves pose some interesting contradictions. The resolutions state, “critical race theory and intersectionality should only be employed as analytical tools subordinate to Scripture.” Further, they will “carefully analyze how the information gleaned from these tools are employed to address social dynamics.” The problem is there is no connection between critical theory and Biblical principles. They are incompatible and contradictory. Therefore, it will never address social concerns from a Biblical perspective. Only man’s. To act in such a manner is to repudiate God—to turn away from him.

In October, 2020 the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s (SBTS) trustees issued a press release. The release stated that in response to a 2018 study on slavery and racism within its institution, it would;

“continue to express lament over the sinful dimensions of its legacy”
“will set aside $1 million of endowed and restricted funds as an endowment to assist qualified black students at SBTS … [and] set aside $1 million for this fund every three years until a goal of $5 million is reached”

Under critical theory, the institution will always be guilty—simply because of who and what it is. That view bears no semblance to Christian ideas or principles, but does leave one scratching their head in wonder.

Covid Again

Virginia’s governor issued another executive order this past Friday. I have nothing personally against the man. However, the ideas he’s chosen to embrace have made him a modern king Ahab. Even down to child sacrifice through his abortion and infanticide support. He is an immoral leader, in words and actions. He claims his mitigation measures work, but they don’t.[1]

Covid appears to be spread by droplets someone infected emits when breathing, talking, coughing, sneezing, etc. This makes sense. These droplets could continue to exist in the air for several hours. Unknown at this point, but quite possible. The problems. One, if masks are effective then the droplets wouldn’t get into the air. A mask would prevent that. Two, if a droplet does contact a mask, the virus itself is so small that a mask’s material cannot keep it from passing through. Instead it stays on the mask and your action of breathing and talking can eventually draw it in. It doesn’t matter the type of mask; N95, surgical, or cloth.

The second prong is reducing gatherings down to 25—both public and private. There is no basis for the number. There are also numerous exemptions for ‘essential’ services. Essential being defined by the governor. This is a reissue of the earlier isolation mandate. The problem is this didn’t work the first time. His memory must be short. Studies showed over 60% of those contracting covid this past spring did so while at home.[2]

What Should We Consider Instead?

We now know the groups most susceptible to this virus. We should use the therapeutics we have, and offer the vaccines to those most at risk—not order them taken. These vaccines should not change human DNA, as some are pushing to do.

Diseases pass through populations. The isolation has many negative economic and mental health costs.[3] Continued government lockdowns prolong the pain. We are decimating large economic segments, including many small businesses and the lives of their owners and employees. Their cure is worse than the disease in terms of costs and lives. This is not right, and contrary to the Christian principles laid out at the very beginning.

But the left is all too willing to sacrifice others on their security alter. In the meantime we are told to surrender our freedoms. These actions are wrong and immoral, a product of the underlying ideas. If one is looking for someone to take action against, it should be China.

Reflection

I can’t help but wonder how much of our present behavior is driven by pride and arrogance. God punished Israel and Judah because they turned from Him and didn’t return. (Isa. 22:11, 2 Pet. 2:18-21) We know these things will all come to pass. We simply have to say no, not on our watch, by seeking God’s forgiveness and act accordingly. He’s speaking; are we listening?