“If we were truly created by some sentient [being] (capable of feeling or perception, conscious) in 'his' image, then 'he' has failed miserably those who were born with severe handicaps. And why does this all-powerful creator not just instill belief in all in all of us if worship of a deity is demanded? No - religion is a mad- [man] made construct to exert control on man by man.”

The foregoing appeared on a forum in a mid-western newspaper whose participants not only routinely deny God, but they also make fun of believers in him and his son, Jesus Christ. It does no good to try to teach them the truth and show them the way. Since their minds are made up, the truth only confuses them and brings forth vituperative diatribes. They are so blind that they can’t see that their denial of God is exactly that which the Bible addresses.

Those who argue against God refuse to accept two salient facts of life concerning the creator. The first is that God gave Adam and Eve a choice, and in the second place, due to the choice they made, sin entered the world. In Romans 5:12: Paul wrote:  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: And because of sin, imperfections of all types are now part of life. Paul also wrote in Romans 8: 22-23:  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. It is apparent that sin has affected the whole of creation and that means that birth defects and disease are a consequence of sin creating imperfections because of the fall in the Garden. Man had a chance to be perfect and made the wrong choice. Thus imperfections due to sin entered the world.

The second statement as a question shows an appalling lack of understanding of the nature of God. He could have created Adam and Eve without giving them a choice. The names for such things are robots and puppets. (Who would like to live as a robot or a puppet?) God, not wishing any of the creation to be a robot, gave choices to his creation and then set about giving the simple rules for living. Do this and enjoy life and if you don’t, there will be consequences for you until death. But he gave us life and the liberty to make choices and one of the choices was and is to choose life. But Adam and Eve didn’t choose wisely when given the chance and chose immediate spiritual death and eventual physical death.

 Jesus said in John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Let us state that the serpent was the thief. Through deceit and lies, he stole life from Adam and Eve and killed their opportunity of living in the Garden forever. He destroyed innocence and brought death to them and all of mankind and that still exists today. But Jesus came to stop the carnage of death brought on by sin and restore life to those who will accept his salvation.

The notion that religion is a “mad-made” or a man made construct, either one, is foolish if it is applied to God and Christ. When all the other religions are compared to that system of belief found in the Bible, it is clear that God doesn’t compel anyone to follow him by any of the means used by other belief systems. (It is true that some have misused God for their own purposes.) God works on the heart of the hearer and brings faith through the preaching of the word. Paul wrote in Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Where is the coercion in those to choose faith? There isn’t one place in the scriptures that anyone was forced to believe in God.

When the nature of God, sin, and his instructions are refused, then statements and questions such as are found in the first paragraph are the norm. No one is demanding that the person who wrote those words worship God. But God is asking that everyone understand his nature and give their life to him. Jesus says it all. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  (Matthew 11:28-30)

© 08-25-2007 DEC