• The lead image is from Facebook and is sort of theologically profound and yet unattractive, 'see left' simultaneously.
• The second image is from today. It is sent from Arne in Norway with his brand new and very fashionable, Australian Leather Hat that is associated with Crocodile Dundee. Arne ordered this hat from New York City.
• Alligator Arne? Norwegian wild man?
• I listened to a recent sermon where it was stated (paraphrased) that our western society is significantly in error. Basically, from a biblical worldview, a common secular worldview is in disagreement with biblical Christianity on several key points, including philosophical, moral and ethical. I assuredly agree on key points with the sermon. But at the same time, I reason comparing a biblical Christianity to secular, liberal worldviews would produce many areas of disagreement, but some areas of agreement.
• In a section of my MPhil thesis below I briefly compare Christianity to western liberalism.
• Please note, that in a democracy, I fully support one's right to hold to a worldview, as long as it exists within a reasonable interpretation of maintaining law and order. (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2). In other words, a child sacrifice cult should not be legal, nor should an infanticide or like group, as examples.
• Being politically correct (PC) should not be a measure of whether or not a worldview is practically tolerated or worse, legal. In other words, hurt feelings and offense does not necessarily, in itself, equate to the breaking of law and order. There are laws on the books for slander (statements) and libel (published statement) within defamation, as examples.
• At the same time, I reason that the biblical Christian while being a gospel witness should attempt to live within law and order, within peace with others. Romans 12:18: New American Standard Bible
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
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2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University
3. God to Blame?
In McGrath’s second chapter entitled Blaming God he mentions some prominent modern twentieth century philosophies and discusses some of the results of these world-views. He noted that atheistic communism and western liberalism had failed to deal with the harsh realities of life that had taken place in the twentieth century, particularly during World War II. Communism and liberalism removed God from the equation, however, to McGrath, it caused more evil to take place. He stated: "Belief in God is a vital restraining factor. It curbs human evil by stressing God’s condemnation of those who inflict suffering on others." McGrath (1992: 11). McGrath believed that neither communism nor western liberalism had eliminated suffering, and thus their disbelief in God was not on strong intellectual footing.
To him, the great suffering which occurred in the twentieth century indicated there was something wrong with human nature, and that many people who attempted to blame God for those woes should, instead, have looked at world philosophies such as communism and western liberalism which ignored God. McGrath stated these philosophies that overlooked God, at the same time, overlooked his love. He noted: "Occasions of history are stained by the tears of our God who was working to bring about the day when ‘there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.’ (Revelation 21:4)." McGrath (1992: 14).
I am in agreement with McGrath that the sinfulness of human nature was overlooked by communist states such as the Soviet Union. In fact, the utopia of socialism actually led to the Soviet Union committing acts of violence in great numbers against their own citizens and those of other nations.
Communism is faulty in that it depends on the state forcing equality among people. This, however, does not end the evil of poverty, for example, but simply takes away initiative from people to advance themselves economically, and gives economic and political power to a select few government and military officials. At the same time, tyranny takes place as these select few must strongly enforce the equality that they see as necessary in order for the communist state to advance.
Christianity, on the other hand, favours shared equality. By this I mean people willingly sharing some, and sometimes all, of what they possess. But the idea is not that a state or ruling counsel should dictate this, but that it should be done willingly in love. With this world view, people have the freedom to willingly help others.
Now with western liberalism, I think it can be argued that, unlike Communism, it does have some major social benefits because it still allows for individualistic human thought which can lead to creativity. When this is taken too far, however, it can be seen that without God, human creativity can only solve few problems because human beings are fallen and imperfect and will still commit evil acts. A person who does not believe in the God and follow Him, can make social progress, but this will be limited because social ethics can make him/her moral but cannot make him/her spiritual as in believing in and following Jesus Christ. A spiritual person seeking God’s guidance should, at least, be theoretically more open to loving and caring for others, to show other people the love God has shown each of them. God’s love being shown within someone should take them beyond morality to a personal concern about the spiritual state of others.
To play devil’s advocate, a critic could claim that Christianity has not solved suffering any better than Communism or especially western liberalism; however, I think McGrath is correct. A belief in God in society and better yet a spiritual relationship with Christ leads to the tempering of evil in a nation and the world. Christianity’s ultimate answer to evil comes through revelation, but at least that has historical evidence of Scripture behind it. Christians are disobedient to God, just as nonbelievers are, and this is probably part of the reason Christianity has not made more social progress. But I still agree with McGrath that Christ’s atoning work and resurrection is the only ultimate answer that remedies evil. This work has, of course, not been completely culminated, but I think the Scriptural evidence supports the idea that Christ will return to restore his creation.
Western liberalism shares some of Christianity’s positive views on sharing and even love, but it depends too much on the goodness of humanity. The twentieth century demonstrates that social evolution in humankind is good, but always limited. This is part of the reason why the advanced, modern, western world still produced a nation like Nazi Germany.
These people were cultured and socialized, but still spiritually blind.
McGRATH, A. (1986) Iustitia Dei, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
McGRATH, A. (1992) Bridge-Building, Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press.
McGRATH, A. (1992) Suffering, London, Hodder and Stoughton Limited.
