The World in Which We Live

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   We in the West have an unshakable faith in the power of knowledge to solve any and every problem that besets us. When confronted with destructive human behavior – whether violent or sexual, whether aimed at ourselves or others – we immediately turn not to the philosopher or poet or priest, but to some social or psychological “scientist,” and we demand that he give us a solution based on his expertise.” 

   President Ronald Reagan famously quipped, “It isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant. It’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so.” The same can be said about many modern Americans regardless of political or philosophical persuasion. In an era of widespread educational opportunity Americans generally are becoming more ignorant about things that really matter.

   I could point out test scores of American students compared with test scores of students of other countries but that data is well known today. Ironically, there seems to be an inverse relationship between the decline of knowledge in subject areas that matter and the rise of trivial and irrelevant knowledge. For example, what good is it for someone to know every film an actor has performed in or every song a pop star has recorded if they can’t read, spell, or perform basic mathematical calculations?

   America is flush full of people who know all kinds of things they think are interesting and even important, but for which there is no cultural or personal benefit to be derived. Author Charlotte Iserbyt is correct when she says that there has been a deliberate dumbing down of Americans.  Life skills training has been replaced by a myriad of nonsense. Young people today are graduating college at record levels with record amounts of debt and no job market for their newly acquired area of expertise. 

   Clearly, the education system in America has been hijacked and the curriculum fashioned to produce the outcome we are seeing. There is no way to escape this conclusion. American students are on a downward spiral into a meaningless existence with no hope of escape.

   Thorton’s quote that began this article reminds us that modern man has rejected the metaphysical and has instead cast his complete lot with the empiricists. That means that all problems human beings face can be resolved through a careful analysis of all the factors involved, and the application of a remedy based on beliefs current at the time. Unfortunately for  modern man, this often involves the use of dangerous drugs, talking therapies that are little more than conscious hypnosis, and in extreme cases, government authorized re-education.

WHAT IS MISSING?
   I am going to “cut to the chase” to use an old colloquialism, and say that what is missing is the biblical view of man. What I mean by that is this: man has, over time, lost the biblical view of who he is. He has arrived after several centuries of speculation at a place that if he were honest, he would describe as despair. Modern man is in a state of despair because he has accepted that God does not exist and even if He does, He cannot be known, and to quote Hillary Clinton, “what does it matter now anyway?”

   Here is why it matters: rejecting the biblical account of man also dooms man to an endless search for meaning and significance. The result of rejecting the biblical — and let me be even more specific here — the Judeo-Christian view of humanity, is what we see today: schools teaching children that there is nothing significant about human beings; that man and animal, or man and plant are the same thing, cohabitating living organisms on a larger living ecosystem called “Earth.” 

   America’s educators suffer from a severe case of schizophrenia. Teaching children they are an accident of chance, time, and matter and that evolution is true, results in self-absorbed psychopaths who care little about other peoples’ welfare. To combat the grave problem the educator has created, they teach self-esteem, self-respect, and anti-bullying propaganda, very odd things that do not belong in a system that uses as its explanatory mechanism, survival of the fittest.

   Giving in to despair also means accepting technocracy  as the only viable solution toward a peaceful co-existence for all people upon the earth. What that means for the uninitiated, is the acceptance of a global Scientific Dictatorship. Human beings must give up their freedoms for safety. We are constantly assured that the most enlightened among us will guide us into an earthly utopia. Never mind that every deranged despot who murdered millions of their own citizens claimed their ability to create this peaceful utopia.

   The biblical view of man and of our existence here on earth is diametrically opposed to this vision of the anointed elites who would be our rulers.  The Bible says that we are creatures made in the image of God. He breathed His spirit into the first man and Adam became a living creature.  Mankind is significant, more significant than any other creature of the earthly creation. As image bearers, we have intrinsic significance. 

   However, mankind lost its high place of honor through the actions of our first parents. God determined to redeem the creation, to reverse the effects of sin and that plan is in motion even in the midst of the current chaos. The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ was the price God the Father required to once again bring mankind and the creation back into the original state.  

The Consequence of Rejecting Divine Revelation
   By rejecting the Bible, modern man has cut himself off from the one source of beneficent divine truth.  The Bible gives us two kinds of knowledge: knowledge of God and knowledge of the creation. We can further say that the Bible revels to us God’s nature, His characteristics, and man’s nature, characteristics, and the world he lives in. 

   This is important for several reasons. If mankind hopes to solve any issues it faces as a species, then it must know who it is, where it came from, and what its destiny is. Some might say we cannot know those things. 

   My response to that statement is: Who told you that you can’t know those things? Every culture has a creation story, a narrative that for them, explains who they are, where they came from, and where they are headed. There are some commonalities which seem to indicate a remembrance of a singular origin event.

   Furthermore, the insatiable quest for meaning and significance means that mankind will continue to explore our universe for answers to those questions.

   Ironically, increasing numbers of people across the world reject the biblical narrative of a loving Creator. This  is happening while ironically, the theory of Panspermia is gaining traction.  

   Another reason it is important to recapture the biblical worldview and a biblical mindset is that mankind is clearly suffering under the weight of guilt, shame, and rejection. This is true because abandoning the biblical narrative also means man cuts himself free from his history of rebellion against his Creator. The moral guilt that comes with that rebellion cannot be resolved through any kind of mind salve or physical distraction. So, the guilt remains under layers of veneer but it still impacts man in every aspect of his being.

   Finally, I must point out that rejecting the Scriptures means rejecting the supernatural worldview. The Bible is a supernatural book written by men who lived in a world in which gods and demons were plentiful. I will never forget the day when Dr. Michael Heiser told me during a conversation, “It is not my job to protect you from your Bible.” 

   One of the many things I’ve learned from Dr. Heiser is summarized succinctly in this statement:

   “What you’ll learn is that a theology of the unseen world that derives exclusively from the text understood through the lens of the ancient, premodern, worldview of the authors informs every Bible doctrine in significant ways…My goal is simple. When you open your Bible, I want you to be able to see it like ancient Israelites or first-century Jews saw it, to perceive and consider it as they would have. I want their supernatural worldview in your head. 

   If we can understand that the Scriptures have been Westernized to fit our modern worldview devoid of anything supernatural, then we are on the path of understanding what the Bible actually says. When we see clearly what the Scriptures tell us about the larger theme of spiritual warfare and the attendant theme of spiritual strongholds then we are on the journey to being free indeed.

   You may support The Transforming Word Ministry by sending your gifts to:

Dr. Mike Spaulding
PO Box 3007
Lima, OH 45807


Online at http://www.TheTransformingWord.com
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