Shirley Jackson said much the same in The Haunting of Hill House.
And Lovecraft.
Posted on 07/09/2024 7:07:00 AM PDT by Heartlander
You might be surprised to find it there, but I put a long section in my new book on the Second Amendment dealing with Darwinism. Was I being undisciplined, maybe? Was my editor out to lunch, allowing me to rant about anything and everything, both on topic and off?
Not really. I lay out in the book how the decline of the Christian worldview degrades our picture of man. Instead of the image of God arrayed with intrinsic value, moral accountability, and an eternal destiny, we’ve learned to see ourselves as slightly brainier apes — featherless bipeds of no particular cosmic significance. Our origin isn’t the sinless Adam painted by Michaelangelo, but some crude, grunting caveman. Our destiny isn’t glory, but icy oblivion.
So maybe all those “inalienable rights” we thought we’d been “endowed” with by “the Creator” were useful fictions, slaveowner slogans, or just wishful thinking. No wonder regimes treating Darwinism as dogma such as Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and secularized U.S. blue states toss human rights like a match into Darwin’s toilet to drown. Suddenly it makes sense why leftists and other secularists have ceased to value freedom of speech, religious liberty, and the right of self-defense against both crime and criminal governments. They were fruits of a fantasy Tree of Life which our ancestors imagined. Hack it down, and they rot on the ground.
As I document in No Second Amendment, No First, the most powerful effect of Darwinism on Christians was to convince us on some deep level that our faith doesn’t deal with facts. It cannot survive rational scrutiny, cold-eyed reflection, and modern research. Instead of moral realities derived from philosophical truths and the facts of divine revelation our faith consists of “values,” of sentiments...
(Excerpt) Read more at stream.org ...
Answers in Genesis addresses this along with a multitude of others questions.
The Bible teaches us all men know God exists in their souls/inner man. Problem is they want to be their own god and live by their own rules. It won’t bode well for them in the end. Romans 1:20 says there is no excuse for not knowing and acknowledging God. I believe that.
IMO. Seems most atheists know there is God but they deny it and consider that as a prideful notch in their belt as rising above so called ‘ignorant dogma’ therefore putting themselves on a superior level.
Atheist’s tombstone be like..
“All dressed up and no place to go”
interesting thought....TS Eliot wrote something to the effect of, we can only take so much reality.
Life is sometimes unbearably meaningful. If you love even an approximation of an approximation as Christ loved, your pain will be immense and your joy will be also. The two are inseparable. This is a deep truth.
And one that atheists are likely trying to avoid. So they put up this defense.
I think that is psychologically, spiritually and morally very true. Alas.
Shirley Jackson said much the same in The Haunting of Hill House.
And Lovecraft.
Oh the old “Hell is real, so you better believe what I do” trope. I could educate you on the lunacy of that position with facts and logical fallacies, but why bother? If it makes you feel superior...well, that’s a deeper issue. Jesus came not to rescue you from himself. Ponder that for a while.
Romans 10 3
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God
The only sin that will cause people to go to hell is rejection of christ- unbelief in Christ. Murder won’t, theft won’t, swearing won’t etc etc etc- unbeleif will however.
Christ has died to cover all our sins, and offers comp,ete forgiveness from sins for free- all we have to do is reach out and accept it, and none of pur sins will be held agaisnt us (this does not give cart blanc permission to live a life of debauchery- there are consequences to be had if one does- but it does mean that though our actions may cut short our life, or give us horrible conditions, ie addiction, std’s, broken relationships etc) we still will be saved.)
Of all the gifts in life, the gift of salvation is the greatest of them all. Some choose to ignore it, and that is their choice- but the gift is available to all.
The new batch (who go in for "the singularity" and "the universe is a simulation" etc) want more meaning but are looking for it in all the wrong places.
Our enemy isn't scientific materialism (which is only pulled out on occasion to attack the Biblical G-d), but new age fruitcakes who "meditate" in the UN "meditation room," recite the Lucis Trust's "great invocation," endorse and practice "indigenous" shamanism, and chatter endlessly about the absolute necessity of "human fraternity" and a "planetary humanism." If all of these things are the work of atheists, they are certainly not atheists who are against meaning.
Exactly.
So do I.
#1 I do not believe I am superior to any other human being and find it interesting you feel a need to view believers that way. #2. What I think doesn’t matter whatsoever. What God tells us in his Word/the Bible is what matters. #3 Jesus came to make appropriation for the sin of the world. There was nothing in the entire universe He needed saving from so your closing statement is completely irrational and is not something a sane person would ponder. Oh, and #4 hell is very real.
The appeal to warning about Hell is based upon the reality of consequences, but that itself presupposes a valid basis for believing the alternative, while it is the reasons behind refusal of the Lord Jesus that dams one, not simply not assent to a article of faith.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:19-21)
And atheism itself is a position of faith.
Seriously?
Ponder that for a while.
Doing a yoga mantra would be more intellectually productive that *pondering* that nonsense.
The problem comes in, I think, with the thinking that everyone is headed for or deserves heaven and that by our actions, we *lose* it and get sent to hell for them.
In reality, everyone is already hell bound because of the sin in their lives from the very first one they committed.
Jesus came so that ALL would have the opportunity to be reconciled back into right relationship with God.
God doesn’t send anyone to hell. People go there of their own volition. It’s the only option for people who don’t want to do it God’s Way.
I think you are confused if you think people are actually trying to convince you that hell exists because it makes them feel superior.
The people I know that undertake to convince others of the existence of hell are almost always trying to save them from something they believe (yes, only believe) is worse than death itself.
Yes. This side of the grave, we cannot know for sure. Hell may exist...or it may not. You cannot prove or disprove it.
But it's not an intellectual debate. It's not the mental masturbation some folks--like you--think it is. This game is unavoidable...and you will find out if hell exists.
The question is, is this really a risk you are willing to take?
And BTW, all your facts and awareness of possible logical fallacies won't matter one bit if it turns out you are wrong. Your smugness and self-congratulation won't help if it turns out that, oops, you miscalculated.
True- they think their righteousness is enough and God will be obligated to accept them because “They aren’t as bad as say Jeffry Dhamer, Ted Bundy, MS-13, The Mafia, Hitler, or any despotic person or gang one could mention- hence the verse
Romans 10 3
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God
“All dressed up and no place to go”
Was he dressed up in a flame retardant suit? 😀
If he’s smart.
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