ABSOLUTELY.
It's somewhat akin to
THE RULE OF LAW.
Chinese leaders were eager to query and ask me to speak to groups about the rule of law.
I noted that the rule of law was a great improvment over the rule of the fist, gun, corruption etc.
But, I said that it can too often be only slightly better. It can also be incredibly ruthless and deadly.
Christ noted that the law is death but The Spirit brings life.
Only hooked up to THE TRUE VINE can the branches have life and grapes for fruit.
Man perversely wants to be IN CONTROL. If we can call ourselves Christian and pretend that we have our ETERNAL LIFE E TICKET TO RIDE--while still running our own show and rowing our own boat our own directions, we tend to delude ourselves that that's wonderful.
Right off the falls to the eternal rocks below.
A number of visitors returning from Heaven or visions of Heaven have remarked at how many prostitutes there are who've made it to have routine access to the ALMIGHTY'S THRONE ROOM
. . . and how few RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
Those forgiven most, love most.
But we have to confess, repent and RECEIVE the forgivness first.
In the course of my dissertation research, I studied the whole issue of INTRINSIC VS EXTRINSIC RELIGIOSITY. I think it was Rokeach who pioneered that research.
Lots of sociologists and other typically atheist/agnostic 'scholars' loved to assert that Christians were the most biggoted, racist, destructive etc. people on the planet and in all of history.
The research proved fascinating.
Various labels can be used but the most consistently identified in the literature is probably INTRINSIC VS EXTRINSIC.
Others used are:
Internal/External
Authentic/Inauthentic
and the like.
There's also those called:
INDISCRIMINANTLY PRO-RELIGIOUS
VS
INDISCRIMINANTLY ANTI-RELIGIOUS.
Extensive amounts of high quality studies have been done. The results are always consistent.
There are those who put their RELIGION on like a coat for Sunday and quickly toss the coat for Monday abuse of workers and customers.
There are those who earnestly work to practice their faith in every area of their lives authentically, persistently.
So, let's consider 3 groups--the:
1) INDISCRIMINANTLY PRO-RELIGIOUS
2) INDISCRIMINANTLY ANTI-RELIGIOUS
3) AUTHENTICALLY SPIRITUAL.
Which group would consistently come out as
MOST RACIST, BIGGOTED, HARSH, ABUSIVE, DESTRUCTIVE, VIOLENT ETC?
WHICH GROUP WOULD BE 2ND MOST THOSE EVIL DEADLY THINGS?
WHICH GROUP WOULD BE LEAST?
A) The INDISCRIMINANTLY ANTI-RELIGIOUS
WERE BY FAR THE MOST BIGGOTED, RACIST, HARSH, ABUSIVE, DESTRUCTIVE, VIOLENT etc.
B) NEXT BUT A SIGNIFICANTLY LESS AMOUNT WERE THE INDISCRIMINANTLY PRO-RELIGIOUS.
C) LEAST SO--BY A VERY WIDE MARGIN--I THINK AT LEAST A STANDARD DEVIATION'S WORTH OF SPACE LESS SO--WERE THE AUTHENTICALLY SPIRITUAL.
Mr Dollar would do well to examine the research. Perhaps more importantly, he would do well to examine his own heart and insure it's in proper order and relationship to God and others in all respects.