Ron Suskind, in his book The One Percent Doctrine, asserts in the preface that knowledge is power and that Americans behave accordingly. While the former may be true, the latter statement does not reflect reality. If we truly believed within our innermost selves that knowledge is power our behavior would reflect that belief. But it doesn’t. For example, so many of us “knew” that Al Gore said he invented the Internet.
What we Americans really do is buy into whatever information - true or not – fits comfortably into our worldviews. We tend to accept automatically ideas that provide support for our preconceptions. We don’t question what we think we “know” because it is far more comfortable to not critically appraise deeply held beliefs. All most of us really want is confirmation that we’re right. Any information – however valid it may be – is usually discarded if not in accord with an internal reference point.
We would shout less and listen more. We would investigate and inquire. We would examine and seek explanations.
But we don’t. Rather, we pay attention to only those superficially factual statements that support whatever ideas we bring to the table. Some of us know with absolute certainty that America is the noble land of the free and home of the brave. Others of us know with the same certainty that America is a deeply flawed society that viciously suppresses dissent in the most cowardly fashion. Some are absolutely adamant that we live in the ultimate land of opportunity. Others assert with comparable conviction that this country systematically creates economic inequality and purposefully impoverishes the masses.
We say we are seeking solutions, but we’re not. If we were, our national discourse would not be defined by whoever shouts the loudest.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Why the Jews Are Not Going to Hell
Of course the Jews are going to hell. That’s what most of us Gentiles have been taught quite emphatically for years. If you don’t accept Jesus Christ as your savior you go to hell when you die. It is that simple, isn’t it?
Yet, a careful study of what God has to say on this matter reveals quite a different story. Throughout the Old Testament God proclaims his love for, and devotion to, Israel and declares His relationship with her to be an everlasting covenant. As in forever. As in no way, no how, not the slightest scintilla of a chance that He’ll cut her loose.
Paul speaks quite clearly as to the ultimate disposition of Israel in his treatise to the Romans, specifically throughout chapters 9 through 11. Utilizing the effective imagery of olive trees, he metaphorically likens Israel to a natural, powerful, cultivated tree and Gentile Christians to wild olive branches. Gentile Christians are grafted as foreign objects onto the tree of Israel in order to share in Israel’s status and benefits because of their faith in Christ. But for Christ, the Gentiles would be left to their own devices. Thus, the reality is that Christians are dependent upon, and join with, Israel. Our Christianity allows us to be co-inheritors along with Israel; it unites us rather than separating us. It is Israel with the irrevocable status and benefits, we Christians are only being permitted to hang with them as long as we toe the line. He is crystal clear in the implication that that Gentiles need Israel but that Israel does not need Gentiles. This is most definitely not a reciprocal relationship. It appears to be more of a parasitic one, actually – and the Christians are the parasites. We, through grace, are being permitted to obtain nourishment from the root: Nourishment to which we are otherwise not entitled. Additionally, Paul points out that the grafted wild branches are most certainly more dispensable than the naturally occurring branches. The tree itself will never be dispensable.
It seems to me that we evangelical Christians try to out-think the Bible. We bog ourselves down in the minutiae of verbiage while neglecting the obvious - what ought to be common sense. Often we fail to see what is directly in front of our faces because we are seeking every possible nuance, in every language and dialect from every translation going back several millennia. I think God is much cooler than we give Him credit for. In this case I picture Him saying to us “Duh, McFly!”. Or, “What? You need me to spell it out for ya? Hellooooo – I already did!”.
I firmly believe that God makes things nice and clear. He doesn’t hide stuff we need to know. He doesn’t try to trick us. He doesn’t require that we compile a mass of esoteric knowledge in order to discern His true meaning. To believe otherwise requires also believing that His purpose is to make Himself less accessible, less known, and less appreciated. Obviously, this cannot possibly be true since throughout the entire Bible He vigorously pursues humanity, intervenes on our behalf, and provides prophets to give us a heads up on what’s in store down the road.
God is not some sort of sadistic trickster. He doesn’t offer something and then deny the means necessary for taking Him up on His offer. He is God - therefore He doesn’t need to engage in that sort of sick manipulation. For this reason, the prophetic references to the divinely-imposed blindness of the Jews to the identity of Messiah could not possibly mean that He intends to deny them their birthright as a nation. That would make God a particularly mean-spirited liar. Thus, the very idea that Jews will go to hell unless they accept Jesus Christ as Messiah, on human terms, is absurd.
Yet, a careful study of what God has to say on this matter reveals quite a different story. Throughout the Old Testament God proclaims his love for, and devotion to, Israel and declares His relationship with her to be an everlasting covenant. As in forever. As in no way, no how, not the slightest scintilla of a chance that He’ll cut her loose.
Paul speaks quite clearly as to the ultimate disposition of Israel in his treatise to the Romans, specifically throughout chapters 9 through 11. Utilizing the effective imagery of olive trees, he metaphorically likens Israel to a natural, powerful, cultivated tree and Gentile Christians to wild olive branches. Gentile Christians are grafted as foreign objects onto the tree of Israel in order to share in Israel’s status and benefits because of their faith in Christ. But for Christ, the Gentiles would be left to their own devices. Thus, the reality is that Christians are dependent upon, and join with, Israel. Our Christianity allows us to be co-inheritors along with Israel; it unites us rather than separating us. It is Israel with the irrevocable status and benefits, we Christians are only being permitted to hang with them as long as we toe the line. He is crystal clear in the implication that that Gentiles need Israel but that Israel does not need Gentiles. This is most definitely not a reciprocal relationship. It appears to be more of a parasitic one, actually – and the Christians are the parasites. We, through grace, are being permitted to obtain nourishment from the root: Nourishment to which we are otherwise not entitled. Additionally, Paul points out that the grafted wild branches are most certainly more dispensable than the naturally occurring branches. The tree itself will never be dispensable.
It seems to me that we evangelical Christians try to out-think the Bible. We bog ourselves down in the minutiae of verbiage while neglecting the obvious - what ought to be common sense. Often we fail to see what is directly in front of our faces because we are seeking every possible nuance, in every language and dialect from every translation going back several millennia. I think God is much cooler than we give Him credit for. In this case I picture Him saying to us “Duh, McFly!”. Or, “What? You need me to spell it out for ya? Hellooooo – I already did!”.
I firmly believe that God makes things nice and clear. He doesn’t hide stuff we need to know. He doesn’t try to trick us. He doesn’t require that we compile a mass of esoteric knowledge in order to discern His true meaning. To believe otherwise requires also believing that His purpose is to make Himself less accessible, less known, and less appreciated. Obviously, this cannot possibly be true since throughout the entire Bible He vigorously pursues humanity, intervenes on our behalf, and provides prophets to give us a heads up on what’s in store down the road.
God is not some sort of sadistic trickster. He doesn’t offer something and then deny the means necessary for taking Him up on His offer. He is God - therefore He doesn’t need to engage in that sort of sick manipulation. For this reason, the prophetic references to the divinely-imposed blindness of the Jews to the identity of Messiah could not possibly mean that He intends to deny them their birthright as a nation. That would make God a particularly mean-spirited liar. Thus, the very idea that Jews will go to hell unless they accept Jesus Christ as Messiah, on human terms, is absurd.
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