Saving the West. 2: Calling all Progressives

2: Calling All Progressives

I have some shocking news for you, you have been sold a counterfeit!

“there is a way that seems right to humans, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14; 12)

You were probably attracted by Progressive ideas because wanted the best – to end injustice, poverty, oppression, hatred, domestic violence. You wanted to save the world! You signed up with what looked like the best bet for doing this. But progressive socialism, for all that it identified real things that were wrong with the world, for all its promises, for all the vision of a utopia on earth that it painted, is fatally flawed. It can never deliver on those promises. It will, like a bowling ball aimed at a mark look for most of its run as though it is going straight for it, then at the last veer off to one side and miss it completely.

For the bowling ball it is because it has an inbuilt bias. For progressivism it is because it leaves human nature out of the equation. Its Achilles' heel is that human nature has an inbuilt bias too.

For those who are thinking: “Surely you just described 'the Church'!” you are quite right. In fact it proves my point that human nature can sour the best of things and best of intentions. The Church has exhibited everything from the best of humanity to something close to the worst. No argument about that! The two main reasons Christianity succeeds where every other system ultimately fails are these:

1. God knows all about the problem of human nature: so his plans to save the world take this into full account

2. God invites humans into a new relationship with himself through his son Jesus, who is both God and human. Only a few take up this invitation, though many pretend to. Those who do take it up find that God works with them to slowly heal the flaws in their human nature, so they are able to be part of God's work of saving the world to a degree that still seriously flawed humans cannot.

So if you really want to save the world, your first step in the right direction is to begin a friendship with God through Jesus Christ.

Of course you will need some more information about him to decide to do that, so lets begin:

Do you yearn for the sort of better world that God yearns for?

Do you hate domestic violence? So does God.

“The man who hates and divorces his wife” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect”. Malachi 2: 16

Do you hate economic systems that make the rich richer and the poor poorer! So does God.

“Hear this you who trample the needy … skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, … selling even the sweepings with the wheat. The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done”.” Amos 8

Do you hate all forms of injustice? So does God.

“I the Lord lave justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing” Isaiah 61: 8

Do you hate oppression? So does God.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right.” Ezekiel 45:9

Do you long for world peace? God intends this in his heaven.

“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.” Isaiah 2:4

Do you long for harmony with nature? God intends this in his heaven.

“the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox … They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain” says the Lord. Isaiah 65: 25

Would you like a world without pain? God intends this for his heaven.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” Revelation 21: 4

On the other hand, do you wrongly accuse God for the problems of the world? Jesus perfectly represented God, look at what he actually did.

Do you still blame God for disease in the world? Jesus healed everyone who came to him.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages … healing every disease and sickness.”
Matthew 9: 24

Do you blame God as though he does not care about the suffering sicknesses cause? Look at just one episode in Jesus life:

“Jesus went to a town called Nain … As he approached the town gate a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow… When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said “Don't cry” Then he went up and … said “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” Luke 7: 11 on

Do you blame God for bad deeds done by 'the Church'. Jesus had trouble with the church of his day!

“Jesus called out in a loud voice 'Lazarus come out!' The dead man came out … Therefore many believed in him … but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting … (they said) “If we let him go on like this everyone will believe in him” … So from then on they plotted to take his life.” John 11

I could go on, but I think this very brief thumb-sketch may be enough to have you saying something like: “That must be some different God to the one I know about!”

Precisely! The god you “don't believe in” does not exist. It is just a human construct, an imaginary caricature. Rather like the Unicorn!

You were right to refuse to believe in that god. But there is a God who really does exist, the one I've just sketched a few characteristics of.

Curious? Like to know the truth about God? Read on as we do a quick jog through the Bible picking up more clues. Before that however I want to lay to rest a couple of false arguments that seem to often get re-told and never refuted.

NEXT WEEK: False Argument 1: God can't exist because there is suffering.