Someone sent me a transcript of a great commentary piece on faith in America given by Ben Stein on CBS. Unfortunately like so many other things circulated on the Internet, the piece wasn't completely accurate. Part of it was indeed commentary by Stein, part was an interview (also on CBS) with Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s daughter) just after 9-11. The rest was just made it. Another example of the fact that most of the stuff circulated over the Internet may have a bit of truth decay. (Snopes.com is a great place to fact check things you receive to see if they are true.)
Saying all that, the Ben Stein article is actually pretty good, and I'll probably reprint it a little closer to Christmas… if I remember. And the September 13, 2001 interview with Anne Graham Lotz is good too. Jane Clayson, the CBS interviewer, asked Lotz, “I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?” Here is her reply--
I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.
This is a good reminder that we really can’t have it both ways. We cannot on the one hand reject God in our private and corporate daily lives and then expect His blessings and protection in times of crisis. God will eventually give us exactly what we want-- to be left alone. But there are consequences. To paraphrase a line from C.S. Lewis, we can say to God “Thy will be done” or He will say to us “Thy will be done” and then leave us to our choice.
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Don't know if you've ever read any of Greg Boyd's books/blog Tuck, but one of this latest blog postings was reviewing a book called Light on the Dark Side of God by Marilyn Madison Campbell. Her thesis, according to Greg, is that "all passages that ascribe destructive acts to God can be interpreted as God withdrawing his hand of protection over people or nations and allowing evil agents – human or angelic – to have their way with them." Seems to be a similar theme to the quote from Anne Graham Lotz.
From the short tidbits Greg quoted from her book, she cites a number of scriptures that seem to back this idea up, such as Romans 1:28, "God withdrew his protection and gave them over to a depraved mind".
Some interesting food for thought, although I think we have to be careful in discussions like this not to assume we know too much about the mind of God.
On another note, does anyone else see the irony in placing the words "In God We Trust" on our money??
Actually, I was reading Boyd's book "Letters from a Skeptic" when my email notified me that you had posted to the blog! How's that for great minds and all that?
BTW, the money thing has a simple explanation-- it's a misprint. It should have read "In Gold We Trust."
all others pay cash?
While I agree with the fact that many who have been allowed to make rules, have tried to remove God (and that is not always such a bad thing as often His name has been used in vain by those who pray in the market place to appear more Holy before their fellow man) and many have been given over to depravity. I don’t believe that 9-11 was an “act of God” as much as an act of the ungodly who have allowed to enter our nation because some had become so apathetic about who they let in. unfortunately to many have the attitude if they have the gold we will welcome them, and their gold with open arms. My question to them would be, where did you get the gold and what will you do with it that is productive to help lift up the society you will deal with everyday?
If a house gets stuck by lighting and every thing gets erased that we didn’t want seen or if a whirlwind takes the one next door and leaves ours alone, should we rejoice and say, it was God’s hand that did it, shall we blame it on some sin of the people in that missing house? Call it “the wrath of God?” how self-righteous that would be of the ones left behind to clean up the mess? Will we simply say of the poor they should have put out the extra money to install a lightning arrestor or tie down straps for that old dwelling place? How hypocritical some have been, pointing the finger at others while the blood of those who perished is on the hands of those who did not lift a finger and work to stop it before it starts! We are all guilty and deserve nothing short of death! We throw ourselves at the feet of our savoir and give thanks for His undeserved favor, Grace mercy and Love. Let us never forget the price that was paid to save us from our selfish way and live everyday to serve and worship the master and author of life.
Cannot God do as He wills, even if he wants to use the ungodly to punish the ungodly??? As it has been recorded in the Holy Scriptures, of the chosen people, some of whom were willfully disobedient, yet truth in the remnant of the faithful always remains intact. It is ours to share and share it we must, we MUST share the word of God with others, and ourselves if not us the earth and sky alone will sing His praise. Will not the wind whisper of His hidden face and presence among His people? Even as the depths of the sea speaks of His grace and mercy. Who can measure, who knows the depths of Gods everlasting wisdom? Only God Himself knows and wills what He wants shown. The hidden mysteries of God belong to God; they will not be seen by the unbelieving and unfaithful minds and souls. What He has revealed He has reveal for us in His living word everything else remains behind that great veil that no one can lift and see.
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