Hey Gangsta! I’m happy you’re still around. I don’t know the answer, but this verse talks about the fear of the Lord:I was wondering what you guys would say in response to this… I was in an argument with a friend of mine about a great deal of things, and it is her belief that religion is merely the product of man’s fear of death- his invention to cope with death. I held out that fear did not neccessarily lead to “invention” of religion, but rather indwelling religion inspires fear of God… I seem to be inadequate in responding however- any advice?
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McKevin
Once, I heard a communist saying the same thing.I was wondering what you guys would say in response to this… I was in an argument with a friend of mine about a great deal of things, and it is her belief that religion is merely the product of man’s fear of death- his invention to cope with death. I held out that fear did not neccessarily lead to “invention” of religion, but rather indwelling religion inspires fear of God… I seem to be inadequate in responding however- any advice?
I have ruminated and prayed over this argument as well. However one could say (as you did) that the koolade drinkers twisted religion did not survive, nor did the WACO crew, or the Heaven’s Gate folks or any of the other cultish “religions”. Islamic suicide bombers are a much tougher phenomena to explain. Although I would suggest that this is a recent aberration in their religous convictions and may not sustain itself for very long.I’ve always felt that this argument is among the weaker ones to make, especially in an age, like ours, where 900 people are willing to drink poison koolade over some twisted religious conviction. In fact, you can look back quite a ways in time and find many instances of religious fervor driving people to give themselves over to death. Look at the suicide bombers among the Islamics.
It’s also helpful to point to the “fruits” of the saints. By their fruits you shall know them.saints willing to die such awful deaths seems to kind of refute what she is saying, although to that she would seek to say that it is because those saints were brainwashed themselves… However, if you look at the clarity of those saints’ thoughts (in writing), you can see they are completely of a free spirit, and the fact that the Church has endured through 2000 very topsy turvy years is good evidence to point to a guiding God.
I would ask her how or when did the pagan gods reveal themselves? Did they provide inspired scriptures? Did they break into human existence by taking on the form of man? Did they proclaim themselves publicly as god? Did they have witnesses to attest to this? As a previous poster already wisely stated, your friend has the little problem of Jesus to explain away. How do the pagan gods stack up against this little matter of Christ dying and rising again? You should put the onus on her to answer questions.She tried to liken current Christian idea of God as absurd as how we regard the Hellenistic gods. According to her man will eventually look at the Judeo-Christian God as smugly as we now heckle the Hellenistic pantheon
It comes to me that the common thread among these examples is that these folks all committed suicide, in addition to the other examples I gave (Waco, Heaven’s Gate). However, Christian martyrs were not and are not suicides. They do not take their own lives in the name of God, but rather, they lay down their lives for God. Quite different I think.I’ve always felt that this argument is among the weaker ones to make, especially in an age, like ours, where 900 people are willing to drink poison koolade over some twisted religious conviction. In fact, you can look back quite a ways in time and find many instances of religious fervor driving people to give themselves over to death. Look at the suicide bombers among the Islamics.