My
original intention was to write something commemorating Earth Day. I seem to
have wound up killing several birds with one stone, namely Evangelicals’ role
in politics, the fact that we keep putting God in the center of issues in a way
that takes us off the hook, and our lack of respect for the environment, which
may be coming back to haunt us.
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| Mother Nature doesn't always need a hammer |
Evangelicals,
who often appear to be very at home living in a Biblical world, are convinced
God spends all His time punishing us for our transgressions—legalized abortion
and homosexuality, and possibly being anti-Trumpers.
On the other
hand, they believe that being pro-life and taking a stand against homosexuality
will incur the favor of a more benevolent God. Also, supporting Trump can’t hurt.
Ministers
like Joel Osteen have a very simple message. “Do right and God will do right by
you. In Joel’s message, the reward he’s talking about isn’t heaven so much as
monetary success.
This all
goes back to Biblical days, when God was flooding the earth, creating famines
and releasing swarms of locusts or armies of frogs.
All this
reward and punishment talk, I suppose, is a means of preparing us for the
apocalyptical war that will be waged between good and evil. Evangelicals tell
us—and I must say sometimes they seem a little, what’s the word, anxious, maybe
too excited at the prospect—but they say this war is right around the corner,
and promises to be, at long last, the war to finally end all wars. Armies for
this war are being built and plans are being drawn in churches.
Despite what
the Bible says, I find it hard to picture God leading an army. I also can’t
picture Him putting up with the devil for more than a few hours, before
shouting, “Hit the road, Satan.”
God had to
have foreseen man behaving badly when He gave us free will. It’s hard to
picture him being caught off-guard. I think the concept of sin is more man’s
creation.
I don’t see God
paying attention to every minute deed of man, when He pretty much lets the rest
of the universe operate on automatic.
Is He really
choosing sides in sporting events—not big events like the Super Bowl, which I
can see Him being interested in, but rather every single contest, at every
single level, on every single playground, every single minute of every single
day? Like all those crap games going on in all those back alleys. The people
participating in those events certainly think He’s engaged.
Is He really
involved in choosing the exact time of death for not just you and me, but every
single man, woman and child on Earth? If so, was there something that only God
was aware of, for not letting Bing Crosby make it back to the clubhouse? Did
God have to take him out on the putting green? Seems very un-Godlike.
I kind of
like the idea of free will, where not only are we free to make our own choices,
but no one, and in this case, no one means Someone, is looking over our
shoulders, jotting down notes and second-guessing us. That said, I believe
there is a price to pay for our actions. It’s just not coming from Heaven
Headquarters. Maybe we’ll pay that price down the road to Someone, but what
happens in this world, I think, gets punished in this world.
So who does
the punishing?
