The Death of God

"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him." -Freidrich Nietzsche

The words of Nietzsche echo eerily in my mind as I reflect on this bold claim. Clearly it was just the work of a philosopher who was only a critic of Christianity and morality, something that those of faith can easily discard as false.

But is it?

In the 21st century American culture, I cannot think of a place in which the concept of God and religion and morality has been more stagnant and dead. Three things have killed God in our society and they are; prosperity, science, and tolerance. Think of this:

1) In our current society we are safe.

Therefore we have no need of a protector or a shelter. We have no need of the good shepherd, the one who the sheep (or people as the analogy goes) follow and depend on for protection from the wolves. But it is in our safety that the "wolves" have been able to come into our midst and slaughter the sheep spiritually.

Let me clarify.

We are a safe and prosperous nation. Why is there any need for God or a belief system based on morality when we can have anything and everything we want in our nation? Why do we need God when we have no worries about how men will provide food for their families or how we will travel safely to another town, city, or state without being attacked by aggressors? Why do we need God when we have big fancy cars, quality education, big spacious houses, high paying jobs, ect., etc., etc. The list continues to grow each day.

Our safety and prosperity has eliminated a need for dependence.

2) Modern science has killed God in our society.

We have in essence begun to make ourselves gods because of advances in medical technology. If you are not happy with your face or your gender it can be altered to your liking. If you are overweight a simple operation can change that. People are living longer and longer with each century that passes and medical scientists continue to look for ways to make us immortals.

Philosophers for so long have done everything in their power to disprove the existence of a higher power that the people of America have begun to believe it! Though their logic is terribly flawed we accept the lies because this enables us to live our lives in the fast lane with no consequences, and no higher power to be held accountable to in the end of all things.

How frightening is it that in our society we have begun to look for guidance, not in the possibility of a higher power that gives purpose to our lives, but rather propagandists such as Richard Dawkins who crows about his atheistic "faith" without even thinking of the absurdity of the claim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mmskXXetcg

How can Richard Dawkins say that there is no God without himself possessing the knowledge of the universe. I do not deny that he may be a smart man with a degree or two, but does this mean that he can tell America as a fact that there is no God and that we on this earth happened as a mere chance and coincidence?

Apparently he can.

Plato said that;

"Ignorance is the root and stem of every evil."

And I am inclined to believe him; maybe Mr. Dawkins should as well.


3) We are a tolerant nation.

I should change this statement to; "We are a tolerant nation, except when it comes to those of the Judeo-Christian faith."

Over and over the church has had special interest groups go over its head and shout it down. Legislation that should have been opposed by churches and moral leaders in this country has been passed. Why is this?

If your moral belief is that abortion is wrong why don't you stand up and fight?

If you believe that homosexuality is wrong why do you not stand up and fight for your moral convictions?

If you truly believe that this country was founded on the principles of God and morality then why do you allow him to be taken out of our courtrooms and our public buildings, and our schools?

The special interest groups that campaign for these issues do not hesitate to fight for what they believe in! I believe in an America where all groups, even the Christians have a right to be heard and not shouted down in the name of tolerance; because just by the very act of shouting down another in the name of tolerance is intolerance in its most belligerant, bigoted form!

But the church remains silent and useless for anything other than Sunday's support group. And America's moralist philosophical voices are drowned out. If there is anything more dangerous in America right now it is this simple fact.

I believe that William Young's character in the movie Boondock Saints states drives the point home when he states;

"Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men."

America!

It seems as though Friedrich Nietzche was correct when he asserted that God was dead. Our churches are full of people who believe that they know God but really truly do not grasp the concept of sacrifice, grace, or standing up for moral convictions.

We have fallen into apathy and have traded conviction for safety, science and tolerance!

Ask yourself; are you going to church or claiming to be a moralist because you truly believe the concept or because you have been told you need to?

As Paul said in his letter to James;

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

-James 2:14-17

Will you stand up for your beliefs before its too late? Or will you wait till your right to speak up is taken from you?