Why Some People Hate God
I presume the writer of this blog post to be in the same category as the people he writes about, giving so much praise to them. If not, then perhaps he fancies himself an Athiest. I too have seen this type of thing going on for a long time without much recognition.
Mr. Schweizer points out a group of people, especially in literature, who actually hate God. This is not to be confused with the common athiest who regards God as a fictional character. These are people who blame God for whatever their plight, fully believing in Him, but choosing the opposite of worship. He dubs this belief system misotheism (hatred deity.)
The biggest point is that these people see injustice in the world and blame God for it, hardening themselves against Him to the point where they have such a deep hatred against God that they give Him credit for everything bad in this world.
This is a common point that I come to when I share my faith with people I encounter on the streets, at work, even in my home. It is easy to deal with - at first. When Christ Himself taught his disciples how they should pray, He included the phrase; "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven." It doesn't take any sort of religious background, understanding, or belief to see plainly that God's will is not being done on planet earth.
With that out of the way, things get a bit more interesting. If God, who knows all things past present and future, has foreknowledge that people will be lost, suffer, and die to eternal damnation is He "good?" This question plagues people regularly, and even the most devout can find themselves asking this question in the face of hardship. The response "all the time." is fully correct, though it is unlikely to be met with enthusiasm in the face of disaster.
Why did God create us then, knowing all of this? Let me ask you - do you have children? Why did you bring a child into this world, knowing how bad things are - and even more, that they only get worse? What kind of sick person would condemn an innocent child to this life? Having three children of my own, I know things are difficult, I know they will have some rough times of heart ache and discomfort, but I also know that it pales in comparison to the good things of this life, especially in life after death.
God created man to commune with Him. For this to be meaningful, a free will element must be in play. The responsibility for a tough world lies on our shoulders, not God's. Just like a good parent, God gives His children guidance and all the tools they need to succeed in life. This is not a guarantee of it happening, however. Add to it the fact that there is an opposing force at work. A force who tempts, lies, and devours all that is good is also seeking your attention, calling for you to follow his way. This of course require us to believe that the all-powerful Creator was willing to relenquish some level of control over His creation. This can, of course, be taken to a number of extremes, but I won't get into that for now.
The misotheist is far more dangerous than the athiest in my opinion. People like Richard Dawkins are well known for their beliefs, and perhaps even outspoken to the point that atheism will be officially recognized as a religion instead of the lack of one. The misotheist is far more subtle in their pontifications to the general public.
Where is this group operating? According to the CNN blog post, most notably in literature. I suggest that it goes far beyond books and permeates every medium of expression that we consume on a regular basis. It is seen in TV, Movies, Books, and on the web. So many Americans find themselves running from one source of entertainment to another, entering a suggestable, vegetative state as images enter their brains. I would be remiss to exclude myself from that group, I certainly am not. Once in a while something will strike me and I take a good look at what I am consuming. What I discover is not always (or hardly ever) on a positive note - especially as it relates to Christianity and God.
It is said that one of the greatest tricks Satan ever played was to convince the world he does not exist. Schweizer suggests that his misotheists hide their message in the arts out of fear. I disagree wholeheartedly. I firmly believe that these message, thinly veiled as they may be, are designed to convince the consumer of something without ever directly saying it. This allows the consumer to supposedly make the conclusion themselves.
I also believe that these individuals have enjoyed staying out of the limelight because people know what will happen if they point out these undertones that are shaping our generations. At best, people see our entertainment as a reflection of our culture and society. The vast majority will say, "It's just a TV show." The harsh reality is that elite rulers of our media are shaping our minds in subtle ways to conform to a new standard, pushing people in whatever direction they may call "progress."
This does apply outside of Christianity, and affects many facets of daily living. I am not suggesting to chuck the TV and not go to the movies or anything like that. I would humbly suggest that we stop sleeping at the wheel when looking for entertainment. Take charge of your mind, and pay attention to what gets in, or what doesn't.
Let your voice be heard, feel free to hit me up at JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING
Read the CNN Faith Blog Here for the original.
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