THE TOWER OF BABEL REVISITED

The nations had been united by one language. However, with their unity, they were becoming more and more jaded and corrupt. Therefore, God deprived them of their common language, and they dispersed across the earth.

We too are being deprived of our common language and are becoming increasingly alienated from one another.

There is little left of our common glue. Just take the concept of justice. We cannot agree about things that had formerly been so uncontroversial – guilt and innocence. We used to agree that a murderer was guilty of his crime and deserved punishment. No so anymore! For example, a friend reasoned that he could not even hold ISIS accountable for their horrible acts:

·       If we were born in a their environment, we would probably do the same things. It’s just the throw of the dice. I agree that ISIS must be stopped, but not because they deserve to be stopped, but because their acts are destructive.

I cite this example, because it reflects what so many people now believe, especially the highly educated. According to them, we are merely the product of our nurture and nature – our genome and our social influences. Some will add an extra twist – that we do not even have freewill, and, therefore, we couldn’t have acted otherwise.

If this is so, then punishment is unjust. Why? Because none of us deserve it! However, we must punish. We must stop ISIS if we are concerned about justice and the welfare of humanity. However, we have rejected the only rationale for justice.

What had made the Christian West excel in justice? Well, we believed in justice. Why? We had derived our wisdom from the Bible, which held us all to account for our sin. Well, aren’t we just a product of our environment?

While the environment plays a powerful role in our development, we still know better. How so? Because the moral law has been written on our hearts:

·       For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:14-16; ESV)

We are a walking legal code. Therefore, when we violate our imprinted legal code, our conscience assaults us, as it should. This means that the jihadist’s conscience is also telling him that he deserves God’s condemnation, unless he repents.

The West is on a suicidal course. If it no longer has an adequate rationale to stand against injustice, it won’t.

Incivility, Polarization and Death

I am shocked by the level of hatred I find on the net. Here’s one example of a dialogue based upon an Atheist Facebook posting:

• Prayer is like masturbation. It feels good for the person doing it, but does nothing for the person they are thinking about.

Sometimes, I just like to inject an alternate point-of-view. Here’s my response:

ME: It depends on to whom you are praying!

ATHEIST:  In case you haven't noticed; you're not welcome here! This is an atheist page, you can go elswhere if you don't like it! Why don't you go to your own dumb christian page and fucking stay there? How about that? And stop stalking us like some retarded internet pervert, you're even worse than them! Noone cares for what you have to say, so just go away!

ME: I am sorry to be the cause of consternation. Either you un-friend me or I'll un-friend you if that's what others want.

ATHEIST: First of all, we're not friends, second, which part of get the hell out don't you understand? This is no place for you, none wants you here, so go preach on your own page and leave us alone.

ME: You're speaking for others, but where are they?

This is not unusual. Actually, it’s almost representative. Interestingly, the respondent is a woman.

What does it suggest? Well, for one thing, it reflects the growing antagonism towards our faith. Jesus warned us about this:

• "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (John 16:1-2)

It also reflects something else – the disintegration of our once great civilization. We are a body fighting against itself – no, warring against itself. In contrast to this, the late French scholar, Alexis De Tocqueville, wrote (cir. 1830) about the strong sense of mutual responsibility, common morality, and cohesiveness that the American people shared. He tried to fathom the basis of what he observed:

• I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors...in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. (Democracy in America)