Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Men Behaving Badly


Defending Christ in Spite of Christianity by Lenny Cacchio

If someone were to challenge me with Hitchens' observations, I would have to grant him that the politics of Christianity has a sordid side, but that's why Jesus made the pointed statement that his kingdom is not of this world. He did not intend the Church to become a player in the power politics of the kingdoms of men. Hitchens seems to be saying that there can't be a God because people are so bad, and surely a man of Hitchens acumen can see that it does not necessarily follow. One must not confuse institutions that claim the Christian label with Jesus Christ. They are not the same thing.

Any organization or institution (or individual for that matter) that puts the name of Christ on its shingle needs to be careful about giving occasion for doubt. Jesus once warned his disciples about denying him before men, and that means more than disowning him. It means claiming the name of Christ while doing the works of the devil. Blasphemy is taking the Lord's name in vain, and there is no greater blasphemy than doing evil in the name of good, or as Jesus might have put it, "the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service." (John 16:2 NKJV)

In other words, don't blame God for the sins of man. We do that on our own.

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