A Misguided Goodwill Desensitizes People

Ramon Arias | February 24, 2014

“It is the right thing to do” has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?  The idea behind that statement apparently makes sense, however, it is much more complex than what it seems. Have you acted upon a principle only to find out by the result of your decision that you were dead wrong, had to pay the consequences, and then you proceed to repeat it again and again? You are not alone, billions of people repeat this same process day in and day out even though the results are more than obvious.

For six thousand years mankind has conceived ideas that offer reassurance of action because “It is the right thing to do.” They use their newfound logic and common sense, forgetting that others went that route and failed miserably and brought destruction and suffering, but in their illuminated minds it won’t happen to them. Why not? Because they consider themselves far too intelligent and their formula for reshaping society will succeed if not in their time then through their disciples. Once those misguided ideas blossom in a society, that generation sees themselves as superior to anyone else, that is, until time proves them wrong. 

When individuals do not deal with true facts, only with manipulation of people’s feelings, the sentiment seems to be “if it feels good do it.”  This will always numb most minds to the point of losing the value of critical thinking and in the process they accept proven destructive worldviews.

For several decades, I have studied the historical pattern of the “It is the right thing to do” ideology and its consequences when it was done right and when it was wrongly applied. Without going too far back into history, just consider the legacy some men of the 19th and 20th centuries gave to the world through their destructive version of “It is the right thing to do.”  In 1990, Moody Press published a book written by Dave Breese titled Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave.  Breese analyses the influence Darwin, Marx, Wellhausen, Freud, Dewey, Keynes and Kierkegaard have had in our times, which is atrocious. These men built upon ideas of past thinkers and many have followed suit since then. Long before I knew about Breese’s book, my interest in the influence of these seven men, and other men and women in history with some degree of impact on humanity, was the Christian background they all had in common.

How did their minds get infected with opposite ideas to the Revealed Truth of God that sets people free from bondage to sin and wrong philosophical ideas?  It’s no different than what has been happening to the overwhelming majority of our young people and adults when they get exposed to contradictory teachings in the church making them feel perplexed and hollow.  This pushes them to embrace man’s religion of nothingness where they become gods with the power to determine what is good and what is bad.

Fredrik Nietzsche (1844-1890), declared “the death of God,” and specially foresaw the termination of Christianity. He was certain that without God, the idea of absolutes would be dead and people would have to embrace his view of good and evil. As expected, his writings captivated overwhelmingly the German “Christian” culture.  The First and Second World Wars were his legacy to a German people who were desensitized by misguided ideas of good and evil.

Being called people of God is meaningless when they go after strange ideas that blind their knowledge of the One who is the life-giver and all that is good and perfect. Throughout the Bible, God deals severely with those who pervert His ways. If we believe God has not changed and is the same at all times, which is the right assessment, then let us pay close attention to what He had to say about Israel’s rebellion against His revealed truth and compare it to ours: 

“Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.

They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding.

My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore.” (Hosea 4:1-12)

Ignorant, apathetic or rebellious people towards God’s ethics will never be able to discern if something is the right perspective or not when they hear the words “It is the right thing to do”. Misguided proclaimers of goodwill from every angle of society have desensitized them. Far from contributing to the good of all they do the opposite. This is the reason George Washington in his Farewell Address of 1796 said:

“But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this in one instance may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield.”

How do we know to discern rightly and avoid making historical costly mistakes? Paul, in writing to the Christians at Rome, who were not willing to accept deception and were determined to pay any price that was required to retain their newfound freedom in Christ, said:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

An unyielding commitment to be in covenant with God is the only action accepted by our loving heavenly Father. A covenant person will draw instructions from the Holy Spirit in all areas of life to test the source of all ideas. The Revealed Word of God becomes part of the daily bread to nourish our understanding, giving us the nourishment to renew our minds to be able to differentiate what is God’s definition of good, acceptable and perfect will. Living this reality will make it difficult to fall prey to the cultural predators wherever they may be found.

Let us not be weary in daily praying for the Biblical Reformation, America and the world desperately need and await the leadership of God’s righteous people in all areas of life.

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