In the Daily Page for this date in Volume 1, there is reference to a nation, where I was a guest. It seemed to have reduced the sense of God and responsibility on the part of the people for personal relationship to God. That Page was written some years before this one is composed. In the interim that nation has elected a prime minister who openly acknowledged, before election, that she did not believe in God. She admitted to being an atheist. Since her election the matter of national chaplains has arisen. There are several thousand chaplains in the country working primarily through business centers. The fear that the new prime minister would undercut the national program not only proved wrong, but there has, at this writing, been a proposal made that the number of chaplains be increased by a thousand persons. I am not at all surprised that the paradox/contradiction has revealed itself. Like many humanists this leader is aware that the matter of faith and practice serves a nation well. Some unbelieving leaders act as though there is a God.
Many sophisticated atheists and agnostics have the feeling that the world ought to be administered as if God is present. They feel good mythology is a prod for better things – and it is. That was a firm belief of George Orwell. Frederick Nietzsche, a youthful believer in God, later to become a leading atheistic writer/philosopher, believed that the concept of religion was important to a good and ethical society. He would maintain some of the ritual of a humanistic religion so to have values and justice as a base for life, and keep the influence alive. In such a position the advocate is making a case for common grace. Common grace is God’s gift to all persons, and becomes effective, when followed, for the good of individuals and nations. It has no authority for immortality and eternity – that belonging to God’s redemptive plan. Earth success means little related to God’s essential awards, but we seek success.
It is a problem of facets of meaning. In the mind of God, everything has meaning, and that principle of meaning holds for either temporal or divine parameters – or both. Truth turns on meaning from God, and everything either serves truth or whatever remains when truth is resisted, lost, or perhaps, never gets through. Mankind values nature’s truth, but the nature of God includes all truth. God knows all truth of value. Mankind has only a part, handling poorly even that we possess, so we will not be given a full serving. Truth violators become anti-God. This can be illustrated in a number of ways. We are fairly well informed about the truth of health through proper diet and exercise. Acknowledging facts leading to truth, public masses resist prescriptive information so compound ill health accepting anti-health practices.
Spiritually the problem is similar. No matter what the listener gleans from Scripture, or ministers (practitioners) of divine grace principles, the congregation applies part and avoids part while mentally permitting some contradiction to the whole – so invents chronically troubled spiritual life. Spiritual health is drained or diluted. Conflicting forces of truth and falsehood divide persons, and their evaluators. The problem is partly in the lack of knowledge about meaning. Meaning is pervasive. We usually need some assistance to find out what the pattern is, and adjust our lives through seeking, including prayer, for the truth about ourselves and life context. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt accepted the invitation of a friend during the 1920s to hear the eminent English cleric, G. Campbell Morgan, in New York for a speaking series. His preachings were to large congregations. He spoke the gospel well, and made clear that the listener must make decision related to Christ. Challenged about what she had heard, Mrs. Roosevelt gave the matter of commitment some thought, and responded, in substance: I believe in God, otherwise there would not be meaning for this earthly performance. But, I do not feel I should be repentant and find a fresh spiritual life. Her declaration is, in reality, the declaration of much of the population. The number of those believing God exists, but not redemptive for mankind, is legion. Conjuring God wastes time for them. This is another way of saying that one’s personal view is more meaningful than Christ’s. It is clear that Christ advanced a redemptive program and died for it. He made clear that we are unable to make adequate way for ultimate safety and anything less than God’s revealed plan is wishful. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020