Basic HTML Version
January
1971
never know for sure. But suppose more
diligent training could have literally
PREVENTED Tommy f rom EVER running
into the street? It's possible, you know.
Suppose Tommy had beco told to
remain in the
back
yard, away from a
busy street - but that he had never
been
disciplined
when he disobeyed?
Suppose his foray into the street was a
childlike act of adventurous
rebellion?
Human emotions always cloud facts.
Bereaved loved ones, seeiog only the
immediate, terrible conscquences of an
accident, are stunned with heartsick
moroseness. They are filled with feel–
ings of pity and sorrow. They
see
the
effect
-
the pitiful body of a dead
child. But the
cattses?
Most of us remain blind to them.
1
must realize, in writing this article, that
sorne human minds will simply remain
CLOS.ED to the logical answcrs to little
Peter's questioos - that pity. (and per–
haps even a measure of self-righteous
indignation, which helps sorne to con–
tinually upgrade
themselves,
spiritu–
ally) will so cloud tbe mind that no
matter
what
thc causes, God wi ll remain
"guilty," in sorne minds.
But what if the driver was drunk?
God cou LO have prevcnted such
drunkenness, couldn't he?
Yes -
He COtJLD.
But HOW?
The Atheist's Better World
The answers are found in the obvious
mistakes in the thinking of the cynical
atheist, who would "remake" the world
nearer his heart's desire.
How
would he do this ?
He would remove the EFFECTS of
human action - of free moral agency,
of free choice.
He would demand there
be
no blind–
ness, deafness, dumbness; no cripples,
no disease, and no deaths by accident.
He would insist each mind be mature,
normal, stablc, able to withstand all the
rebuffs of life.
He would, in short, insist man be
allowed to continue breaking natural
and spiritual Jaws - continue
living
the way that
ca11ses
all these human
miseries. Yet he would insist on
removing the EFFECTS of free human
action.
The
PLAlN TRUTH
In short, he would advocate the abol–
ishing of the PENALTY for sin, while
leaving the SIN ITSELF.
Again, wc must ask, "WHY blind–
ness, deafness, dumbness. WHY crip–
pling accidents, sickness, accidental
deaths? WHY wars?"
The answer?
Man is a FREE MORAL AGENT. He is
free to CHOOSE his own way of living,
free to act contrary to the interests of
others, free to act contrary to his own
SELF-interests.
One common cause of congenital
blindess, deafness, and other defor–
mities is venereal disease. The atheist
said
nothing
about the PREVENTION of
venereal disease -
only that he
demands the .EFFECTS OF HUMAN SIN
be removed, that humans be allowed to
be
as wretchedly disobedient to the
LAWS or Goo as ever, but that the
PENALTI.ES for these broken laws
be
removed.
Accidental deaths? He would remove
them.
How?
He didn't say. But let's think of the
many, many ways in which people die
accidentally. Drownings, auto collisions,
accidental shootings, falls, airplane
crashes, accidental poisonings - these
and a host of others take their fearsome
toll each year.
But let's
be
practica!. Does the athe–
JSt, then, proposc that God SUSPEND
Hrs LAWS each time a person breaks
them? Humans can't breathc under
water. When people foolishly stand up
in boats, or overload boats, or when
children play on steep banks of rushing
rivers, or when old craft, poorly main–
tained, Aounder - does the atheist
expect God to IMMEDIATELY RESCUE
each person caught in such an act -
that God REMOVE THE PENALTY for
fool ish actions?
But HOW would God do this?
Let's wonder together.
The Cigarette Barde
Take cigarette smoking. It's been
proved beyond the remotest shadow of
a doubt that it is not only continually
injurious to your health, but that it
could kiLI
you
with lung cancer, heart
disease; or emphysema.
37
So a man, driven by his lust for the
sensation of nicotine in his bloodstream,
reaches for a pack of cigarettes. Sud–
denly, he is repelled by an invisible,
irresistible force. His hand
stops
just
short of his shirt pocket. He can't
bclieve it. He is trying, desperately to
reach into his oum shirt pocket,
and he
simply
can't!
He tries the other hand.
$ame result. Soaked with perspiration,
he struggles with all his power to get
that cigarette package out of his pocket.
He bends over, and jogs up and clown.
The shirt is open, and the cigarettes fall
out. He tries to reach for them. But he
ca11't.
He
is STOPPED by some unseen
hand - some invisible force.
He throws himself to the floor, trying
to seize the package in his mouth, trying
to get a cigarette into his mouth
withom
using his hands. But he is unable to
get
11er1r
the package. He can crawl around
and around it, but never get quite close
enough! An invisible hand keeps him
away.
He screams for a friend. But the same
thing happens, again and again. Goo
has stepped in, and has begun. to LIVE
THIS MAN'S
LIFE
FOR HIM! Now, he
CAN'T smoke. He
u·ants
to, DESPER·
ATELY! But he can't.
He throws himself into mindless tan–
trums. Screaming out against the unseen
force, he curses, rages, shrieks, and
strains against it until his eyes are
crazed, his breath comes in sobbing
gasps and he froths at the mouth.
But to no avail.
After days, and tinally weeks, he is a
mindless cur. He snivels, looks furtively
about, and surrcptitiously attempts every
conceivable ruse to obtain a smoke. It
takes
month.1.
and finally, though his
whole miad and body has suffered
through his senseless rages, he no
longer has the cigarette habit. He is
now
conquererl,
in that one direction.
Goo
has stepped in.
Do you see? You could apply this
same example to ANY OF THE HARMFUL
HUMAN ACTIONS POSSIBLE. Unless God
Almighty steps in to FORCE hu1nans to
do what they
oHght
to do instead of
what they WtSH to do, humans will con–
tinue to follow the
way
of human
nature - of greed, vanity, jealousy,