Let’s stay foolish

by Maurice Pujol
Published November 9, 2006

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."(I Corinthians 1:18-19)

In my spare time, I usually do a little surfing in secular culture.

I don’t spend a lot of time doing this, but I make it a point to “look around” on cable television channels without the benefit of consulting the guide first. I also drop in on various discussion forums on other newspaper websites to get a feel for what real people are talking about on an everyday basis.

It doesn’t take long to get weary of doing this, so at least I don’t waste a lot of my spare time. There is virtually nothing worthwhile watching on the various cable movie channels, but I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people have wasted a lot of time and money making films that mean absolutely nothing. Once in a while, a great exception to this rule comes along; but it’s usually a film that has barely made a splash in popular culture. You wouldn’t have watched it had you used the guide because the title wouldn’t be familiar.

Internet forums are very popular, and many larger newspapers sponsor one. In these cyberspace meeting rooms, anonymous users can voice their opinions on just about anything. I waded through one discussion the other day that started with a comment about John Kerry and ended with a debate on abortion. That’s generally how these discussions go, a meandering “free association” of ideas among a group of people known only by their screen names.

Of course, several declarations about abortion being morally wrong because it is murder led to the inevitable attack from the other side. It referred to “your imaginary friend in the clouds,” no doubt referring to God, who thinks abortion is a sin. No doubt the person who made this comment thinks he or she is very wise and too sophisticated to fall for all the “religious superstition” of the past.

Just a day before, on a cable comedy special, those who are opposed to gay marriage were ridiculed on grounds that they should just mind their own business and not worry about what other people wanted to do. Click. I changed the channel and just kept surfing.

What do these two events have in common? It’s something I run across all the time, but these two struck me since I ran into them within the span of 12 hours.

Here’s the common thread: The prevailing notion in secular culture, held by the majority, is that there is no objective standard of right and wrong. If a woman chooses to have an abortion, there’s no “wrong” attached to it, because her choice sanctifies the act. If a gay couple wants a marriage license, society shouldn’t object, because their choice sanctifies their union.

If Christians object to either issue by citing God or the Bible as an authoritative source of information, we are ridiculed as being foolish, backward, superstitious and intolerant. The discussion never focuses on the issue of sin or whether there is an objective basis for morality. It starts, and ends, with a personal attack.

That’s because secular culture has elevated man to divine status. Non-believers say that believers who disagree with them are thinking “wrong,” but to what higher authority do they appeal to make this judgment? Well, none, for their only real authority are their opinions. And those whose lives are built on such shaky foundations find security in numbers, so they add weight to their arguments by noting how many thousands of people agree with them.

Morality, however, isn’t subject to popular vote. God has revealed right and wrong to us in His Word, the Bible. God’s law isn’t an arbitrary set of rules, impossible to follow, imposed on us to make our lives miserable. God’s law is a blueprint, a spiritual GPS, to guide us in living as complete human beings.

When we do things our way, we become self-centered, so full of ourselves that we start thinking of ourselves as little gods. The things we like become “right,” while the things we don’t like are “wrong.”

When we do things God’s way, we become real human beings, working on becoming what God intended when He created man in the first place. Since we are operating according to our original design, we also find ourselves enjoying all the benefits of doing so. We find happiness and peace even amidst life’s many storms.

Sadly, though, believers are a new minority in today’s culture. Those of us who stand for what is right and criticize what is wrong, citing the Bible as our authority, are seen as foolish.

When we talk about God becoming man so He could pay the sin debt that we owed, through the sacrifice of sinless blood on a mean Roman cross, we are seen as superstitious.

When we talk about the gift of eternal life we receive through faith in Jesus, citing the evidence of His resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are seen as brainless.

That’s okay, though. I’ve explored different philosophies and theologies, and I’ve found them to be lacking in one important aspect – the ring of truth.

As a believer, my faith is confirmed on a daily basis – through prayers answered, through inner peace and through the joy of living a transformed life.

So, if the world wants to call me foolish, let them.

I’m going to stay this way.

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