CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
February 7, 2010
25424 Aldine-Westfield, Spring, TX. 77373
www.blakehart.com/cypresswoodbulletin.htm
PRAYERS AND REQUESTS:
God’s will for our congregation Various friends, relatives and co-workers
The spread of the good news Our nation, leaders and military
COMMON SENSE, R.I.P.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverb 1:7).
Common sense as died in this country; may it rest in peace, because we will not. Someone said that when people stop believing in God, they then do not believe in anything; rather they believe in everything. Radio talk show host Dennis Prager relates how he found God at Columbia, where he went to graduate school (1). He was wondering why such intelligent people believed such silly nonsense like Marxism, that men and women were basically the same, and why they could morally equate the United States with the Soviet Union.
Then it hit him. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:10). The most morally confused in our society are those whose beliefs have little or no consequence in their lives
We look at decisions that are made in various areas of business and politics (and we might even consider the church as well). Common sense just isn’t in view. If one spends too much money and goes deeper into debt, or income is cut back, then common sense says to stop spending and catch up. Yet what do we see? Over spending is running amuck and a lust to spend more consistent. In a down turn in the economy, retail companies want to issue more credit cards. What does that do to the customer if they pile on more debt?
Many still teach in universities that men and women are basically the same and become upset if someone points out that this isn’t true. Even some secularists realize that there is a difference such as John Gray’s Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. This is displayed in marriage which is under attack. Common sense has shown that a man and woman who marry and raise children is a best arrangement than any other. One can admire a single or divorce parent who works and makes a great effort to raise a child but something is missing. Children need both a mom and a dad. Each brings something unique to the family structure. Yet today, we are told that marriage is out of date. Not only that, but some want to change the definition of marriage to include homosexuals. Some feminist see abortion as a means to empower women even though many women now struggle with the lose of life they committed.
If one disagrees with the homosexual agenda, then one finds themselves in the crosshairs of that radical agenda. When a beauty contestant said that she believed marriage was between a man and a woman; that is how she was raised and taught to believe; she was ridiculed throughout the media. When a church and a photographer in two different states refused to participate in a homosexual union, they were sued and lost. After being told several times by a woman who was going to “marry” her girlfriend, and how great that was, a Christian man finally said that he did not agree with such a thing, and was fired for saying that. The woman who was over him at this job was not questioned about her constant bragging. To paraphrase George Orwell, we all have free speech but some speech is more free than others.
Common sense has died and the illustrations are numerous. A child in California, as many children do, set up a lemonade stand in front of her house. A government official came along and told her to stop because it was illegal. She needed permits and tax forms and other paper work to legally do this. People with years of experience in retail organizations (and I’m sure in other areas as well) are ignored or ridiculed by young managers who, because they have a title think they know everything and anyone who isn’t a manger is stupid. We could mention the goofiness found in politics but that is all too obvious.
We see dangerously the inability to call evil evil and to call sin sin. Just look at the debate over the recent attack at Fort Hood. Many just could not call this a terrorist attack. There was talk about “psychological disorders” and “lone wolves.” Even when more and more evidence surfaced that this fellow was an Islamic extremist, people continued to reject the idea of terrorism. And this isn’t the only time that this has occurred in the last few years.
Why has common sense died? Those who often lack common sense also have ignored or rejected God in their lives. As both the Psalmist and Solomon said, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When people lack the fear of the Lord, then wisdom goes. We find that what is good is called evil and what is evil is called good (2) If humanity is just an accident, then anything goes. Abort the baby in the womb because it is just a blob and euthanize the sick and elderly because they take “precious” resources. The Christian realizes that we are created in the image of God and life is important. The taking of human life is a serious matter.
Christians realize that solutions are not to be found in government or science. It isn’t that these are not important but they are not gods. The Lord God Almighty is King, not Caesar or the President, or anyone else. As Christians, we bow down before God, not any government official. This brings conflict. The politically correct, multicultural movement is attacking Christianity because of its view that Jesus is the only way to God (see John 14:6). The politically correct movement does not recognize such differences. Rather, they see that all cultures are equal and that we should be tolerant and accepting of all views, except those views that are intolerant. There is only one view that is intolerant - Christianity.
For too long, we Christians have looked to Caesar to make the right laws so that we can end the dangers we find. In one sense, we have bowed down to government and depended on it to deliver us. What we need to do is to radically live our lives in such a way that they reflect Jesus Christ. I was talking to a friend from West Texas. He mentioned that some Christians were involved in local politics and implied that they separated their Christianity from their politics. It was suggested that they were corrupt in office. This should not be. Power is not god. Living radically means to stand by our principles and ethics. and to live with the consequences. One might be voted out of office, or lose a job position, or not get a job.
When we fear the Lord, and with James, pray for wisdom, then God will give us what we need. It might not be what we want but He will provide for us. Trusting the Lord by doing what is right can lead to great changes. The early Christians lived in a dictatorship yet they were honorable citizens and changed the Empire. In our own history, several times there were what historians call “Great Awakenings.” Preachers preached about sin and repentance, and people began living Jesus Christ, and the direction of the nation changed. Pray for our country! We are in for a long battle between the goofiness we see in our society and the way we would like it to be. Maybe then common sense will be resurrected.
Radio show host and actor Fred Thompson has a saying on his show. He says, “Why do they call it common sense when it is so uncommon.” It is something to think about.
George B. Mearns
(1) Written on 12/03/2003, copied on 10/2/2009 at www.dennisprager.com
(2) See Isaiah 5:20 and its context where the prophet makes this statement.