Wednesday 2 April 2014

Nothing New

Taking Offence at God

Lucia, over at NZ Conservative, says she has come across some folk amongst the Chattering Classes who lump the Bible in with Mein Kampf because, by their lights, both are equally offensive.  The pretext has been the revelation that an aspiring politician in this country, a German national no less, has a rare signed copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf in his possession, along with a pen once owned by Stalin and a cigar holder once owned by Churchill.

Books can offend because of what they avow.  The Bible clearly offends multitudes of people because of what it reveals and avows.  After all, the Jewish leaders and the multitudes were grossly offended by Jesus Christ, the Son of God and had him executed with the willing complicity of the Gentile rulers, Pilate and Herod.  But not just the leaders were offended.  Common people who became his disciples for a time were so disillusioned and offended by His teaching that they turned away and had nothing more to do with Him (John 6: 66).  Even His own family rejected Him for a time.
  He has warned us that if they did that to Him, we can expect likewise.  Consider how the Apostle Paul, before he was converted, was filled with murderous rage against Christians, (Acts 9: 1). It takes special divine intervention to change sides from rejection of the Christ to humble repentance and faith in Him. 


Whence this enmity?  Again, the Bible is very clear on this: there are two human races--the descendants of the woman, Eve and the descendants of the serpent.  According to Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpent, He will put enmity between the two races:
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise you head, and you shall bruise his heel.  [Emphasis, ours.]
Thus, people taking offence at the Bible is to be expected.  It is the norm.  When Unbelievers tell us that they are offended by the Bible, the appropriate response is to agree with alacrity: "Of course you are.  We expected that would be the case."  So much so, that it is pleasantly surprising when Unbelievers show a positive interest and curiosity about the Bible.  It is so counter-normal it can be taken as a sign of God at work in their lives.

What then should we make of those who slander the Living God by putting the Bible in the same category as Mein Kampf--that is, equally offensive?  We know that such opinions are either disingenuous or ignorant.  Moreover, there are grounds to suspect that the protagonists have read neither book.  The two books are so dissimilar that to claim offence at both is  as nonsensical as taking offence at both ice-cream and granite.  While the vehemence of prejudice is evident, meaning or coherence has not even drawn nigh, let alone entered the room.  It is a silly statement, derived from ignorant prejudice and a contumacious bent.

But had they read both, we would not be surprised that the deeper wells of outrage would bubble up against the Bible, not Mein Kampf.  It is the natural mien of Unbelief--murderous rage against Christians and the Messiah, whereas Hitler has been repeatedly dismissed in our day as a mere lunatic (by implication needing loving care, understanding,  and medical intervention of some kind).

But as for us and our houses, we fear Living God, love the Lord Jesus as our Sovereign King, and seek to serve His people and do good to all men.  As for Hitler, he was no madman--but a true son of his father, the Devil. 


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