“What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.” – – – A.W. Tozer The Knowledge of the Holy
I have a deep respect for Tozer and his very high view of God. His statement that” No people has ever risen above its religion” is a statement we must stop and seriously consider. Fundagelicals are often quick to dismiss other denominations because of their views on God. One of the most annoying people I know is a hyper-Calvinist. He mocks everyone who disagrees with his viewpoint. He doesn’t discuss, debate, or offer an argument; he simply dismisses other people with mockery. In his mind, everyone, except the few members of his church, will go to hell because the other so-called Christians believe in a namby-pamby, gooey sweet lovey-dovey God. His view of God is along the lines of an abusive father who plays favorites and tortures the children he doesn’t like. He can’t rise above his view of God. He often imitates the abusive God he serves. He hurls insults and threats at every Christian he meets. Like the abusive father he serves, he not only belittles but worse yet, he takes true glee in the thought that he will see everyone else suffer in hell. He is as sick as his “God.”
Ray S. Anderson in his book The Soul of Ministry, Forming Leaders for God’s People says, “Whether we realize it or not, every act of ministry reveals something of God. By the act of ministry I mean a sermon preached, a lesson taught, a marriage performed, counsel offered, and any other word or act that people might construe as carrying God’s blessing, warning, or judgment.”
Our ministries flow from who we think God is. We communicate who we think God is in how we minister to people.
Consider the Fundagelical who insist that an unwed pregnant teen does not abort her child. However, after the child is born, treat her like a second class citizen. A scarlet letter “U” for unfit is placed unseen on her. She can’t serve in children’s ministry because she had a child out of wedlock. She can’t serve in women’s ministry or youth ministry because she is a bad example. Preaching forgiveness and grace but practicing sanctified ostracization communicates a God who judges, shames and never really forgives.
Consider what Fundagelicals communicate when they proclaim a hurricane is God’s judgment on America for our tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality. They communicate a God who apparently has such bad aim he misses the target and finds it acceptable to destroy innocents as collateral damage all because He hates one small group so much.
Fundagelicals will not be able to rise above the moral monster they call “God” who slaughters people with natural disasters. They will not rise above the psychopathic “God” who tells us He loves us, but if we don’t obey Him as a sign of our love, He will throw us into hell forever and torture us. They will not rise above a “God” who demands blood for disobedience and as proof of His love killed his own son to satisfy His justice.
Our only hope is to rise to the level of Jesus who loved humanity. Our hope is to rise to the level of Jesus who ate with notorious sinners as a sign of acceptance. Our hope is to rise to the level of Jesus who when asked whose sin caused God to punish a man with blindness let his disciples know that God doesn’t work that way.
Until we start communicating the God Jesus revealed, younger generations will continue to reject the abusive, moral monster “God” of the Fundagelicals.
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