The Importance of Knowledge in a World That Knows So Much

     I see a lot of articles and blog posts lately from so-called “ex-Christians” denouncing the horrible things taught in the Bible. The authors of these articles range from sexually repressed young women to domineering men to battered house wives and more. We hear over and over again the preaching of people now free from the grip of their families and churches who tell us that all of this religion stuff is so very very wrong. We hear all the stories of patriarchal worlds where men rule and can do what they want, where women are held to ludicrously high standards and men are free, where the church authority dictates our life, and where the Bible is used to back all of this up and push everyone down. I hear all of this, and it saddens me.

     To all the people beat down by religion, to everyone who's life has been crushed and manipulated by a tyrant wielding scripture, I am sorry. Sorry that you may never know the truth of God because these people have so warped your view of Him. Sorry that so many of you never thought to really read that Bible that was shoved in your face and see that they were wrong! There is so much sin in this world and so much hurt and so much wrong and none of it is worse than the pain caused by false teaching and warped ideology. The most horrible mask that the devil can wear is the one that smiles and looks like god. I pray that you would realized that just because someone says something is Biblical doesn't mean that it is. That merely quoting scripture doesn't mean you understand it. I hope you see that just being in authority doesn't mean you're always right. I pray that you can see past the false god shown to you and see the real Jesus.

     I pray for those tyrants too. Those people that we all love to hate, God simply loves. He's angry with them and they are headed for an eternity in hell, but He loves them. Those people who are leading so many astray and whose actions keep so many from God are themselves lost and astray. The father who dominates his family is not only missing out on God but he's missing out on his family. He is not loving his wife as he should for the Bible tells men in Ephesians 5:26 to love their wives as Christ loved the church. What does that mean? Jesus left the glory of heaven, he left that perfect place to come here, and live a life where so many despised Him, and then He died. He gave up His life unto torture and murder, for us. That's how Christ loved the church. He didn't just die for it, He lived every day for it. That man is missing out on his children. The Bible tells us in Ephesians: “fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Not only are you domineering fathers not training your children properly when you present a false God and wrong understanding, you are instilling wrath and anger and bitterness in them.

     We as Christians need to know Gods Word so that when we see these things, when we hear people talk about their horrible lives in the world of 'christianity', we can respond with the truth. We can show them that yes, what they went through was wrong and the Bible says so! We need to be ready to defend the faith, not because God needs our help but because what people think they know informs their actions and if all of their facts are lies how will they make the right choices? Why would that young girl give herself to God if all she's ever heard is that God wants her to be pure so she can be the property of some man who doesn't have to meet the same standard? Why would that man seek to love his wife and be worthy of her when she's only property or a source of 'satisfaction'? How will the world see the goodness of God if it's hidden behind the evils of men? The world thinks that it knows so much. Most of us run around with a head full of headlines and blog titles and pithy quotes that we think are true but couldn't be farther from it! You can do better than that Christian, you have to. For the sake of those that don't want to listen to you, be sure you speak the truth.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15)