CHILDREN BELIEVE IN GOD

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Say the words “Four Horsemen” to a Christian and they will probably think of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation chapter 6. But there is another “Four Horsemen” some in the Christian realm may be unfamiliar with, but well known in the world of secular academia. In 2008 the world’s four top atheists sat down to discuss their non-belief in God. That discussion panel, named The Four Horsemen of Atheism consisted of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens, author of 2006 bestseller God Is Not Great; How Religion Poisons Everything, who died in 2011.

Of these four evolutionary atheists it is Oxford University professor Richard Dawkins that is the most outspoken on the subject of atheism, parents and children. Dr. Dawkins is a vocal advocate of prosecuting parents for taking their children to church or teaching them about God, alleging that parents who do so are guilty of child abuse. Ironically, Dawkins’ radical view flies in the face of studies conducted at England’s two most prestigious universities, Cambridge and his own Oxford University.

Recent academic and scientific research testifies of something most of us has known for years--that children have an instinctual belief in God (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In an extensive study of young people in twenty countries, scientists have concluded that children’s thoughts are rooted in simple religious and moral concepts (right vs wrong). Dr. Justin Barrett, senior researcher stated that children as young as four understand a rudimentary belief in God even when no religious or spiritual teachings are present.

People are not born atheists; it is a learned belief (Psalm 14:1). Theologically, there is a special place in our being reserved exclusively for our Creator; a God-shaped vacuum (Romans 1:19). Many attempt to fill this vacuum with the temporal things of the world. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can adequately fill that space, giving a person reason and purpose in life (Jeremiah 29:11). Jesus said we all must come to the Him with a simple child-like faith (Matthew 18:3). Children instinctively believe in God (Luke 18:16); too bad some forget Him when they grow up. Think about it.

GREEN-EYED MONSTER

  By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Words and phrases fascinate me. As a writer and researcher, the history of a word or expression can sometimes add an interesting element to a subject. There is an actual word for the study of words and their origins; it is called etymology. For example, most of us have heard of the “green-eyed monster” referring to feelings of intense jealousy. But can we take this expression literally? Does our eyes actually turn green (or greener) when overwhelmed with feelings of jealousy?

History tells us that the color green has long been associated with sickness, possibly because of the body’s tendency to take on a slight yellow-green paleness, and the greenness of unripe fruit causing stomach ailments. But the actual phrase “green-eyed” comes from two of Shakespeare’s plays, both referring to suspicious jealousy; The Merchant of Venice (1596) and Othello (1604). Othello, the Moor was specifically warned to beware of the “green-eyed monster of jealousy.”

Jealousy is an emotion (good or bad); the Bible speaks of the wide spectrum of God-created human emotions (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Interestingly, jealousy within the context of arrogant covetousness (“a proud look”) is one of the Seven Deadly Sins (Proverbs 6:16-19); and the scriptures also speaks of the natural emotion of jealousy within the bounds of matrimony (Song of Solomon 8:6). When the covenant of marriage is threatened by an actual (or perceived) third-party, feeling of intense jealousy are exercised (Proverbs 6:34).

Theologically, the Bible refers to God as a jealous God twenty-nine times; twenty-eight times in the Old Testament, and once in the New (1 Corinthians 10:22). The primary Hebrew word for jealous is qana meaning to be zealously possessive, and referring to His marriage relationship with Israel. God and Israel entered into a covenant “marriage” at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20; Deuteronomy 5:2-5). And whereas God deals with His own who are spiritually unfaithful to Him, it is to the world that the vicious anger of His jealousy emerges when they mess with His people, the Jews, His city, Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:2-3), and His engaged bride, the church (2 Corinthians 11:2). Praise the Lord; He is zealously protective of us. Think about it.

  FREE AT LAST

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Today is Martin Luther King Day, our national holiday to commemorate the birth of the great civil rights leader, born this day in 1929. Interestingly, Dr. King’s birth certificate records his name as Michael King Jr., named after his father, Michael King Sr., a fellow Baptist pastor. King Sr. changed his and his son’s name to Martin Luther King in 1934 in honor of the famous Protestant reformer Martin Luther.

The high mark of Martin Luther King’s work as a civil rights leader was his famous 1,667-word “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Over a quarter million people lined the Reflecting Pool to hear King’s moving oratory. Most of his speech was a compilation of previous speeches, however, when he came to the “I Have a Dream” section, King departed from his prepared text to improvise that words that have now become one of the greatest pieces of oratory of the twentieth century.

Much of the language of Dr. King’s famous speech has biblical themes; two verses are directly quoted (Amos 5:24; Isaiah 40:4-5), and two are indirectly alluded to (Psalm 30:5; Galatians 3:28). One of the speech’s most significant themes is the line “Free At Last.” Freedom and liberty are prominent theological themes in the scriptures. From the actual physical freedom of the Israelites from Egypt as recorded in Exodus to the spiritual freedom from sin, God has always desired His human creation to live in liberty (John 8:36).

The Book of Romans has been called the Magna Carta of Christianity because of its deep theological teachings; Paul’s epistle has much to say about sin and freedom. Consider the binding action of sin and iniquity (Romans 6:6; 7:23) and the freedom from that bondage by the vicarious death of Christ (Romans 6:17-22). But spiritual liberty has it responsibilities---as free, we are not allowed use our liberty to deceive or take advantage of others (1 Peter 2:16).  And so we, as blood-bought believers can repeat Martin Luther King’s iconic words from his most famous speech, “Free at last.” Think about it.

JIA JIA AND THE IMAGO DEI

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Jia Jia is a name most of us are probably not familiar with, but may soon hear more about. Jia Jia is the name of China’s first humanlike robot, recently introduced to the general public last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. With beautiful black hair, bright brown eyes and dressed in traditional Oriental attire, Jia Jia looks and feels eerily real; she can converse with her human counterparts, answer questions and offer unsolicited compliments in her soft feminine voice. For some, Jia Jia’s humanlike facial gestures were a little unnerving.

Chen Xiaping, the cyborg creation team leader predicted that artificial intelligent robots like Jia Jia will be performing menial tasks in restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes within a decade. Interestingly, another company at the electronic show unveiled its lifelike Albert Einstein robot that engaged visitors in lessons in mathematics and physics in his programmed conversational Germanized-English voice reminiscent of the real Einstein.

Despite it’s dizzyingly rapid pace, the technology of robotics poses many ethical and theological questions. But at the heart of the issue is the biblical doctrine of the Imago Dei, Latin for “the Image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27). Although the scriptures never fully explain God’s image, it is this Imago Dei that separates humans from all of God’s creation. Mankind is the only creature that was created in God’s express image (Genesis 5:1; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Colossians 3:10; James 3:9). We are rational, relational, spiritual beings because of His divine spark within us.

Theologically, it is the image of God that gives man a degree of sovereignty over the earth (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 8:5-8). All human ethics are grounded in the Imago Dei, and we all retain a portion of the image of our Creator despite it being severely distorted when sin entered the human realm (Romans 5:12). The dignity of mankind is demonstrated in God’s establishment of capital punishment for the murder of His human image (Genesis 9:5-6). Robots may eventually mop our floors or take our drive-through food orders, but they can never be human because they will never have that divine spark we call the Imago Dei. Think about it.

ANGER ISSUES

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

                                                                                             

There is a portion of land on the Atlantic coast of South West Africa, comprised of portions of the countries of Namibia and Angola, with a couple of rather ominous nicknames. In 1944 English author John Henry Marsh described this 6,200 square mile inhospitable area as The Skeleton Coast. But it was the eye-catching (but grossly inaccurate) name given by the local African tribes, The Land God Made in Anger that garners our focus on the issue of anger.

Anger is an emotion, good or bad. God created human emotions, and emotions, in and of themselves is not a bad thing. Wise King Solomon wrote of the reality and appropriate time for emotions, including anger (Ecclesiastes 3:4, 8). Physiologically, anger originates in the limbic system of the brain. Interestingly, the cerebral cortex is where cognitive thought originates; however, whenever anger is experienced or expressed, the cerebral portion is lessened or suspended. This explains why people in an uncontrollable rage do not have rational thoughts.

Theologically, God expresses anger at times. The eight nouns that describe His anger and wrath in the Old Testament are used 375 times. The most familiar Hebrew word for God’s wrath is chemah, used 85 times to describe God being hot with anger (Deuteronomy 29:23). Following closely to chemah is the Hebrew noun aph, describing God’s wrath as smoke coming from His nostrils (Psalm 18:7-8). The Book of Revelation vividly describes the fierceness of God’s anger being poured out on a world that hates Him (Revelation 14-19).

We all have anger issues from time to time (Ephesians 4:26). From the most-mellow of personalities to the most hostile of behaviors, we all need some sort of anger management (Ephesians 4:31-32; James 1:19-20). There is an old belief that when angry we should count to ten, but experts in physiology and mental health tell us it takes around twenty minutes for the brain to settle the emotions. As children of God, we can be assured of two things---1) God has complete control of His anger, and 2) He deals with His children out of grace and mercy and not anger (Psalm 145:8). Think about it.