Title: Diversions for a Guilty Conscience
1Diversions for a Guilty Conscience
- Because I refuse to give up my real
transgressions, I invest other things with
inflated significance and give those things up
instead. Perhaps I have pressured three
girlfriends into abortion, but I oppose war and
capital punishment, I dont wear fur, and I beat
my chest with shame whenever I slip and eat red
meat. Easier to face invented guilt than the
thing itself. (p141f)
2UNBELIEF SWALLOWING UP A BIT OF THE WORD OF GOD
Unbelief reinterpreting the Word of God within
its own categories
A portion of the Word of God presented to unbelief
Unbelief controls my interpretation of the
situation
3UNBELIEF FORCED INTO A CONTRAST IN MANY AREAS
SIMULTANEOUSLY
Unbelief challenged at multiple points
A portion of the Word of God presented to
unbelief as part of a network
Word of God controls my interpretation of the
situation
4Sin-caused Viewpoint Alteration
5Who Has the REAL Evil Problem?
Christian
Good/Evil Mix is Abnormal Temporary
Good
8
8
Creator
Good
Good
creation
Evil
Evil
J
Cr
F
Pagan
Good/Evil Mix is Forever Normal
Good
8
8
Evil
6- For I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
that is to be revealed to us - For the eager longing of the creation eagerly
awaits the revelation of the sons of God - For the creation was put in subjection to
vanity, not willingly, but because of the
One-Who-put-in-subjection it in hope.
7- Man can stand superhuman suffering if only he
does not lack the conviction that it serves some
purpose. Even less severe pain, on the other
hand, may seem unbearable, or simply not worth
enduring, if it is not redeemed by meaning. . . .
It does not follow that the meaning must be
given from above. . .that nothing is worth while
if the world is not governed by a purpose. . .
.We are free to redeem our suffering by making
something of it. . .The plain fact is that not
all suffering serves a purpose . . .and that if
there is to be any meaning in it, it is we who
must give it.
from Walter Kaufmann, The Faith of a Heretic, p.
165
8- Because the creation itself also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
glorious liberty of the sons of God - For we know that the whole creation groans and
travails together in pain until now - Not only it, but ourselves also, who have the
first fruits of the Spiritand we ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting on adoption, the
redemption of our bodies - For by hope we are saved, but hope seen isnt
hope. . . - But if we hope for that we dont see, by means of
patience we wait for it.
9- Christian faith undercuts the urge to fix
everything on our own, through the conviction of
the final helplessness of man and confidence in
the providence of Godthrough certainty that only
God can set everything to rights, and faith that
in the end, He will. Man can only ameliorate,
not sure. But there will be a Judgment. . .
.Without confidence in providence, our vision of
every Commandment goes askew
from J Budziszewski, What We Cant Not Know, p. 68
No deity will save us we must save ourselves
Humanist Manifesto II (1973)