An Accidental Life

When my sons were little, we spent a huge amount of time watching shows or videos about animals. And, initially that sounds awesome because then they were learning things instead of watching mindless kids’ shows (they watched those too). Nature shows are so much fun to watch – the photography is beautiful. Except that EVERY SINGLE ONE of them had to throw in its mandatory this-animal-evolved-from-that-animal line. At which point I would feel the need to disagree with the voice-over out loud so that my children would not get the idea that I agreed with those kinds of statements. I did it so often that we could all recite my various responses together.

I have a huge problem with the theory of evolution … well, I have several, but my biggest problem with it goes beyond all of the scientific impossibilities and unlikelihoods of life just popping up out of nowhere. My biggest problem with the theory of evolution is that believing it changes the way a person sees themselves and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. I believe that so many of the things for which we are trying to find solutions are outgrowths of believing that life is merely the result of a biological accident.

In the interest of full disclosure, I went to public schools for most of my academic life and I worked in public schools first as a teacher and then as a school psychologist. My children also went to public schools. I grew up in a time when only the theory of evolution was taught in science classes and formal prayer was not allowed. So, that may all flavor my opinions to some extent.

One of the first side effects of teaching our children that they are nothing but biological accidents is the loss of the knowledge that each individual is inherently valuable. If we can no longer believe that we were knit together in our mothers’ wombs by a loving Creator God, then who are we? And why are we here? To fill the void of our value through our Creator and Redeemer, educators started trying to artificially produce self-esteem in each student. The self-esteem movement has become almost a joke – everybody gets a trophy for participating, teachers shouldn’t use red ink, don’t tell a student they’re wrong – but has not been able to instill in anyone a healthy knowledge that they were created and loved by God. Artificial value then has to come from how we look and what we have.

Unfortunately not everyone is considered beautiful and not everyone has the funds to buy the things that will make them valuable – expensive athletic shoes, clothes, fancy cars or any other thing that is considered a symbol of a person’s importance in society.

In my opinion, one of the reasons that bullying has become such a devastating problem is that children who have been artificially infused with self-worth have no positive way to maintain it and so try to build themselves up by pushing others down. Those who are being pushed down have no resources with which to protect themselves and are emotionally devastated, sometimes to the point of suicide.

A huge casualty of being taught we were accidents was morality. Teenagers who have been told they are nothing more than a step along the evolutionary ladder – just a little higher than monkeys, are no longer bound by the morals of individuals who were created just a little lower than angels.

“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,” Psalm 8:4-6

That’s a very different way of thinking of humans than most people use, isn’t it? A being just lower than an angel has value, and purpose. A being just higher than a monkey has neither of those things.

One of the most tragic and heartbreaking of the consequences of being taught we are nothing more than glorified monkeys and have no intrinsic value in and of ourselves, is the proliferation and acceptance of abortion.

We no longer think of life like King David did:

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” Psalm 139:13-15

An inconvenient pregnancy is easily and thoughtlessly ended with little thought about what miracle is taking place. From there we can apply the same lack of value for life to so many other aspects of our society – school shootings jump immediately into my mind.

If we are nothing but biological accidents, where does that leave us? What is our purpose for being here? Who cares that we’re here? Our hearts and minds are essentially a vacuum that was supposed to be filled by God, but is now just empty and waiting for whatever comes along. 

“Those who leave the Word of God to account for His created works on scientific principles are drifting without chart or compass upon an unknown ocean. The greatest minds, if not guided by the Word of God in their research, become bewildered in their attempts to trace the relations of science and revelation. Those who doubt the records of the Old and New Testaments will be led to go a step further and doubt the existence of God. Then, having lost their anchor, they are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.“The Bible is not to be tested by men’s ideas of science. Skeptics, through an imperfect comprehension of either science or revelation, claim to find contradictions between them; but rightly understood they are in perfect harmony. Moses wrote under the guidance of the Spirit of God, and a correct theory … will never claim discoveries that cannot be reconciled with his statements.” E.G. White, From Eternity Past, p.67

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5

How would you rather live your life?

In His Image

I learned this week that lots of people have lots of different ideas about what being created “in His image” might mean.  Some of the information was very interesting…not all believable though.

One website called “bethinking.org” turned out to be especially helpful.  An article called “What is the Image of God?” had some excellent things to say.  Another author that my son pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago also has a really awesome way of discussing the beginnings of man.  That is G.K. Chesterton, a Roman Catholic who wrote in the early 1900’s.  We’ve been listening to his book, The Everlasting Man, and have been enjoying his way of expressing some very complex ideas in very simple ways…as well as being pretty funny at the same time.

Anyway, the first thing both of these gentlemen stated is that no matter what else we might believe about the Image of God, it is something unique to men and women.  No matter how genetically similar we are to chimpanzees, spiritually we are galaxies apart.

Dr. May names six characteristics that are distinct in the human race pointing to the imprint of God on our minds, hearts and spirits.

The first characteristic is creativity.  That is as opposed to operating on instinct.  Both May and Chesterton name this one element as perhaps the most striking difference between men (and women) and animals.  Although both birds and humans sing beautifully, a bird has never composed any psalm or sonata.  A bird builds his nest every year, but he has never thought to add a second floor or a picture window.  We reflect the image of a creative God who can create something from nothing.  Hallelujah!

Second, May names intelligence as the next peculiar characteristic.  Humans have the ability to understand and have rational thought.  There is nothing even remotely similar among the animals.  A dog or a horse can be trained to perform certain duties, but they don’t understand why they’re doing that thing.  They don’t contemplate the nature of their existence or the effects/consequences of their behavior beyond reward of punishment.  The Mind that keeps the planets from colliding in space has placed a tiny spark of that same intelligence in each of us.  And secular researchers cannot even begin to explain where that intelligence comes from.

Third—aesthetics.  The God who loves beauty filled his creation with it and then gave us the ability to appreciate what He had done.  No once has any creature besides a human being paid any attention at all to a breath-taking sunset.  Dr.  May tells a story about a place he visits on the Isle of Wight.  He enjoys watching those who visit for the first time. “They come round the path and stop.  The look out over Christchurch Bay…They take a deep breath and say, ‘Wow’ and then stand there in silence.  They often bring dogs.  The dogs never do this.” Dr. May says.  The dogs run around, sniff and do dog types of things…but they don’t experience to awe of seeing a beautiful sight.

Morality is another area that we both differ from the animals and reflect a tiny bit of our creator.  Humans have consciences.  And even though more and more folks seem to be ignoring theirs, we do know right from wrong and are capable of feeling guilty when we make a bad choice.  Animals don’t experience guilt, only fear of punishment.

Dr. May names the importance of relationships as a reflection of our God.  We all have the need to be part of some sort of society.  That may be different for different people to some degree, but even at creation, God made sure that Adam was not all by himself.  He gave him someone to look out for and who could look out for him.  The Bible tells us over and over that Love for the people around us is one of the highest goals we can attain.  We can’t accomplish what we need to do for Jesus without relationships with other people.

The last characteristic in which we reflect the Image of God is in our need to be spiritual.  Every single society, race, nationality has had some kind of religion.  Even when governments have made “religion” illegal, people have found ways to fill the void.  Either continuing to worship in secret or to accept the religion of the state.  Even now, in a society that often claims to have no need for gods or religions, people are filling that need with astrology, new age beliefs, and other forms of spirituality.  No animal has ever worshipped any other being or idea.  That is completely unique to humans.

Another element important about being created in the image of God is the aspect of male and female being equal parts of the whole image.  That element seems to cause another area of disagreement among different theological beliefs.  Jewish scholars believe that Adam was actually an androgynous being, containing both male and female, that God only separated as an after thought.  Hmm.  I’m not sure I agree with that.  It seems pretty far-fetched.  Keep in mind that Jewish scholars also believe that Eve was Adam’s second wife.  Again, hmmm.

Anyway, it’s pretty clear that God intended that Adam and Eve represent the various, and sometimes opposing elements of His image.  Looking at the traditional characteristics of masculinity:  assertiveness, paternal instincts, taking charge, outgoing towards the world, provides outside support and protection, logic.  And the traditional characteristics of femininity:  maternal instincts, responder, relationship oriented, intuitive, perceptive, receptive, nurturing, sheltering. 

Based on these lists of traits, God is the most fully masculine Being who has ever existed—He is also the most fully feminine Being who has ever existed.  Not manly or girly, but masculine and feminine, there’s a huge difference.  What a miracle!

Unfortunately, Satan has taken those perfect characteristics that God placed in each of us and has bent and twisted them into his likeness.

We know what happens when we allow those broken traits to rule us; all we have to do is look around or watch the news.  Men struggle with being domineering, ruthless, rigid, cold, indifferent, intimidating, unforgiving, impersonal, unapproachable, boring and unimaginative.  Women struggle with being possessive, controlling, manipulative, contriving, irrational, controlled by emotions, over-concerned with appearances or prestige, and attention demanding.

Not very nice lists are they – almost hopeless, except for one thing.  God has given us a way back to His image instead of Satan’s.  He gave us Jesus, the perfect image of Himself.

“When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. . . .
“Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man's physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized--this was to be the great work of redemption.     Though the moral image of God was almost obliterated by the sin of Adam, through the merits and power of Jesus it may be renewed. Man may stand with the moral image of God in his character; for Jesus will give it to him.” E.G.White,God’s Amazing Grace, p.246.

“…seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Bar-barian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:9-11