Yeshua Explored

7th November 2022

Atheists

Do we all worship something?

Previous articles are still available on the Premier Christian radio website – https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Blogs2/Yeshua-Explored  – (until they finally pull the plug!)

So, in summary of this “second commandment” how would these verses be interpreted in the Sinner’s Charter? Worship abounds in our culture, whether of flesh and blood, or inanimate objects, even ideas or fictitious characters. As “consumers” it is just a feature of the open market and the freedom of choice that is offered to us citizens. The idea of worshipping an invisible Being who, in many people’s eyes, represents the “best forgotten” past, is an anathema, even though this “Being” happens to be the very Person Who gave us all life, sustains us and ultimately determines the years of our life, then judges us in terms of our final destination.

Around 33% of the World are Christian, 24% follow Islam, 15% are Hindus, 7% Buddhist and about 5% follow other religions. This leaves 16% unaccounted for, the non-religious. So the third highest ranking “religion” in the world is not one with traditional beliefs, yet it is still a faith system, with objects of worship. We all believe in something, though many are in denial of this simple fact and where there is belief there is worship. People may deny belief in God but they are quite free in their entreaties to “dame fortune”, fate, destiny, chance or luck (more of these in the next chapter). They have faith that their bodies will remain functioning, that the shops are still well-stocked, that the Earth continues to spin on its axis. They worship anything that gets them through the day, usually in the realm of entertainment in our “celebrity culture”. We can’t help it. Here is how I explained it in The (other) “F” Word, in a section where God is explaining Himself:

Ask yourselves why the ardent atheists out there are so sure that I don’t exist that they are happy to spend a large part of their lives telling this to all who are happy to listen to them. As with every other human being, they have this unconscious desire to be connected to me. Let us call this the Longing. But their life journey has marred this desire. Perhaps they have been let down by one of my followers, or have parents who deny my existence, or maybe they just haven’t been paying attention. They still have the Longing but instead of recognising its source they satisfy it in their own way with science, philosophy, politics or any other human endeavour born from the mind of man. The Longing has been redirected, as it has by all who answer it with products of their own cleverness, or even with the claims of rival gods.

Hating God has consequences, but loving Him produces unbounded joy. How deluded our society has become:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)

The image of God is all that matters, but the World is blinded to this fact and, instead, offers us a whole gallery of substitute “images” to worship, as long as we don’t break the rules of polite society! So here’s a suggestion for our Sinner’s charter:

Feel free to place your affections and favour anywhere you like, as long as you don’t hurt or disrespect anyone. Whatever decision you make is yours and yours only and it is not up to anyone else to pass judgement on your choices.

God forgive them, for they know not what they do.

This is an extract from the book, Sinner’s Charter: Are the ten commandments for today?, available for £10 at https://www.sppublishing.com/the-sinners-charter-260-p.asp