The wicked flee when no one pursues (Proverbs 28:1)
Matthew Henry gives this commentary:
What continual frights those are subject to that go on in wicked ways. Guilt in the conscience makes men a terror to themselves, so that they are ready to flee when nonepursues; like one that absconds for debt, who thinks every one he meets a bailiff. Though they pretend to be easy, there are secret fears which haunt them wherever they go, so that they fear where no present or imminent danger is, Ps. 53:5 . Those that have made God their enemy, and know it, cannot but see the whole creation at war with them, and therefore can have no true enjoyment of themselves, no confidence, no courage, but a fearful looking for of judgment.
R. C. Sproul, in his book The Holiness of God, has a different take. He views it as a repulsion when unbelievers encounter the holy, even the tiniest holiness of God reflected in virtually homeopathic (my word, not his) quantities among believers. He relates an anecdote of a professional golfer who was part of a foursome with Billy Graham. After the round the pro returned to the clubhouse in a foul mood complaining to a friend that he didn't appreciate Billy Graham shoving his religion down his throat. But upon further questioning, it turned out the Graham had not mentioned his religion, not even once.
From my recollection as an unbeliever, I think Sproul is closer than Henry. The slight uneasiness I felt around believers (that is, around those who were not proselytizing. Around that type there was a profound uneasiness) was not that of a criminal fearing that an arrest warrant was about to be produced, but a slight revulsion telling me that I should not stand too close to this person. He has cooties.
At any rate Henry and Sproul (and I) agree that the irony here is that there is, in fact, no persuit.
Sproul also discusses how people fear God much more after they come to know Him. This is very true--and interesting, given that atheists will often say that we come to God out of fear. Whether or not that is ever true (it was not in my case) it is certainly true that we come to know fear. Sproul gives the perfect example from scripture:
3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 6 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5: 3-8)
Peter was just getting to know Jesus. He was not afraid. He was even (possibly) a little condescending in an eye-rolling manner with Jesus. Ahem. Just who is the fisherman here? But OK I'll humor you, teacher. But when he saw God revealed he was so afraid that he had his personal Isaiah-6 moment, recognized his own unclean lips, and asked Jesus: please, just go away.
He relates an anecdote of a professional golfer who was part of a foursome with Billy Graham. After the round the pro returned to the clubhouse in a foul mood complaining to a friend that he didn't appreciate Billy Graham shoving his religion down his throat. But upon further questioning, it turned out the Graham had not mentioned his religion, not even once.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as we know, all anecdotes by Christians should be accepted uncritically. They would never lie, or remember incorrectly.
Christians, especially those who live in a milieu like the American South where virtually everyone they meet is Christian, often don't realize the extent to which their lives are entwined with their faith. I'd be willing to bet that in fact, Graham did bring up religion in various ways, but was so steeped in it that he didn't realize it.
Look at all the explicitly Christian prayer invocations that go on daily before small town meetings, high school football games, and so forth, even though these violate separation of church and state. Nobody thinks anything of it, until some brave soul steps forth to complain.
And, as we know, all anecdotes by Christians should be accepted uncritically. They would never lie, or remember incorrectly.
DeleteYou are certainly free, as are we all, to apply your personal smell test to anything you read. For example, on the "facts o' fun" thread you commented:
Actually, the lack of clarity in the Bible was yet another of the many reasons I abandoned Christianity.
I don't believe that. I have heard so many of these Oh-so-convenient reasons for abandoning Christianity: "I learned science, I met horrible Christians, I met Calvinists, I met so-called Christians like heddle, I finally read the bible, I heard a preacher preach about "evilution", I heard a preacher preach about the evils of miscegenation, I saw kindergartners coloring pictures of people burning in hell, they were only after my money, they told me how to vote, they actually enjoyed the thought of umbelievers suffereing eternally, ..."
Bleh. The truth is much simpler.
I don't believe that.
ReplyDeleteSo, you're calling me a liar.
Bleh. The truth is much simpler.
Says the man who never met me, doesn't know me at all, and judges me as a liar anyway. Congratulations -- you're a great role model for Christians.
And, as we know, all anecdotes by Christians should be accepted uncritically. They would never lie, or remember incorrectly.
DeleteIn this (sarcastic) sentence you wrote were you judging as liars only Christians you have met?
In this (sarcastic) sentence you wrote were you judging as liars only Christians you have met?
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? I offered it as a possibility, not a definitive judgment, and I offered another possibility, namely "remember[ing] incorrectly". My point was the need for skepticism about anecdotes, especially 2nd hand ones.
If you want to believe Billy "Jews control the American media" Graham uncritically, that's your business.
If you want to believe Billy "Jews control the American media" Graham uncritically, that's your business.
ReplyDeleteNice. But you should read it again and maybe this time you will discern that none of the story came from Graham.
But you should read it again and maybe this time you will discern that none of the story came from Graham.
ReplyDeleteI interpreted the line
But upon further questioning, it turned out the Graham had not mentioned his religion, not even once.
to refer to questioning of Graham. But maybe I was wrong.