A World without God

4 Oct 2013 by Rev Dr Steven Kau-

Many of us have seen movies of world disasters, perhaps after a nuclear war where much of the earth as we know it is but a waste land or where much of the world population had been decimated by a deadly virus or bacteria or some sort of biological weapon. Consider a world with much of its surface uninhabitable, no clean water supply and polluted air and where such basic elements are worth its weight in gold. Picture man being back to much like the Stone Age where it is survival of the fittest and its kill or being killed. In any scenario we chose, its one big nightmare. Of course, the next obvious question is how did we come to this? What insanity drove us to this nightmare? Would you believe we are seeing this possibility unfolding before our very eyes because in our foolishness and pride, we have chosen to do away with God! We are about to reap what we sow!

Believe it or not, that is what many people desire our world to be like, without God. They feel that without the “hindrance” of God, they can move forward and be free from what they feel are the shackles and shortcomings of “traditional” religion. For example, we find that humanism is making great inroads in our society as far as denying and working against religion (as most people would view it). Humanism itself has been ruled a religion by the United States Supreme Court (Torcaso Case, 1961; Seegar, 1964), yet it denies the need or existence of God, thus a no-God religion. Notice what it said of “traditional” religions in the Humanist Manifesto II.

“As in 1933, humanists still believe that traditional theism, especially faith in the prayer-hearing God, assumed to love and care for persons, to hear and understand their prayers and to be able to do something about them, is an unapproved and outmoded faith… Reasonable minds look to other means for survival… No deity will save us, we must save ourselves. As non- theists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity.”

Obviously such people feel that there is no place in man’s need nor should be in his desire for a God in heaven. In the same Manifesto the statement is made that, “The next century can be and should be the humanistic century.”

We need to ask, “Is their desire coming true? Is the next century (21st) destined to be the “humanistic century?” OPEN YOUR EYES! Have you noticed the continual degradation of morals in our families, in society, in education, in politics and just about anything that man has his hands in. Every kind of immoral act is now glorified in the name of human pleasure.

The Bible (which has stood the attacks throughout the centuries and is able to withstand them for centuries to come) is under renewed attacks. Biblical events are ridiculed as “myths,” even by church leaders. Even in 'traditional religion,' there are divisions as to whether the Bible is inspired and even voting to decide! Various so-called translations are written, not with the desire to set forth plainly the will of God but to remold the Bible to fit man’s needs.

Biblical beliefs, long held as dear, have been rejected, not because they have been disapproved but because they do not meet the needs and wants of man. For instance, recent polls among 'traditional religion' show that over half of those religious leaders questioned do not believe in heaven or hell. Many do not believe in God or the inspiration of the Bible.

It seems that such “ungodly religion” is making much headway, maybe more than we would like to admit. Many ask, “Why? Why is such making advances that it is in our society?” I think there are two basic reasons:

First of all, we have failed to realize how and by whom this 'religion without God' is promoted.

If we notice, the signers of the Humanist Manifesto, both I and II several decades ago, we see some enlightening things. Notice the list below of those who signed and the position they filled at the time they signed the manifesto, denying and deriding the existence or need of God.

John Dewey

He was a professor at Columbia University from 1904 until 1929 when he retired. Most authorities believed him to be the single most influential individual on the public education system in the 20th century. Thousands are guided by his ideals and teachings in public education, yet have not even heard his name.

Alan F. Guttmacher

President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Corliss Lamont

Chairman, National Emergency Civil Liberties Commission.

Betty Friedan: Founder, N.O.W.

In addition to these, there were numerous authors, including such men such as Isaac Asimov and Francis Crick. Well over half of the 200 asked to sign were professors at well known universities. The point is, we should not be surprised at the anti-God influences surrounding us. Many of those in power or positions of influence and the public trust hold to such ideals and they use their influence to bring about the 'humanist century.' Many times, the very people we select to lead us in studies, government and such, will use their position to propagate this 'no-God' philosophy.

But, secondly, we have failed.

Perhaps the area of greatest failure is to show the result of this desire for a world without God. In God’s Word, He many times uses the power of negative results to prompt people to go the right way. He did so with Adam and Eve (“thou shall surely die” Genesis 2:17), the Israelites (“these curses shall come upon thee” Deuteronomy 28:15), and those in the first century (“ye shall likewise perish” Luke 13:3). We too, realize the value of such “negative reinforcement” in such instances as telling the consequences of touching hot things, running into the street, driving carelessly and the like. It would thus be beneficial for us to examine the “negative consequences” of a world without God. In other words, we need to ask and answer the question: “What would it be like to live in a world without God? Consider the following:

a. We would live in a world filled with immorality.

In the Book of Romans, we read of those people who “did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” (1:28) Notice what it says of their “lifestyle” in the verses that follow. They were “filled’ with such things as fornication, wickedness, covetousness, murder, despiteful, disobedient to parents, unmerciful etc. How tragic! But of course, they could say as Frank Sinatra sang, ‘I did it my way.” Perhaps the saddest epithet given these people is found in verse 32, where we are told that they “not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them.” They desired that others join them in their way of life, a life without God.

b. We would live in a world without answers.

Have you ever wondered where everything came from? Without God, there is no answer to that question. Every “answer” that man derives at by himself contradicts his own knowledge. But God gives the answer (Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:11). Have you ever faced a choice and didn’t know which was right when men gave different answers to the same question? But God can give the answer (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). You see man’s answers change depending on what he wants. God’s answers stay the same because He looks to what man needs.

c. We would live in a world without hope.

Having you notice the rising suicide rate, those who say life is not worth living? Have you notice the rise in the number of homeless, those who simply decide life is not worth the effort? Have you seen the increase in the number of those overcome with depression who sees no way to cope with the pressures of life? A world without God is a world filled with hopelessness and despair. Man cannot find in himself the answer to “Why should I keep pressing on?” Life without God has no purpose that gives hope. God has the answer (Revelation 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Philippians 3:14)

d. We would live in a world of loneliness.

How many of those who want a life without God have someone they can truly trust? Someone they can say loves them above all else? Paul painted the sad picture of those who lived for self and left God out when he said 'all seek their own' (Philippians 2:21). Without God there is no reason for anyone to seek anything other than their own reward or self gratification. God has a better answer (John 13:35; Galatians 6:1-2; Hebrews 3:12-13).

A world without God! A world of loneliness, immorality, puzzles with no answers, and hopelessness. How terrible that so many think that is the way things should be? It is obvious that in the world in which we live, there are many who have fallen prey to this horrible way.

Something though, that is stranger is that so many go headlong into a world without God because they look at the world about them and think, “If there is really a God, how can the world be like this?” Because they see a world filled with all that is ungodly, they reject God. But what they fail to see is that the world is 'like this' because so many still refuse to 'retain God in their knowledge.' The distressing things we see in the world are not the result of an unloving God but the result of a people who do not love God. Life with God is never lonely, it is moral, it has answers we need and long for and is filled with hope. I pray all mankind will see the need to live there and go to God that they may.

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