The Human Factor- Part 2 copyright Robert Fullarton 2015

The Human Factor- Part 2

copyright Robert Fullarton 2015 

If any man wanted to live the “good life” in the traditional sense (meaning a life of easy pleasure, devoid of deeper occurrences and causalities) then the Christian path would not be the one to choose. Christianity is a phenomenon of living, being and changing. It is the story of the supernatural in the midst of the natural, the divine incarnate down to Earth and the process of reconciling man with God through the Incarnation. It requires a passion of belief, but a love that will go beyond immediacy, beyond ourselves so that we transform to become more like the incarnate God himself- for these reasons, it is either called a blasphemous lie, cynically promulgated as sheer insanity, ignored or believed to be outdated, by both worldly people and adherents of other faiths. No other religion covers such an extensive and broad spectrum of philosophical and theological ground, as the Christian faith. Islam, for instance largely ignores nor barely mentions the power of miracles and the supernatural, Buddhism, does not acknowledge nor assert itself doctrinally with any belief in a god, and Judaism, has become potent so to speak (as it has for over two thousand years) with the rituals and traditions of a local culture rather than a universal and divine faith that speaks for “every tribe and tongue”. The message of God when heard for any person, must be centred on something that is unique, that does not possess the potent stamp of man-made power or ritual, it must stand against time and space, as something other-worldly and beyond the ordinary, and yet it must be of its accord be able to speak within the dimensions of the world.

What is the definition of a human life? What does a life compose of?

On this subject, nothing speaks for itself and of its own accord out of the space material that exists, as no object is self-explanatory without definition as life itself has no compass nor bearing without meaning. A belief in scientific totality equates a man-centred universe, but the tour-de force of facts, technicalities and definitions just leave us with a facade, that goes no deeper, has no meaning and merely perishes in finality without a clue, as to why we even exist in the first place! It is assumed of course (and there is no such thing as a science of atheism, it’s a belief-system) that life has no meaning whatsoever, because the sciences cannot make the choices for men (no that is what we call a belief system, namely the lifestyle and the goals we attribute from the ascending and descending order we give to our priorities in life) that shape a man’s behaviour and how he views the world, as free-will exists and life is composed of choices, pathways and climaxes for which the choices of men take their toll.

I recently read an article in the Irish Times on the subject of “religion” in both Ireland and to a greater extent that which is occurring throughout Europe. I read through much of the article and some I merely skimmed over. Much of the content was irrelevant to the situation in which it addressed, and some material was misleading. It was surprising to see that this negative, dismissive, piece of modern compromise, had been written by a reverend in the Anglican Church, but then again it was surely something of a reminder of the times in which we live in.

He describes the country’s “Religion to be in a mess” and this to a certain extent is very much true, but he was wrong to state that the “modern churches had very little to offer the young people of today” and I want to argue against this statement. Christianity is to be viewed as a way of life, that has its means and ends in the supernatural (in Jesus Christ) and when it is stripped of the power of the supernatural, the reason, motif, uniqueness and very message itself are made redundant in an age that leaves a spiritual void, a trench in which people fill their life with fleeting pleasures, ideologues and false utopias. It will be a matter of time for the public world to embrace another state religion, but it will not be Christianity, as new interests are in vogue, society demands the latest, the newest fancy for its game of progress and expansion. Time is constant, society is changing, but one can compare this society to the unrelenting locomotive that is heading for collision if it does not slow down and relent upon its mad descent into the canyon up ahead.

Christians familiar with the prophetic spectrum of the Bible, know that these days of winding down belief, the end of the State religion and the increased persecution of the Christian religion was predicted and is meant to happen. Such was predicted by Christ himself as he sat by the temple in Jerusalem and he was asked by his disciples for signs on the “last days” of mankind, such signs followed in order and throughout that order, he spoke about the “falling away” of many from faith. Hard times, help shape character, define the serious commitment we make to faith and we discover that any easy commitment to Christianity is in reality a vow that we have had to measure in hardship and upon a course of loyal adherence in times of doubt, pain and persecution (but it is something that requires dedication because such a creed speaks of a perfection of mankind like unto Christ himself) with a high standard.

Real Christianity is something that is empirically based, that is upon conversion, upon experiences, testimonies, miraculous events (as it has been from the days of Christ’s ministry in Galilee), engaging with people of all backgrounds and class structures. The psychology of the believer must contain the affirmed belief, it must be passionate and engaging and must be a matter of the heart and mind that goes internally for the Christ like blessing of the external world before us. It is for an exchange of examples (as Christians strive to possess the nature of Christ within) as Christians engage with the world, as Christians walk out in a world opposed to them, in a violent world, a finite world of suffering and confusion. For Christians the Church and State are both Christ Jesus for the world to come, but presently we live often under secular seclusion and opposition, the nominal, state-engaged Churches of Europe have compromised their Christian identity to the whims and fickle interests of the generation. Life is being lived out daily and this power is real, it is raw in its immensity to amaze, to heal, to grant peace unto those who come to it- but often it is a matter of an open heart and open mind- as men will fear the darkness in their hearts, will dread death and the whole sphere of the unknown, but can God be known to man?

In an age of addiction (addiction by the way is a form of self-made slavery) with the rising misery that it amounts to, we seek a cure, a power and a truth that goes beyond our weaknesses. If we are controlled by the power of some addiction or weakness, then we yearn and strive in heart to find a power that is greater, holding redemptive power, so we can become strong in contrast to any previous weakness. If any person examines the New Testament and the very person of Jesus Christ, then they are met with the repetitious message of hope, of stronger forces beyond temporal disgrace, moral failures, rejection, isolation and despair itself.