Monday, December 19, 2005
DOES RELIGION CAUSE SOCIAL ILLS?
http://www.sermonaudio.com/new_details.asp?ID=20788
In the above link the researcher is said to be saying this very thing. Even thought he denies the claim of using correlation to prove causation, it seems evident that he would like the reader to come to this conclusion.
Paraphrasing some of what he is saying, I would make the following observation for your consideration.
One observation is, he says that he sees a correlation between how religious a prosperous democracy is and how many social ills they have. He sights the USA as the most faithful yet has a high rate of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, and abortion than other prosperous democracies.
Instead of correlation I see contrast.
The contrast between those living on the pleasure plain, Rom 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject, to the law of God, neither indeed can be." and those living under the Lordship of Christ,
Mat 6:19 "Lay not up, for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:"
Mat 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"
I also see a contrast between "religion" and real "Biblical Christianity".
Pro 14:34 "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." When those that are righteous because they have received the righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith, live righteously, it has the affect of building up a culture not tearing it down.
Jam 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
Well, that's the way it looks from here,
In the above link the researcher is said to be saying this very thing. Even thought he denies the claim of using correlation to prove causation, it seems evident that he would like the reader to come to this conclusion.
Paraphrasing some of what he is saying, I would make the following observation for your consideration.
One observation is, he says that he sees a correlation between how religious a prosperous democracy is and how many social ills they have. He sights the USA as the most faithful yet has a high rate of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, and abortion than other prosperous democracies.
Instead of correlation I see contrast.
The contrast between those living on the pleasure plain, Rom 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject, to the law of God, neither indeed can be." and those living under the Lordship of Christ,
Mat 6:19 "Lay not up, for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:"
Mat 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"
I also see a contrast between "religion" and real "Biblical Christianity".
Pro 14:34 "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." When those that are righteous because they have received the righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith, live righteously, it has the affect of building up a culture not tearing it down.
Jam 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
Well, that's the way it looks from here,
