Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (photo from trekearth.com)
Good news: I am as of tonight beginning work on my last PhD dissertation chapter, the Introduction.
The world is becoming more evil.
Within my doctoral problem of evil survey results, 52.1% of respondents within Christian churches supported this proposition. Are individuals and institutions becoming more evil, making the world more evil, and/or are incidents of evil simply being reported in greater numbers due to more television stations and the internet? It would take a dissertation beyond the scope of my PhD, and certainly beyond this blog article, to answer the first part of the question, but the answer to the second part is ‘yes’ in my view. News networks such as CNN, which was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner, provide a worldwide perspective on the problem of evil to local markets, whereas in the 1960’s and 1970’s, local stations primarily provided local news with a secondary emphasis on national, and international news. In the Western world there are commercially far more television stations available today than in the 1970s.The internet and the worldwide web also provide worldwide coverage of events and therefore the problem of evil on a global scale can be digested by persons in local markets, and evil can appear to be greater in amount than it was thirty to forty years ago.
From a Biblical Christian world-view there has been some negative trends in the world, including within Western society and the Christian Church itself. Those within the Christian Church, which hold to a Biblical world-view, may tend to see the world, the Western world, at least, as becoming more evil as many tend to reject Christian concepts. Hal N. Ostrander, Chair of the Religion & Philosophy Division at Brewton-Parker College in Washington State, explains that in today’s post-Christian era and society, Christians will face cultural and intellectual challenges to the faith. Ostrander (2004: 1). The Church is in a defensive position where it needs to defend a faith, not accepted by most in Western society. Ostrander (2004: 1). From those within very liberal Christianity, several of these changes may be viewed in a positive way. Elaine Graham writes that in a post-modern age of uncertainty, many of the foundations of Western society are dissolving. Graham (2000)(2007: 105). Graham reasons there needs to be new ways of looking at Christian practice and the understanding of Divine reality, which feature the use of empathy and solidarity with others. Graham (2000)(2007: 106). I reason that God is adequately supernaturally revealed and explained in Scripture and what is needed is for Christian churches to take historical, contextual study of Scripture seriously. Although I agree with Graham that those within the Church should seek to empathize and have solidarity with others, I do not think that this should take place by abandoning Biblical theology. Harold Lindsell provides the opinion that many Christian institutions have slowly over time moved away from orthodox, Biblical theology and have gone astray. Lindsell (1976: 185). If Biblical theology is rejected within very liberal theology, then what occurs is that Biblical Christianity is replaced by a human made religion. This religion is not of God, but rather represents the attempts of certain religious persons to make God palatable for 21st century consumption.
GRAHAM, ELAINE (2000)(2007) ‘Practical Theology as Transforming Practice’ in James Woodward and Stephen Pattison (eds.), The Blackwell Reader in Pastoral and Practical Theology, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing.
LINDSELL, HAROLD (1976) The Battle for the Bible, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.
OSTRANDER, HAL N. (2004) ‘Defending the faith in a post-Christian era’, The Christian Index, Duluth, Georgia, The Christian Index.
http://www.christianindex.org/206.article
TURNER, TED (2007) Turner-A Time Warner Company, Atlanta, Time Warner Company.
http://www.turner.com/about/corporate_history.html
http://satireandtheology.blogspot.com/2007/10/thekingpin68-in-tuxedo-at-cousin-buffs.html
I just recently listened to a great sermon by Rick Atchley ("Increase The Peace" podcast on iTunes) who made the point that returning evil for evil is much more natural for humans to do than returning love for evil, which is the example we have in Christ.
ReplyDelete"When you've been wounded unfairly by somebody, that situation holds great potential for incarnating the gospel. You must not betray the high calling of the gospel by 'going off the handle', getting your piece of flesh and modeling retaliation - the world already knows that strategy. You've got an opportunity to display the logic of the cross.
What if instead of returning evil you obsorbed it, and returned good."
Thanks Wade, that is a good point.
ReplyDeleteUnless I am being guided by God's Spirit, and focusing on Biblical teaching, I will tend to want to offer evil for evil with the idea that somehow my evil is justified because I was not the instigator. I am not stating that there is never a place for self-defence, but as a Christian, with God's help, I must be committed to never returning evil for evil.
Great Blog! Not easy to do but more and more it will get the reaction and result that is needed, and every little bit will help to rid this world of so much evil!
ReplyDeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is not easy to write, and there is always more to learn.
I have read in the Bible, that in the last days the bad will get worse, the good will get better and the holy will get holier. I don't remember where that scripture is....I probably read it in Living Bible or N.I.V. Anyways, I think media has brought evil out into the open more & because of this there is a progression to greater & more evil. In the days of Noah, sin was everywhere...God cleaned house, so to speak. And now our world is in such disaray, filled with sin that keeps growing & becoming more rampant that soon He will come & "clean house" again with Armageddon and His second coming.
ReplyDelete2 Timothy 3 discusses the evil of the last days, and it states that evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse in 3:13. In 2 Peter 3:3, it mentions the mockers of the last days.
ReplyDeleteI do not deny your good point, or Scripture, of course. In the last days, in particular in the context of the Second Coming, as can be seen in Matthew 24, things will become worse in the world and in the church. However, without a major academic study, I am unable to conclusively and academically state that the 2000's have more evil taking place in them than the 1950's, for example. In some ways, with medical progress, there may be less evil. But, I do reason that prior to the Second Coming the world will be at its worst and false religion will be rampant.
Cheers!
I think the inclination to feel as though the world is getting worse all the time is a natural one in such a dynamic world full of constant change and bombardment with negative images.
ReplyDeleteThat said, consider where we were during, say, the Pax Romana. There was affluence then, too, and hedonism, and sexual immorality, and slavery, and barbaric massacres that took scores of innocent lives.
Human nature doesn't change. We're inherently fallen creatures. But perhaps greater technological ability and mechanical skill have just broadened the scope for sin and led us to be more acutely aware of atrocities occurring around the world-- in places we wouldn't have had the inclination or the ability to learn about as little as a couple of hundred years ago.
Very well stated.
ReplyDeleteIn the era of the Roman Empire there were similar social evils taking place in comparison to today, and that was within a dictatorship. At least within western society we have a level of religious and personal freedom beyond what was offered by the Roman Empire. As well, I agree that greater technology does allow for greater evil.
Nah! Just more publicised I think. Roman Empire days were pretty bad from what I can gather but we did not have CBN or NBC or whoever there to report how bad it was. Plus the "exclusive" one and only picture or video of the event actually taking place. Sensationalism I think it's called.
ReplyDeleteRussell.
Thanks, Russell.
ReplyDeleteI agree that news is more publicized now than in centuries past. Many scholars conclude that the last days have taken place since the resurrection of Christ, and I am not certain that more evil occurs today than occurred 2000 or 4000 years ago. What the Bible indicates from the Scripture I noted, including Matthew 24, is that the very worst days of evil and tribulation shall be the days near the Second Coming. But, for whatever reasons, 52.1% of respondents supported the proposition.
Cheers, mate.
congratulations on almost being done! what's next?
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Mike. I hope you and family are well. I check your blog at times.
ReplyDeletePlans:
1. Outline and complete a first draft of introduction.
2. Email the introduction to my advisor and then complete revisions.
3. I shall then go through the entire dissertation and make final revisions and ask my advisor to look it over one more time.
4. Email the dissertation to my advisor who then shall need to transfer over to British paper.
5. While awaiting my review from internal and external readers, since I will not be working on the PhD, I will seek some employment locally, and not necessarily in theology as a professor.
6. Before considering relocating I need to have the numerous vitreous floaters removed from my right eye, which means I need a vitrectomy, and then since a cataract results, I need a lens replacement. This is good news as it should improve the vision somewhat in my nearsighted eye, although my eyes will never work together properly.
7. I will need to go over to Wales for the PhD verbal report. I shall attend graduation.
8. God willing, once I have the PhD and my eye surgeries done, I can hopefully find a theology professor job, locally or consider relocating.
I think more problems are being created by the breakdown of family and community units within society, therefore parental views and tolerences propounded by those of the older generation are being swept aside, in favour of modern social norms created by media influences, eg Soap Operas. Traditional ideas of right and wrong are being replaced by relativistic judgements on what is acceptable and not acceptable. These judgements may or may not align with christian values of right or wrong. Naturally this will lead to a "more evil" society. However I also beleive that it is very difficult to say society as a whole is becoming more evil. I think the truth is that while some people over here may be less inclined to "follow christ", others over there may be "taking up their crosses". So there may be a natural ebb and flow to these things that we are not conscious of. Hand in hand with this statement you have to ask, what is the church doing to engender a more christ like environment in our world, as ultimitely if christ's message is to spread, then it is our responsibility to spread it.
ReplyDeleteWise words, thanks.
ReplyDeleteTraditional ideas of right and wrong are being replaced by relativistic judgements on what is acceptable and not acceptable.
Yes, and God's revelation in Scripture is overlooked by many.
However I also believe that it is very difficult to say society as a whole is becoming more evil. I think the truth is that while some people over here may be less inclined to "follow christ", others over there may be "taking up their crosses"
Agreed. My thought here is that as a Christian, I am not necessarily aware of much of the good work that God is doing in this world through people.