A Foolish Misunderstanding ...

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. – Psalm 14: 1 NIV

One thing about the Bible. It calls it like it is. Not a place to go if you are looking for political correctness. Sexual perversion is labeled as such, and they writers didn't scurry around trying to make God look good by filtering every imaginable abomination under the sun through His love. My Bible tells me that—

The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation. (Numbers 14:18 NIV)

So, apparently He hold grudges (call it righteous indignation if you please) and will divvy out punishment, as it were, to the third and fourth generation. Notice, however, it says for the sin of their parents; meaning, of course, that sin has consequences that extend well beyond the perpetrators. And, of course, we cannot deny that bad parents by example can, and most often do, warp their children’s minds so terribly that the child not only imitates them, but many time far exceeds that  parent’s rotten example.

This is not always the case, but it is a strong possibility.

Conversely, also just the opposite is also true, as Billy Graham once remarked—

“The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured. They know and absorb her example and attitudes when it comes to questions of honesty, temperance, kindness, and industry.”

Makes good sense, doesn’t it?

Good parents are essential for a good society; and vice versa. So, the first culprit that we should look for when a child goes astray is usually a parent. Not always, but usually.

I like the way the American Standard Version addresses the issue. It reads—

Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 ASV)

Well, in what way, are we to train a child? Spare the rod and spoil the child? Tell that one to Child Protective Services if you inadvertently leave a bruise behind. Spanking I have found is not always the answer, so why chance it? I know, I know. Spare the rod and spoil the child is not in Scripture; and for good reason I might add. And, yes, I also know that the Scripture does say that we must correct our children, but not brutally so. 

Here’s what Proverbs 23; 13 has to say about the matter—

Don't fail to discipline your children. They won't die if you spank them. [NIV}

So, where do we draw the line between a good spanking and child abuse? Well, let me answer that this way, there is no line, there are only people—a child and a parent, and if love is missing in either, then discipline is futile.

Any parent, football player or ghetto mother, anyone for that matter, which takes their frustrations out on a poor child, misbehaving or not, is just downright wrong—worst yet, sinful. The same goes for a husband that beats his wife. This is totally inexcusable, and if they are a preacher, they should be defrocked before sunup tomorrow morning.

How shameful our country has become. We must wait for Budweiser to threaten to remove their sponsorship before the NFL gets serious about removing the brutes who beat their wives and children from the league is morally reprehensible. Think of it, a beer company has to be the one to step in and call foul! Where in the name of commonsense are the owners, and others in responsible positions?

Thank God a few hardy souls were willing to speak out and the fans began to turn their Ray Rice’s jerseys in, so not all is lost.

Now, back to the theme of this diatribe; and that is,

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. – Psalm 14: 1 NIV

Well, Jim, you say, in what wonky way does that Scripture fit what you have to say?

I would say in this way, any fool that doesn't care how they act, until they get caught, of course, is in for a rude awakening come judgment day. For me, there is not one iota of difference between what is commonly referred to as a Christian agnostic, and an outright heathen.  

Yours for the journey,

Jim R /