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Religious Nuts By Robert Berendt The terms may vary from place to place, but it seems every society and every generation has had some experience with those who are deviant thinkers.
e live in an incredible society and world. There are many and varied thought patterns around us, and we strive to categorize a "norm" from them with which to judge human behavior. We realize there are some at the far ends of the spectrum from this norm, but we are puzzled and amazed (sometimes beyond belief) at the really peculiar behavior and thought patterns of some. As many would say: they are "nuts" (nuts meaning crazy or fouled up in their thinking). The nuttiest of all When I try to develop a pattern for "nuts," I find that there is no nut as nuts as a religious nut. Religion has done more to push the behavior of people over the edge of all that is considered allowable and acceptable than any other form of thinking. Leaders have even declared themselves to be "gods" here on Earth.
Almost all spiritual leaders claim divine guidance and appointment of some sort. Some have sacrificed a great deal to follow what they believed was their destiny and calling from a deity. Most are leaders who are balanced, but some are obvious extremists.
The danger of extremes But some religious nuts that proclaim divine guidance have sent countless people to their early deaths in the name of their belief. The Kamikaze of Japan died for their divine emperor. The Incas of old were among the many pagan religions that designated the most handsome, beautiful, flawless, and young among them to become the sacrifice to the gods. It is usually the youngest and best that die at the whim and order of a religious person who has designed a reason for their sacrifice and proclaimed that reason to be given directly by divine inspiration.
I have met a number of people whose personal life is a mess but who fully believe God has reached out to them with some divine message, which nobody except themselves can understand or know. They feel they have a mission to minister to and correct others. It is interesting to note how many of these types often seek ministers to impress and correct with their divine message. Hallmarks of Christian fanatics Religious nuts have ideas that are preposterous and meaningless to all but them. They carry a Bible (or other supposed authority) in their hands to proclaim their authenticity and are an embarrassment to the very words of that holy book.
What God desires instead Paul exhorts us in Colossians 3:12: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Humility of the greatest degree is what we need before God. The Bible informs us that we have nothing to offer and our very best is as filthy rags before Him (Isaiah 64:6). With that in mind, a person ought to fear to step forward and serve God without being invited. That invitation should be stronger than just a dream in the night. The book of Luke records the advice on humility given to one who was invited to a wedding (Luke 14:8-11). Verse 11 states that he who exalts himself will be humbled. Men like Gideon wanted God to show them that He really meant what He said. Many of the men God chose as prophets and messengers resisted that call and even went the other way. Humility will cause a converted person to be very slow to think that God would choose him. False prophets will always surround us -- so says Peter (2 Peter 2:1-3). He wrote that these people will exploit you with stories they have made up. In verse 10, Peter claims that they are bold and arrogant, which becomes obvious the moment you question their credentials. A person who is truly confident will have no concern that someone is questioning him, and even if someone wonders if he has "lost it." A person who has a false confidence built on his own stories will always react strongly and defensively. The bottom line is that God has given us a book, the Bible, for a guide to show us who speaks the truth and who is just another nut. For more information on distinguishing God's true church amidst a world full of religious falsehood and fanaticism, please request our free booklet . Copyright 2011 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Keywords: nuts religious nuts divine guidance divine right fanatics humility false prophets
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