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Bill Maher, Tim Tebow, and the Truth
by Robert Driskell Television personality Bill Maher's vitriolic tweet about Tim Tebow should surprise no one. Maher's hatred of all things religious, Christianity in particular, is well known. Maher trades in ridicule and mockery; he would be out of work if there were no longer any market for the kind of childish antics and empty emotional rhetoric in which he excels. Tim Tebow is an example of someone who takes his beliefs seriously. Does Maher have a problem with that? Probably not, Tebow is just the easiest target for Maher at this particular time. Maher whips out his limited misunderstanding of Christianity and proceeds to explain to everyone why he is right and Christianity is wrong. Sadly, this is what is selling in our culture today. Too many people would rather react emotionally to something they see or hear rather than devote their time and energy into finding out if what they are seeing or hearing is actually the truth or not. The Bible, which Christians hold to be God's Word to man (see For Further Study at the end of this article) has several things to say which are pertinent to this discussion. First, the Bible says that non-believers cannot grasp the full spiritual meaning of God's Word The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14 ESV). This means that Maher does not know what he is talking about much of the time he speaks about biblical things. He merely constructs a ridiculous caricature of the Christian's beliefs and then ridicules and mocks his own fabrication. Tragically, there are many who accept his straw-man arguments and are convinced that his criticisms against Christianity are valid. Secondly, the Bible has a warning for those, like Maher, who attempt to lead people away from God: It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. (Luke 17:2 ESV, cf. Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42) This is a serious consideration, from the very lips of Jesus himself, concerning the fate of those who would lead others away from Him. It should not be taken lightly. Maher depends on his listeners to be more loyal to him than they are to their own consciences. He attempts to make them believe that any other view than the one he espouses is worthy only of ridicule and scorn. However, upon further inspection, Maher's arguments crumble like a house of cards in a hurricane. The knowledge of God's existence is revealed clearly in nature: For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20 ESV) This means that every member of Maher's audience knows the truth in their hearts. If they believe his rhetoric, it is because they choose to do so, not because it is true. However, what do Maher's lies cost those who believe them? The Bible tells us that we will all spend eternity in one of two places. Those who give their lives to God will live forever with Him. Those who reject God will live in misery, forever separated from Him. Each of us must decide whether we will believe the lies of man or the Truth of God: For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36 ESV) Seeking to introduce people to Jesus Christ and to help them become "transformed by the renewing of their mind." Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |