Recently I listened to a  debate on radio discussing the issue “Does religion cause more harm than good?”

Because I knew without doubt the answer to this question, (of course it does)I listened with interest to hear the views expressed.

In one corner was a Right Reverend someone or other (I had never heard of him) who took the opposing view. His adversary was an allegedly well-known atheist. (I had never heard of him either)

The discussion was polite and the arguments anticipated, but neither one seemed to grasp that the argument has never been ,”Is religion good or bad?” but rather WHO do you worship?

See, the devil is a master of the hegelian dialectic. He loves to own both sides of the argument, so that no matter who wins, he wins.

Many have become convinced – even within the Christian camp – that the debate is between the atheists and the religious.

Well, it’s not. Not now, not ever.

Atheists, historically speaking, are just a blip on the religious radar, here for a short sojourn and soon to be relegated to the ranks of the Dodo and other extinct creatures.

Basically an atheist is simply an example of what one wag commented as, “Self made men who worship their creator”.

The problem with the mind-set that our spiritual battle is against atheists, is that by implication God’s people can feel that those who are religious are our allies. Nothing could be further from the truth. And this is the foundation of much ecumenical and interfaith nonsense.

Even a brief reading of scripture reveals the biblical perspective that atheism is a rarity and anyone ignorant enough to think in his heart (as opposed perhaps to his words) that there is no god, is in Yahwehs words, a fool.

The real battle has always been between the worship of the true and living God – Yahweh, as revealed in the scriptures and ultimately in Christ Jesus – and the worship of false gods – idolatry.

Elijah did not challenge the Israelites to decide between Yahweh and atheism but between the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Baal.

Because man is a spiritual creature the attempt to deny spirituality always leads eventually to superstition. The atheistic efforts of the twentieth century are now succumbing to the green paganism of the twenty-first. The battle looming will not be against a pseudo scientific secularism but a scientific fraternity controlled by an irrational and dangerous religion of save the earth-ism. Some of the prophets of the “goddess” Gaia have already laid their cards on the table but the main talking heads of the media are either ignorant of the implications of government sponsored professors and high-flying opinion controllers bowing to a human hating religion of earth worship, or they simple can’t believe what the supposedly educated mouthpieces of the global elite are saying.

The various scare campaigns of the day – global warming, climate change, global cooling, overpopulation, dwindling energy reserves etc etc are nothing more than the out-working of a religious world view. In this perverted perspective people are bad, nature is good. Progress is evil, primitivism is grand. The west is corrupt and is always the cause of suffering for the downtrodden of the rest of the world.

And, its important to note that the promotion of this new religion (which is not really new at all of course but simply another manifestation of ancient Babylonian theology) leads to a hatred of nations on principle, the nation of Israel in particular and the Church of Christ especially.

Along with this is a loathing for a biblically defined family structure and marriage as taught by Christ. Idolatry always leads to immorality.

But the enemy does not want the people of the planet and especially the people of God to realise that the battle is not between those who worship and those don’t but rather the war of the ages is about who we worship.

There are a million or more false gods, but only One True and Living God.

There are an almost infinite variety of worship practices but only those endorsed by the Creator are acceptable to Him.

There are thousands of ways to eternal judgement but only one way to eternal life.

This is all perfectly logical and sensible to those within whom the Spirit of God dwells but to those controlled by the spirit of the age it is nonsense and incomprehensible.

Many laughed and mocked as the prophet toiled on the ark but the judgement came and only those within the shelter of that picture of Christ were raised above the waters of God’s wrath.

Multitudes were bitten by the serpents in the wilderness but only those who obeyed and looked with faith upon the bronze serpent on the pole were healed.

The rest perished in full view of the offered salvation.

Many gods have come and gone. Satan has tried a multitude of spiritual deceptions to keep people in bondage and darkness. Atheism is one minor trick which has likely served its time and is rapidly losing influence….but the earth adoration of the latest bunch of Ashtoreth worshippers is the next big thing on the Adversaries calendar. And as always some of those who profess to be followers of Christ are taken in hook line and sinker. How tragic when those who are called to be fishers of men become the catch of satan. If indeed they had ever been Christ’s to begin with.

Idolatrous religion always abhors what the Christian adores.

Gaians purport to love the planet and wish to remove humanity to save it.

Christians delight in the planet as a provision of the Loving God for the benefit of humanity to the glory of His own Name.

Gaians, like all streams of Babel religion, are globalist and reject the concept of nations.

The twice born children of God know God created the nations and raises them up or brings them down according to His immeasurable wisdom. He has according to the principles of firstfruits revealed this by choosing one nation as His own special possession. Israel.

Gaia worshippers hate monogamous heterosexual marriage, and despise children. Why else would they so viciously defend sodomy and abortion. This is not a result of a modern enlightenment as the propagandists tell us but simply a contemporary example of the worship practices of the nations that God judged and cast out of their land in ancient times. Deviant sexual practices and child sacrifice were common long before the “gay rights” and “womens rights” movements revived them. God’s response will be the same and the followers of the Righteous One will do what they can to stop the disease from spreading….and to warn the “practioners of rebellion” of the temporal and eternal consequences if they don’t lay hold of the Lord’s mercy.

There is a battle..but it’s not a battle against people but rather against world views on behalf of people.

Humans are not the enemy but the prize.

Scripture clearly states that God seeks worshippers who worship in Spirit and in truth.

Worship is essentially about bowing. Bowing the head and bending the knee is entirely appropriate but far more necessary is a bowing of the heart and the mind.

True worship is more than parroting a creed which can easily be done with stiff neck and proud heart. It’s a spiritual prostrating of oneself before the infinite majesty and wisdom of the Most High God.

True worship is an acknowledgement that Father knows best and that a reverent and joyful obedience is the long sought after secret of life.

As we draw near the end of the ages and the enemy of our souls begins to play his final aces, the people of God would do well not to be distracted by satan’s deceptive strategies.

Religion is the enemy.

People are precious.

Christ is the only gate to the green pastures of life.

As the apostle John put it, “Dear children keep yourselves from idols”.

Father

You have spoken clearly throughout the ages. You have called the children of men to abandon their dead and deadly idols and bow to You the Living and life-giving God. Expose the deceptions of the pagan professors and the spiritually illiterate elite.

Empower Your church to discern and declare a clean uncluttered truth.

Open eyes, unblock ears, soften hearts and increase the population of the faithful… for Christ’s sake.