Maybe We Should Call the Bible Belt the "Live Like Hell" Belt

A team at Kansas State University plotted the geographical sway of the seven deadly sins across America. Those south-easterners are a bunch of rabid hellians. Very interesting graphs here.

the human condition

WHAT'S WRONG WiTH THE WORLD

G. K. Chesteron lived from 1874 to 1936. He was a respected English philosopher, poet, and apologist. One day, The Times asked Chesterton, "What's Wrong with the World?" His response:

Dear Sirs,

I am.

Sincerely yours,

G. K. Chesterton

evil and pleasure

The problem of evil is primarily termed what it is termed because the people who promulgate it as problematic have pleasure as their subconscious and deliberate aim. Yes - there are theological, metaphysical, and ontological questions about existence and God that must dealt with in relation to the problem of evil. But what if we started from [or at least attempted to] a neutral frame of reference?

What's on the other side of the equation? Is there a "problem" of pleasure? Why does food have to taste good? Why does freshly cut grass have to smell good? Why does sex have to feel good? Why does music sound so good?!

Many of the needs of life are experientially and sensually satisfying. Why is that so? Does it have to be so? Surely not. Perhaps the rationale behind the over-obsession with the problem of evil and the minimal focus on the "problem" of pleasure is that WE have a problem. Negative focuses often come from negative sources.

What if we have a problem with evil because we are the present problem of evil?! This makes the "problem" of pleasure not only something to be considered, but pursued.

"In your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore" [Ps 16.11].

BUNYAN ON SiN

There are many attempts to define what sin is. Rom 3.23, Rom 14.23, I Jn 3.4, and other texts help to biblically define what sin is. There are philosophical arguments within theology that say that sin is more the absence of something than the presence of something. This is a good line of reasoning to think about. However, the following is the most convicting and soul-penerating thing I've ever read in regards to defining sin. It is from John Bunyan.

Sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.

good article

A recent USA Today article is entitled "Has the 'notion of sin' been lost?" Among those quoted are Al Mohler, Joel Osteen, Pope Benedict XVI, Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, and others. It begins by asking,

"Is sin dead? No, not by a long shot. Yet as Easter approaches, some pastors and theologians worry: How can Christians celebrate Jesus' atonement for their sins and the promise of eternal life in his resurrection if they don't recognize themselves as sinners?"

Read the rest here.

america's most sinful cities

On Valentine's Day, Forbes Magazine gave us a list of America's most sinful cities. Their opening line is: "They say geography is destiny, but perhaps it is damnation as well." Our good buddy, Al Mohler, comments on it here.

Most Lustful: Denver ranked first, joined by San Antonio, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Boise, Washington, DC, Cincinnati, Columbus, Baltimore and Buffalo/Rochester. The research firm of AC Nielson used sales figures for contraceptives and sex items in ranking the list.

Most Jealous: Memphis tops the list, followed by Charlotte, San Antonio, Seattle, Providence, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Chicago. The rankings were linked to crime rates for personal property.

Most Obese: Memphis, Birmingham, San Antonio, Riverside/San Bernardino, Detroit, Jacksonville, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, San Diego. Health statistics drove this listing.

Most Greedy: San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Boston, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, Miami. The rankings on this sin were determined by looking at the concentration of great wealth.

Most Murderous: The crime statistics are clear - the most murderous city is Detroit, followed by Baltimore, New Orleans, Newark, St. Louis, Oakland, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Buffalo.

Most Slothful: Memphis tops this list as well, followed by New Orleans, Las Vegas, Detroit, Birmingham, Louisville, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Nashville, and Miami.

Most Vain: "Pride is supposed to be a deadly sin. When it comes to their looks, however, fewer Americans are seeing it that way," say the reporters, who used plastic surgery as the marker for this sin. Perhaps surprisingly, Salt Lake City ranked first, followed by San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Miami, Louisville, Nashville, Virginia Beach, New York, and Los Angeles.

ALL THAT iS iN THE WORLD

John says that "all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." I don’t want to use this as a key to unlock other passages to make them say what they don't mean, but I have found this text as a helpful key in grasping what sin is.

The first sin and temptation was is in the garden. I see this paradigm applied there. The next sinless human on the scene, the Second Adam - our Lord Himself, was lured by the tempter in the same three ways. Finally, God's wrath comes upon mankind in three ways and for three reasons in Romans 1. I see John's "all that is in the world" in this tri-degradation as well.

So, here is all of the above charted out.



"We don't have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" [Heb 4.15-16].