No Hope Without Christ 5-11-08
There was a news story* that came out last month (April, 2008) that detailed the suicide of a fourteen-year-old Japanese girl. The story revealed that Japan, the world’s third largest economy (based on GDP – behind the US and China), has an alarmingly high suicide rate (the ninth highest in the world). The article went on to show that Japan’s government was spending $220 million on anti-suicide programs. What was not mentioned was that Japan’s population was 96% Buddhist.
Now, I know of no study that links Buddhism with the suicide rate, and as far as I know there is no particular link. But what I find interesting is that Japan, the only really ultramodern and technologically sophisticated society that is also overwhelmingly non-Christian, has an unusually high suicide rate. This is, I think, another example of how man cannot have prosperity without God: even when man flourishes, if God is not being honored then man will become degenerate.
Look at all of the socialist nations that have any sort of modernity: China, Russia, and India come to mind. They all have horrible crime rates, are bastions of religious and social persecution, and have a large percentage of their populations living in abysmal conditions. Man cannot achieve greatness without God.
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:1-5 NIV)
This is true for nations, and it is true for individuals. How many stories have we heard about Hollywood stars that have “everything going for them” and throw it away by either suicide or unintentional drug overdose? How many political leaders destroy their marriages? How many business leaders forever tarnish their reputations by eschewing integrity in favor of illicit profit? How many religious leaders promote ungodly agendas for personal gain?
Whenever man stops honoring God, destruction and despair are his only options. But when man honors God, God proves his faithfulness and delivers man from a meaningless existence to incomparably glory. God gave man dominion over the earth. But when man refuses to acknowledge God’s dominion over man, man ends up serving the earth. Look at our role on this planet; the environmentalists view mankind as a plague infesting “Mother Earth” and thus see their role as promoting the health of the planet above that of people. This twisted view even distorts their view of God.
In her April 22 Earth Day news release, [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] said, “The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, ‘To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.’ On this Earth Day, and every day, let us pledge to our children, and our children’s children, that they will have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature.” **
This is, of course, not in the Bible. In fact, the idea runs absolutely against God:
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:21-23 NIV)
Whether it is the emptiness of Buddha, or the insanity of the environmental movement, idolatry only leads to a world without God. And without God in our lives, there is no hope – but with God in our lives, we can look forward to the brightest of dawns!
-Charles Peterson
* http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352404,00.html
**http://hotair.com/archives/2008/04/24/pelosi-clings-to-and-misquotes-her-bible/