The Guy Side

by Bill Tome

HUMANISM, RATIONALISM, and SUPERNATURALISM:  The world that we live in can be and is defined by these three “world views.”

Humanism: An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.” Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

Rationalism:  A belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response.”

Supernaturalism:  Belief in the doctrine of supernatural or divine agency as manifested in the world, in human events, religious revelation, etc.

You may be asking yourself WHY I am addressing these “isms” in this month’s “Guy Side”. The answer is both complex and yet straightforward.

First of all, I have become ever more concerned of late by the continuing decline of the American Church. At a time in the not-so- distant past, the Family and the Church were at the very center of life in our nation. Today (this statement is backed up by both objectively observed reality and subjectively derived opinion), neither the nuclear family nor the local church has much of an impact on life as it is really “lived”. 

Also, it seems to me, even our Christian families are now “governed” by the same “rules” as non-Christian families. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, I define a “Christian family” as one where the leadership of the family (father and/or mother) is “Born again.” By default, a non-Christian family is one where NEITHER the father nor the mother has experienced spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ.

 At one time, the breaking of the marriage covenant was unthinkable within the context of a Christian family. Today the divorce rate between Christian couples is, by some accounts, virtually the same as that between non-Christians. Although other studies do show the percentage of “Christian” divorces to be lower, the rate at which marriages between “believers” are failing is startling.

Additionally, within the other covenantal entity that we know as the local Church, error, lethargy and sin can be found to abound almost to the same degree as among those who are “un-churched”.  

The impact of Humanism in our families and in our churches is both obvious and shocking. Its “man centered” paradigm causes us to consult our own prejudices and feelings for guidance in everyday life. The Word of God says that “… in HIM we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). But the word of MAN says “… if it feels good – do it!”…regardless of the consequences of such a self-centered philosophy. 

There really is a very stark contrast here – one which either drives us “to” God or drives us “away” from Him.  

Again, the Word says “… there is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof is DEATH” (Proverbs 14:12).  Specifically, the death of our families and the death of our local churches. 

If you think that this is too dramatic a conclusion (that both our families and our churches are dying), then I would send you to the website www.barna.org. George Barna is the most widely recognized and quoted researcher of Christianity in the world and his findings regarding both the Christian family and the local church are revealing and disturbing. Or, simply look around your local church the next time you are there. Are there many families worshiping together? What would you estimate the average age of the attendees to be? Ride up and down your city streets on a Sunday morning and note the almost empty parking lots of many Churches. 

What about “Rationalism?” If “Reason and Knowledge” could have brought us a better world then that most certainly would have happened already. After all, the entire education system and indeed the entire “body politic” is ruled and governed by humanistic and rationalistic thinking. But, instead of making this world “better”, it is obvious that the world is in fact getting WORSE and WORSE. 

Now, it would be very easy to come away with the conclusion that I think all is lost. To the contrary, I strongly believe that all is REDEEMABLE. 

I firmly believe in, and have personally experienced, the results of practicing SUPERNATURALISM. I want to discuss this in more detail, but that will be where we go in the next issue. For now, I encourage you to “ … Rejoice ALWAYS, pray without ceasing, give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is the WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus for YOU” (1 Thess 5:16-18). Do this and you too will begin to experience what it means to “Walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:16).  Until next time, may the Lord of the Harvest richly bless and prosper you as you seek to do His will, and may HIS PEACE rule and reign in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Bill