[Gary] In 2005 I worked as a volunteer at a shelter for people
displaced by Hurricane Katrina. There was a lot of confusion as hungry,
filthy, frightened people who were picked off the roofs of their houses
in New Orleans, taken to an airport and flown to San Antonio, Texas,
tried to comprehend what had happened to them.
One young woman sat on a cot staring aimlessly. The woman, in
obvious shock, ignored the activity swirling around her. I finally
stopped, leaned down and asked her if I could help. She looked up with
eyes filled with despair and asked, “What happened to my baby?”
I never knew what happened to that woman or if she ever found her
baby. Since that time I have often thought about how human life can be
degraded by the destructive force of natural disasters. Even more
disturbing is the reality of how easy it is for human beings to devalue
each other.
On
Beyond Today we’re going to discuss why civilization is walking the razor’s edge of anarchy with only “72 Hours to Chaos.”
[Announcer] Join our host, Gary Petty and his guests, as they help you understand your future on
Beyond Today !
[Gary] Working in a shelter for victims of Hurricane Katrina was a
study in how the veneer of civilization hides the possibility of chaos.
There were many encouraging examples by scores of volunteers who simply
showed up and worked, at times without supervision, to unload trucks of
food and water, and to set up cots and assist the tired and
hungry refugees.
There was no way to be totally prepared for the human tragedy that
began to trickle into the shelter. Having lost their homes and personal
possessions, the refugees were bused to the shelter, stripped of their
filthy clothes, allowed to shower and pick through some donated used
clothing, then given a bottle of water and a slice of pizza.
Underneath the attempts to supply basic human needs was a current of
chaos. People were lost, confused, many were angry. “Where am I? Why
did the levees fail? Why did the state and federal governments let us
down? When will I get to go home? What happened to my baby?”
In one instance a policeman was guarding a room full of supplies
including stacks of blankets. He had been instructed not to allow any
refugees into the room. A small group of men demanded some blankets for
their children who were cold. The policeman refused. The standoff was
escalating before a volunteer worker explained that the blankets were
used and needed to be checked for lice.
One day I received a call from a government worker who was working
at another shelter in another city. Her voice trembled as she told me
how some refugees had procured guns and they were in fear of a riot. It
didn’t take long for civilized behavior to disappear when the basic
benefits of civilization–food, water, clothing, shelter–disappeared.
How quickly would your neighbors turn against each other if there
was no electricity for just one week? How quickly would people resort to
stealing or violence if there was another international great
depression like what happened back in the 1930s?
Natural disasters give a glimpse into the weakness of the veneer of
civilization. Underneath the thin covering is a boiling pot of chaos. We
see how thin that veneer is everyday in crime, violent entertainment,
war, euthanasia–which are all examples of how human beings devalue each
other. Under stress, the cheapening of other people can collapse into
violent anarchy.
A study done a number of years ago in Britain concluded that they
are a nation just “nine meals from anarchy.” An article in the
Daily Mail
reported that it would take only–listen to this, “three full days
without food on supermarket shelves, before law and order started to
break down, and British streets descended into chaos. A far-fetched
warning for a First World Naion like Britain? Hardly. Because that’
exactly what happened in the
U.S. in the aftermath in oder to feed themselves and their families.” (Nine Meal for Anarchy,
Daily Mail , Rosie Boycott).
In other words, Britain, just like all civilized countries, is only 72 hours from chaos.
How quickly and how far would people go to devalue other human
beings in order to justify taking from that person money, food,
clothing, a blanket?
There are many historical examples of a group of people denouncing
another group of people as subhuman to justify a philosophy of hatred
and violence. The Nazi concept of the master race convinced rational
civilized human beings that it wasn’t immoral to commit unimaginable
horrors on what they saw as lesser human beings.
Now you might be saying, “Well, that couldn’t happen in our society.
We’re too educated for that kind of devaluing of others.” The reality
is that in spite of the social reforms and human rights progress,
especially over the last 200 years in the Western world, the veneer is
very thin. The looting and violence we see during a blackout or
hurricane are symptoms of a society that already devalues others.
Here’s one example. I recently read an article, written in 1977 by
Jesse Jackson titled “How we Respect Life is the Overriding Moral
Issue.” He explains that slavery in the United States was only
sustainable as long as white slave owners were willing to see blacks
as subhuman.
He went on to write, “It was part of the dehumanizing process. The
first step was to distort the image of us as human beings in order to
justify that which they wanted to do and not even feel like they had
done anything wrong.”
He then links the same process to the justification of abortion. He
says: “Those advocates of taking life prior to birth do not call it
killing or murder; they call it abortion. They further never talk about
aborting a baby because that would imply something human. Rather they
talk about aborting the fetus. Fetus sounds less than human and
therefore can be justified.” (“How We Respect Life Is the Overriding
Moral Issue”,
Right to Life News , Jesse Jackson, 1977).
The logic in this article is undeniable. The atrocities of slavery
can only be justified by civilized people through the dehumanization of
the slaves. This is the same degrading of human life that must take
place in order to make abortion appear civilized. By the way, Jesse
Jackson has since changed his position on abortion.
How thin is the veneer of civilization?
Now here’s another news story, this one from Europe. Prostitution
has been a reality in most civilizations throughout history. In the
Western world it has been seen as an ugly side of human nature.
Prostitution degrades both the institution of marriage and womanhood. It
is devaluating for a woman to sell her body as a commodity to be used
without consideration of her as a human being.
In November 2012 Zurich, Switzerland legalized drive-in sex boxes. The
Telegraph reports that these “garage-like boxes will have roofs and walls for privacy, and easy access for cars.”
Michael Herzig, a representative of Zurich’s social welfare department
announced, “The women will be better protected from attack, and it will
also mean better business for them. With the women right the sex boxes
there is no ‘travel time’ so they can deal with more customers. It’s a
better business model than standing on the street.” (
The Telegraph , Matthew Day, Nov. 29, 2012).
A better business model? Switzerland is a civilized nation. Most
Swiss take pride in their tolerance and humanity. Yet, for many people
in Zurich it doesn’t seem degrading for a woman to sell her body in a
government supplied sex box.
What does this matter to you? You may not be concerned with
political issues like abortion and who cares about prostitutes
in Zurich?
You should find both of these stories disturbing. Through movies,
television, radio, music and 24 hour-a-day news you are being
desensitized to the great moral issues of our time.
Now all great moral issues are concerned with God’s purpose for
humanity and the value of each individual. All moral issues eventually
deal with your value.
Now before we talk about the greatest moral issue of our time, I
want to mention the short, easy to read booklet we’re offering on
today’s program:
What is Your Destiny?
This 30-page booklet tackles the questions of the ages: Why does all
human life have value? What eternal destiny does God have in mind for
all human beings? Now to receive a free copy call the number on the
bottom of the screen: 1-888-886-8632.
And we’ll give you more details in just a few minutes.
Why should you care about the greatest moral issues of our time? As
long as people leave you alone, let’s all just get along and not judge
each other.
Well for many people there is a general sense that the only evil is
being intolerant of others. If you accept that view then there are very
few evil acts, except maybe to promote that there is absolute good and
evil which is seen as intolerant.
Here’s a trait concerning your human nature you need to understand.
Now unless you are totally amoral, you want to feel that you are
basically a good person. You want to experience high self-esteem about
your moral decisions.
Now if you want to feel that you are a good person, what makes up
your moral center? What criteria do you use to decide what is good and
evil? Or let me put it this way, how hungry would you have to get before
you beat your neighbor to death for a granola bar? In the midst of
chaos how long would it take you to become barbaric? Seventy-two hours?
Let’s look at one more example then we’ll discuss the most important
moral truth of all time. In California a truck filled with live fish on
the way to market crashed and 1,600 pounds of bass spilled onto the
highway and died. According to an Associated Press release, People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals have asked for a memorial to be erected
along that stretch of road, quote, “…in order to remind drivers that
all animals - whether they’re humans, basset hounds, or bass - value
their lives and feel their pain.”
Another spokesperson for
PETA announced,
“They [the bass] were on their way to slaughter, which is of course
pretty hellish. To suffer an accident on the way and be left in the
middle of the street is unthinkable.”
Now I tell you this story because for some people the value of the
life of fish exemplifies one of the great moral issues of our time. I’m
not supporting cruelty to animals, but honoring fish life as having the
same value as human life originates in the same perverted moral center
as those who support slavery, abortion, euthanasia and genocide.
Now that, I know, that may sound harsh. But it brings us back to the
central moral question of all time: What is the value of the life of a
human being?
Here on
Beyond Today we believe in the God of the Bible
and that that this Book was inspired by that Great God to teach human
beings their moral center. Now this message is derided by secular
humanists, the “enlightened” educational community and unfortunately in
many of today’s pulpits.
The Creator God sent His Son to this earth to teach us the way of
goodness and happiness. The New Testament book of Hebrews states,
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He
Himself shared the same, that through death He might destroy him who had
the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (
Hebrews 2:14-15).
Notice that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being because we
are children. Children of whom? Children of God. The great moral truth
of our time, of all time, is that God formed human beings because He is
creating a family. That’s why you were born! This truth must guide all
of your moral decisions.
You were created in the image of God. You were designed to have the
same moral center as your Creator. When you have a right relationship
with God you will experience a sense of goodness. Now listen to this,
when you don’t have the proper moral center you will create your own
sense of morality in order to feel good about yourself. When we make up a
sense of morality in order to feel good about ourselves we’re just
covering our barbarism with veneer.
Supporting a memorial for dead fish feels moral; it feels spiritual
to someone who doesn’t understand the unique purpose for human life.
Defending the rights of a woman to control her own body by aborting a
fetus feels democratic and moral. Until you substitute the words “a
child of God made in the image of God” for the word “fetus.” Young
SS
soldiers experienced very high self-esteem as they tortured and
murdered Jews, Poles and Ukrainians because they believed they were
subhuman. Many times what human beings make up as morality is the facade
that hides our barbarism. God wants to develop in you, in us, human
beings the real character that He calls love.
You can begin to understand the great moral center God wants for your life from two short biblical passages.
A man came to Jesus and asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great
commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind,’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like
it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (
Matthew 22:36-40).
You will never understand who you are until you understand Who created you and why He created you.
Until you submit to your Creator God with all your heart, and soul
and mind you will continue to create false concepts of right and wrong
in order to feel good about yourself and your life will continue to be
chaotic. You know, this commandment is the most ignored teaching given
by Jesus Christ.
You may praise God, sing to Him and claim to be a believer, but… are
all of your emotions, life energy and thoughts dedicated to obedience
to God as your Father? Notice it’s a family relationship.
The second passage to help you begin to form a moral center is found in
Exodus 20:1-17.
These verses record the only time in human history that God spoke to an
entire nation and explained basic morality. We call them the
Ten Commandments.
Now you might be saying, “Oh, I agree with the Ten Commandments. Our
church sent a petition to the mayor because he didn’t want a plaque
listing the Ten Commandments, he wanted it removed from the courthouse
wall.” Signing that petition made you feel very moral, very religious,
didn’t it?
But you see the real moral question is not just about posting the
Ten Commandments. Do you obey the Ten Commandments? Are you a moral
person? Do you even know what is listed in the Ten Commandments? What
about the Second Commandment (
Exodus 20:4-5)
that forbids the use of images in the worship of God? Do you bow down
to statues of Jesus and Mary? What about the Fourth Commandment (
Exodus 20:8-10)
concerning the seventh-day Sabbath? If you observe Sunday as your day
of worship you’re doing nothing more than making up your own sense of
morality. What about the Commandment (
Exodus 20:16) against bearing false witness? Are you totally honest in your business dealings? The Tenth Commandment (
Exodus 20:17) forbids coveting? Do you even know what coveting means?
You see, the reason we live under a facade of civilization is
because we live under a facade of religion. It is time for you–right
now–to explore your moral center and discover God’s purpose in
your life.
Now before we discuss this religious facade, and how you can replace
a form of godliness with moral substance, let me tell you about today’s
free offer.
Have you ever wondered if you have a purpose or a destiny?
What is Your Destiny?
is a short, easy to read booklet answering the most important question
in your life–why was I born? Discovering the purpose and value of each
human life is the basis for all moral issues and questions you have.
The booklet will show you how the Bible reveals that you can have a
relationship with God as your Father. And to be a child of God
transcends your present life with all its problems. The central message
of the gospel of the Kingdom of God is about how you can be in God’s
Family for eternity.
You can read
What is Your Destiny? online at
BeyondToday.tv where you can also watch scores of
Beyond Today television programs and
BT Daily– a daily commentary to help you make sense of a chaotic world.
Now, you can have your free copy of
What is Your Destiny? sent to directly to your home if you want to by calling: 1-888-886-8632. That’s 1-888-886-8632.
Now let me also tell you about our free magazine,
The Good News
. If you are not a subscriber then its time you order it and begin
using it as a guide to prepare for your destiny. This magazine is an
invaluable aid to use in gaining insight into the Bible. It is a
magazine of understanding and you can get a free subscription. It is
also by the way, available as an iPad app if you prefer to read it on
your tablet.
I’m joined by fellow
Beyond Today hosts, Darris McNeely and Steve Myers.
[Gary] Why is understanding God’s plan for humanity really at the center and core of moral decision making?
[Steve] Well I think when you begin to realize that God is in
charge, God is in charge of this universe, that means He needs to be in
charge of my life as well. And when God has a plan and we understand
what that plan is, we realize the importance that God places on all
human life. And as that standard to live by, I have to order my life by
God’s standards then so that I can be a part of that plan. And I think
that’s so very important for all of us to realize.
[Darris] It also anchors us in a system of absolutes. Unless there
is an absolute authority and an absolute moral code in this world, then
everyone is an authority and a power unto themselves. And that’s the
starting point. That has to be a starting point for understanding how a
universe can work, how a society can work to keep us out of chaos.
[Steve] In fact that goes against culture though when you think
about it because we are our own decision makers. We are the authorities
in our life but God says, wait a second. The way of man is not in
himself is what Jeremiah says. It says that we don’t know the godly way,
the right way to order our lives and so we’ve got to look to God for
the right order in our lives, rather than take that authority
to ourselves.
[Gary] Which just shows that if, you’ll never know who you are until
you understand Who created you and why He created you. Now as pastors
you deal all the time with people coming to you and dealing with the
deconstruction of this veneer of morality and getting into a real core
morality based on understanding God. How do you help people go through
that process?
[Steve] I think you’ve got to come to see yourself as you really
are. If we are going to strip away what’s on the surface to really get
down to the heart of the matter, the Bible says our hearts are
deceitful. We kid ourselves, we can fool ourselves. And it also says
it’s desperately evil. So we’ve got to get beyond the surface and
realize that we’re nothing before God and we need Him to really make us
valuable in His sight.
[Gary] He gives us value.
[Steve] He does give us value.
[Darris] You talked a lot about a veneer of society in your program
today, Gary and really a veneer when it comes to us, down to our level
as individuals, stripping away our own veneer and having it exposed.
Veneer is really another word for identity. Which is actually our core
belief, our core being and really who we are behind that veneer. This
table has got a veneer on it.
[Gary] Right.
[Darris] Strip that away and then you really know what’s underneath
and that’s what happens with us. And you cannot really understand a true
identity unless you understand that we are created in the image of God.
It goes back to
Genesis 1:26-27
where God says “Let Us make man in Our image.” And in God’s image we
were all created. That is a spiritual process. That is a spiritual
creation that is on-going and if that is not being done at the inner
core of our life and at the basis of our identity then we will build our
own veneers but it will be stripped away by time, by events, and it
will be proven to be false and hollow.
[Gary] Well, you know we’re in a society that always talks about
self-esteem. And you can’t build up people’s self-esteem as a
veneer–underneath it’s still chaos. There reaches a point where we have
to understand our value comes from our Creator, and that relationship
and love we have with our God as Father and Jesus Christ as our Brother.
The basis for all moral decisions begin with understanding that
there is a Creator and His purpose in creating humanity is to create an
eternal family! That’s why you need to read
What is Your Destiny? and share it with others.
You can read
What is Your Destiny? online at
BeyondToday.tv
. Or request your free copy to be send to your home by calling:
1-888-886-8632. That’s 1-888-886-8632. Now let me also tell you about
our free magazine,
The Good News .
The Good News will help you make sense of today’s bewildering news and events in light of biblical prophecy.
In addition, I really encourage you to visit the
Beyond Today
website where you can find daily video commentaries on breaking news
and important biblical topics. Join us throughout the week for
BT Daily and get additional analysis on prophecy, the Bible and God’s plan for your life and to give it value.
The shelter for survivors of Hurricane Katrina I mentioned earlier
was set up in an abandoned department store. A week later the shock and
exhaustion of the refugees was replaced with apprehension about their
future. The shelter supplied three meals a day, along with abundant used
clothing. Hundreds of people slept on cots, walked the streets around
the shelter or watched football on donated television sets. Many
displayed a growing sense of boredom.
The week after that first night in the shelter I was walking through
a different kind of department store. It was an exclusive shop
celebrating a grand opening. Violinists played music while well-dressed
patrons received coupons for free roses and waited in line to pay $300
for leather purses. A perky clerk asked if I wanted a whiff of
fashionable cologne. I couldn’t help but think of the odor of people who
had been trapped in humid attics and thinking about how I was strolling
through the facade of civilization–a razor’s edge from chaos.
The greatest moral truth of all time is the reality that the purpose
for human life is that God is creating a family. Seek Him and His ways
today and you won’t have to fear chaos because the Almighty God will be
the center of your life.
Join us next week on
Beyond Today as we continue to discover the gospel of the Kingdom. We also invite you to join us in praying, “Thy Kingdom come.” For
Beyond Today, I’m Gary Petty. Thanks for watching.
[Announcer] For the free literature offered on today’s program, go online to
BeyondToday.tv. Please join us again next week on
Beyond Today!
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