A second letter appeared on April 20th in The Dallas Morning News taking exception to an earlier article which called the teachings of the Heaven Gate cult “bad theology.” This writer’s approach, however, takes him in a different direction. All excerpts are from page 3J.
Many, people, who regard their own religious beliefs as sound, have made great sport lately by finding fault with the Heaven’s Gate sect. They try to marginalize this sect by characterizing them as a weird cult practicing “bad” theology led by crazy people spouting heresy and hokum.
It may be that the author of this editorial has heard people making “sport” of this group (perhaps late-night comedians, for whom nothing is sacred?), but the vast majority of people have regarded the incident as tragic. It is difficult to find anything humorous about 39 individuals losing their physical lives–and their souls as well!
Some possess a macabre sense of humor (if it can be called humor). WWW.highersource.org, a Website once affiliated with the HeavenÕs Gate cult, has as its slogan: “We’re Killing Ourselves For You.” The options are noted by feet, with tags tied on the big toe. Real funny stuff, isn’t it? Some people really are guilty of poor taste.
Whether or not people have marginalized the sect or not, the fact is that it was a “weird cult.” Does anyone want to affirm that they were normal? Their doctrine was heretical, since it could hardly be said to square with any Biblical teachings, any traditional views of Christianity, or even any religious denominational views. They could only be classified as a New Age religion.
It can not be argued with any degree of success that the Heaven’s Gate cult practiced “good” theology. Their belief in extraterrestrials dominated whatever theology they had. It could be that they practiced some good and valid teachings, such as “love one another,” but it was not adherence to tenets like these that brought about the tragedy.
At the same time these same people smugly assert that there are truths which are unattainable through logic and empirical evidence, but which are accessible through faith or direct communication with some sort of supernatural entity.
This statement is true–as far as it goes, but it certainly is not a fair one because it implies that all Christians fall into this camp. The letter-writer is correct in saying that there are people who decry the use of logic and say things like, “You have to just believe” or “I can’t prove Christianity to you; you just have to accept it by faith.”
Not only do such sentiments make one nauseous; they clearly reject the command Peter gave Christians in the first century: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to every person who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Brethren in the first century did not seek to convince others of the truth of Christianity by making inane and vacuous statements, such as, “Just take it on faith.” They presented all the evidence they could muster, speaking of the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. Those who fail to present evidence to the lost today are just plain lazy!
There are a few even in the Lord’s church who decry the use of logic–especially the use of syllogisms, but there is nothing wrong with the discipline of logic. If someone appears to “prove” something that cannot possibly be, logic is not at fault; either his syllogism is not valid, or one of his premises is not true. Most people reject the use of logic because it proves that a position on which they dote is false.
Anyone who takes the time to analyze the sermon Peter preached on the day of Pentecost will notice that the apostle used a variety of EVIDENCE to prove that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Likewise, Paul (in Acts 13 and 17) reasoned with the Jews and presented a case for the Messiahship of Jesus. No one was ever asked to believe in Christ without explaining to them why they should believe it. The advice one Crossroads-Boston disciple was once given (“believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts”) is foolhardy. No one in the first century ever wrote or preached such nonsense.
For the editorial writer, therefore, to charge all who are Christians (though he does not specify them) is pretty sloppy on his part. Has he never heard of the field of study called “Christian evidences,” which uses logic to reason with the evidence that we have before us? Has he never wandered into a bookstore and seen one of Josh McDowell’s books, such as Evidence That Demands a Verdict? Just because he may know a few people claiming to be Christians that have no idea how to defend their beliefs (or even have the desire to do so), does not mean that no one has. There are volumes written by our brethren as well as those in denominations devoted to EVIDENCE.
Curiously absent from the analyses of these people of self-ascribed authentic faith is a sound explanation of exactly how their faith yields indubitable sacred truth, while that of Heaven’s Gate produces foolishness.
It is not faith that yields truth; it is truth that yields faith. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). For faith to yield truth is not only backwards, it is a dangerous concept–and popular. What such an idea means is that whatever we believe becomes our truth. Truth, then, becomes entirely subjective. “It’s MY truth,” which might differ from YOUR truth.
Truth is objective. It may or may not fit our own personal value system. Truth, however, does not depend upon our approval in order to be valid. Truth stands, unchanging. The only question is: “Will we accept it or reject it?”
But once we have sufficient evidence to accept the Bible as the Word of God and know that its teachings are right, then we live by faith and do all that is commanded of us. The result is that we bear good fruit.
What is that fruit? For one thing, we love one another (John 13:34-35) and “do good to all men” (Gal. 6:10). Adhering to the word of God will cause men to be better husbands and women to be better wives. It should also keep us from coveting other people’s wives or husbands. The Bible will keep us sexually pure (1 Cor. 6:18-20). It will also make better parents, children, workers, and citizens. We should never be classified with lawbreakers and evildoers. Our lives have the purpose of praising and worshipping God, as well as honoring Jesus our Lord, who purchased us with His own blood. Therefore, we respect life, beginning in the womb and continuing until God calls us home.
Now what did Heaven’s Gate produce? In a word, DEATH. If the letter-writer can not discern the difference between the two, he possibly needs more help than anyone can give him. Jesus taught that you can judge a tree by its fruits (Matt. 7:15-20). Sometimes, you can tell by the number of nuts it produces, too.
The silly mass suicide of Marshall Applewhite’s followers illustrates that we should adhere less, not more, to notions based on faith, rather than reason and facts, to acquire truth we render ourselves vulnerable to nonsense. Sometimes that nonsense is deadly.
No, the suicides prove that we should be wary of “bad theology.” When someone departs from the Word of God, that is the beginning of bad theology. Joshua was warned to turn neither to the right hand nor to the left (1:7). Moses warned the people not to add to or take away from the Word (Deut. 4:2). It is not Truth that kills; it is the departure from Truth.
The writer still has things backwards. Reason and facts produce faith. Sure, if we believe just any doctrine because we like the man teaching it, we are vulnerable. But if we examine the evidence, then we can proceed safely, having drawn correct conclusions.
But perhaps the author of this editorial should be asked a few questions. Since he has “smugly asserted” that we should adhere to “logic and evidence” (and evidently for him that rules out the Bible), exactly what “indubitable sacred truth” has he arrived at? What have evidence and logic led him to believe? It is easy to criticize someone else’s house when you have never constructed one of your own.
And maybe the writer of the editorial might be reminded of all the nonsense devised by those who reject the Bible and Christianity. When have atheists, humanists, or agnostics ever devised a system with which they can even agree with one another? Those who reject God leave themselves open for any idea that Satan plants in their minds. With all their logic and rationality, you would think they might have invented a system of theology to rival Christianity; but it never has and never will be produced.
*Send comments or questions concerning this article to Gary Summers. Please refer to this article as: “‘BAD THEOLOGY’–CHRISTIANITY? (6/15/97).”