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Soviet leaders are looking for help in the form of the restoration of old religious norms...compassion, grace, forgiveness, charity, and other virtues previously presented as elements of bourgeois decadence. Leaders [see] religion as a means of halting Soviet society's accelerating demoralization.19 (2:10) As Jesus said, 'Man cannot live by bread alone' (Matthew 4:4). The Word of God is the heavenly food that satisfies the spirit. A beggar asked a woman for money. She offered to buy him lunch. He said, 'I've had three lunches while trying to get a dime!' He could not live by food alone (2:11) Spirituality is the yeast that elevates our attitude. Without it, we remain stagnant, like a heavy lump of dough. Adler, the noted psychologist, tells about 'a group of people who were crowded together, trying to sleep on the floor of a great auditorium during the war, but one woman kept them awake with her pitiful cries, 'Oh, God, I'm so thirsty!' Finally, someone got up in the dark and brought her a glass of water. They could hear the woman gurgle the water down, but suddenly, they heard her again moaning, 'Oh God, how thirsty I was!'' (2:12) According to a CNN report, some experts believe that if people paid their taxes honestly, the yearly deficit in the U.S. budget would be wiped out. The IRS is the most feared agency in the United States, yet that strong fear does not overcome greed. Only inner auditing before God can prevent people from cheating (2:13) Most of the problems we face in the world are caused by a loss of identity, a lack of purpose, and a loss of faith. Historically, when human life has descended to a critical point, God has sent a new Teacher or Messenger to lift our spirits and enrich our lives. We have already passed that low point (2:14) Chuck Colson, an eloquent and enlightened writer and spokesman for Christianity, gave the following message on a Christian radio station: (2:15) Pollster George Gallup compared the ethical behavior of Americans who attend church regularly and those who never attend. He compiled candid admissions from people who call in sick when they are not, who puff their resumes, who cheat on income taxes. Astonishingly, Gallup reported 'little difference in the ethical views and behavior of the churched and the unchurched.' (2:16) In a similar vein, religion reporter Terry Mattingly recently cited surveys showing that students at Christian colleges cheat on exams at the same rates as students at secular colleges (2:17) What does all this tell us? That many Christians are guilty of compartmentalizing our lives into separate boxes so that our faith never influences our everyday attitudes and opinions. Many of us are as fragmented in our minds as any double agent.20 (2:18) In his book The Body, Mr. Colson wrote: (2:19) The roots of the church's identity crisis are found in the consumer mentality so pervasive in our culture...People flit about in search of what suits their taste at the moment. It's what some have called the 'McChurch' mentality...Thus, the church becomes just another retail outlet, faith just another commodity. 21 (2:20) Today, religion has lost its grip on the spiritual life of the world. 'A minister glared down at Sam and roared, 'And are you, my son, a soldier in the army of the Lord?' Surprised at being singled out, Sam replied anxiously, 'Y-yes sir, I am.' 'Then why,' pressed the minister, 'do we see you here only at Christmas?' Thinking quickly, Sam replied, 'Would you believe, sir, I'm in the secret service?'' In this age, many of the faithful have gone from active service to secret service (2:21) Today, religion has been turned into a talk show. 'Adlai Stevenson told the story of a backsliding man who was so inspired by an eloquent preacher that he leaped out of his seat and yelled, 'Lord God, take me and use me-- in an advisory capacity.'' The talking and avoiding must be changed into doing: (2:22) The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.22 Baha'u'llah (2:23) 'A rabbi and a soap maker went for a walk together. The soap maker said, 'What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery of the world, after thousands of years of teaching about goodness and truth and peace. If religion is good and true, why should this be?' The rabbi said nothing. They continued walking until he noticed a child playing in the gutter. Then the rabbi said, 'Look at that child. You make soap and say that it makes people clean, but see the dirt on that youngster. Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, over all these years, that child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is, after all!' The soap maker protested. 'But, Rabbi, soap cannot do any good unless it is used!' 'Exactly,' replied the Rabbi. 'Exactly!''
(2:24)
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