The Expository Files

Exchanging the Glory of God


Human history has witnessed many sad spectacles of superstition ruling the day in the guise of religion. Not satisfied with the true and living God, man has often turned to baser pursuits in the place of spiritual truth. Paul talks of this in the first chapter of Romans.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
(Romans 1:18-23).

Of course that was so long ago. Ancient man did have some rather silly objects of worship. Perhaps we have grown to a point where such foolishness no longer occurs. Don't we wish! Notice the following actual headline:

Jedi 'religion' grows in Australia.

Jedi is the faith espoused in the Star Wars films. More than 70,000 people in Australia have declared that they are followers of the Jedi faith, the religion created by the Star Wars films. A recent census found that one in 270 respondents - or 0.37% of the population - say they believe in "the force", an energy field that gives Jedi Knights like Luke Skywalker their power in the films. Most of the 70,509 people who wrote Jedi on their census forms were suspected to have done so in response to an e-mail encouraging all Star Wars fans to get it recognized as an official religion.

Maybe we have not grown all that much after all. "Professing to be wise, they are still becoming fools."

By Jon W. Quinn
Front Page
 From Expository Files 9.12; December 2002


 

 

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