"Who Gave Us the Sponge to Wipe Away the...Horizon"
Monday, 23 Dec 2024, 19:33
Visible to anyone in the world
Edited by Jim McCrory, Thursday, 26 Dec 2024, 20:34
Where is God? God is
Dead. God remains dead. And we have
killed him. How shall we, murders of all murders, console ourselves?”
― Friedrich
Nietzsche
Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot
The
Abolition of Man, written by C.S. Lewis, is a prophetic exploration of the
dangers of abandoning objective morality—a morality that, as Christians
understand, is rooted in God. Lewis’s thesis warns that when humanity rejects
this divine foundation, we not only lose our moral compass but also our very
essence as beings created in the image of God. In relinquishing objective
morality, we venture into a perilous realm where Nietzsche’s Madman—declaring
that “God is dead”—finds an unwitting audience. This rejection of God sets the
stage for a world spiralling into chaos, as foretold in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Lewis
describes the consequences of dismantling the “Tao,” his term for the universal
moral law recognized across cultures and centuries. He sees this abandonment as
a catastrophic shift that severs us from the transcendent source of truth.
Without the Tao, humanity becomes a slave to subjective impulses, desires, and
a self-imposed morality that fluctuates with societal trends. Lewis’s warning
aligns with Paul’s caution in 2 Timothy, where the Apostle lists the traits of
people in the last days: “lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant,
abusive… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” These characteristics
describe a humanity untethered from its Creator, adrift in moral relativism and
self-indulgence.
Nietzsche’s
Madman, in proclaiming that “God is dead,” not only mourned the loss of God but
also recognized the vacuum left in His absence. If we have killed God, as
Nietzsche suggested, then we have also destroyed the foundation upon which
objective morality stands. What remains is a chilling question: What will fill
the void? History provides unsettling answers. When humanity seeks to create
its own moral framework, it often leads to tyranny, oppression, and a
devaluation of human life. Totalitarian regimes, genocides, and the
commodification of human beings are not merely historical aberrations but
natural outcomes of a worldview that denies God.
The
consequences of this moral void are visible today. The exponential rise in
chaos—from global conflicts and environmental degradation to fractured families
and mental health crises—can be seen as symptoms of humanity’s estrangement
from God. Without an objective standard, “right” and “wrong” become malleable
concepts, bent to serve the interests of the powerful or the whims of the
majority. The sanctity of life, the dignity of the individual, and the call to
love our neighbour are all casualties of a world that has, in Nietzsche’s
words, “wiped away the horizon.”
Paul’s
description in 2 Timothy concludes with a critical phrase: “Avoid such people.”
This instruction is not a call to isolation but a warning to guard against
being swept into the moral decay of the age. As Christians, we are called to be
“salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16), preserving and illuminating the truth of
God’s Word in a darkened world. This responsibility grows ever more urgent as
we witness the acceleration of moral decline.
The
abolition of objective morality does not merely signify the loss of ethical
guidelines; it signifies humanity’s rebellion against its Creator. By rejecting
God, we reject the image in which we are made and the purpose for which we are
designed. This rebellion leads not to liberation but to dehumanization, where
love is replaced by lust, justice by power, and humility by pride.
Yet,
as Christians, we hold to a living hope. The chaos of a godless world is not
the end of the story. Christ’s victory over sin and death assures us that God’s
kingdom will prevail. Our mission is to proclaim this truth, reminding the
world that the solution to its crises lies not in human ingenuity but in
repentance and reconciliation with God.
The
consequences of abandoning God and objective morality are dire, but they also
serve as a call to action. Let us not despair but stand firm, knowing that the
light of Christ shines brightest in the darkest times. For while humanity may
“kill” God in its philosophies and actions, God remains the sovereign. In Him alone is the restoration of all things,
including our lost humanity.
"Who Gave Us the Sponge to Wipe Away the...Horizon"
Where is God? God is Dead. God remains dead. And we have
killed him. How shall we, murders of all murders, console ourselves?”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot
The Abolition of Man, written by C.S. Lewis, is a prophetic exploration of the dangers of abandoning objective morality—a morality that, as Christians understand, is rooted in God. Lewis’s thesis warns that when humanity rejects this divine foundation, we not only lose our moral compass but also our very essence as beings created in the image of God. In relinquishing objective morality, we venture into a perilous realm where Nietzsche’s Madman—declaring that “God is dead”—finds an unwitting audience. This rejection of God sets the stage for a world spiralling into chaos, as foretold in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Lewis describes the consequences of dismantling the “Tao,” his term for the universal moral law recognized across cultures and centuries. He sees this abandonment as a catastrophic shift that severs us from the transcendent source of truth. Without the Tao, humanity becomes a slave to subjective impulses, desires, and a self-imposed morality that fluctuates with societal trends. Lewis’s warning aligns with Paul’s caution in 2 Timothy, where the Apostle lists the traits of people in the last days: “lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” These characteristics describe a humanity untethered from its Creator, adrift in moral relativism and self-indulgence.
Nietzsche’s Madman, in proclaiming that “God is dead,” not only mourned the loss of God but also recognized the vacuum left in His absence. If we have killed God, as Nietzsche suggested, then we have also destroyed the foundation upon which objective morality stands. What remains is a chilling question: What will fill the void? History provides unsettling answers. When humanity seeks to create its own moral framework, it often leads to tyranny, oppression, and a devaluation of human life. Totalitarian regimes, genocides, and the commodification of human beings are not merely historical aberrations but natural outcomes of a worldview that denies God.
The consequences of this moral void are visible today. The exponential rise in chaos—from global conflicts and environmental degradation to fractured families and mental health crises—can be seen as symptoms of humanity’s estrangement from God. Without an objective standard, “right” and “wrong” become malleable concepts, bent to serve the interests of the powerful or the whims of the majority. The sanctity of life, the dignity of the individual, and the call to love our neighbour are all casualties of a world that has, in Nietzsche’s words, “wiped away the horizon.”
Paul’s description in 2 Timothy concludes with a critical phrase: “Avoid such people.” This instruction is not a call to isolation but a warning to guard against being swept into the moral decay of the age. As Christians, we are called to be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16), preserving and illuminating the truth of God’s Word in a darkened world. This responsibility grows ever more urgent as we witness the acceleration of moral decline.
The abolition of objective morality does not merely signify the loss of ethical guidelines; it signifies humanity’s rebellion against its Creator. By rejecting God, we reject the image in which we are made and the purpose for which we are designed. This rebellion leads not to liberation but to dehumanization, where love is replaced by lust, justice by power, and humility by pride.
Yet, as Christians, we hold to a living hope. The chaos of a godless world is not the end of the story. Christ’s victory over sin and death assures us that God’s kingdom will prevail. Our mission is to proclaim this truth, reminding the world that the solution to its crises lies not in human ingenuity but in repentance and reconciliation with God.
The consequences of abandoning God and objective morality are dire, but they also serve as a call to action. Let us not despair but stand firm, knowing that the light of Christ shines brightest in the darkest times. For while humanity may “kill” God in its philosophies and actions, God remains the sovereign. In Him alone is the restoration of all things, including our lost humanity.