© 1992 Jack Rogers
© 1992 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
| Significant Books: “God and Religion in the Postmodern World” By David Ray Gritlin | Spring 1992 — Index | The Dawn of a New Age |
For a number of years I have had a special interest in examining the messages of some current televangelists. Among many of the more fundamentalist televangelists there seems to be a common theme in their preaching that might be of some concern to both mainline clergy and readers of The Urantia Book.
First, there has developed a form of apocalyptic dispensationalism that includes predictions of war, famine, disease, and an unprecedented level of world destruction preceding the return of Christ. Second, there is a concerted attack on the New Age Movement that tends to be particularly vicious in its condemnation of participants uncritically lumped into this category.
Although there is nothing new in this message, it may be helpful to look at it in the context of current events. In these shifting and uncertain times of social, political and economic events, we need the faith and stability of mainline theology and the evolutionary universe grasp of reality so insightfully presented in The Urantia Book rather than televangelists’ pronouncements of gloom and doom.
For those not familiar with televangelists’ preaching, it may be helpful to review some of their dispensational claims. There is an elaborate time table for the return of Christ, which is considered immanent. Out of their predicted devastating social and political events, a theology of the “rapture” has evolved in which the faithful will avoid the “seven year tribulation” by being taken to heaven. The wrath of God will then be poured out on the earth for seven years. An army of 200 million will attack Israel from the north. There will be famine, disease, pestilence, and even interstellar cosmic destruction. At the end of these events Christ will return in triumphal array, bind and imprison the devil, and establish his kingdom for a thousand years of peace.
Central to this scenario is the belief that the Antichrist is now on the planet. The European Common Market is linked with Biblical texts, and is expected to be the seat of power for the Antichrist. Accordingly, the democratization of Eastern Europe, the breakup of the Soviet Union and other sociopolitical events are being interpreted as the fulfillment of prophesy rather than stages of social evolution. This mythology has evolved a magical theology of the saved and the lost.
It has been fashionable in fundamentalist circles to attack the New Age Movement as unchristian, inspired by the devil, and born out of such philosophical swamps as secular humanism, hedonism, satanism, scientism and many other social, cultural, and quasi-religious organizations. Many televangelists lump every social movement that does not meet their approval under this single heading without any effort to distinguish among widely divergent groups. Most of these groups are a refurbished version of philosophical and religious movements of past centuries.
We are living in one of the major turning points of history. Our entire socioeconomic and political civilization is undergoing change. Underlying all of our cultural institutions there is a searching, a spiritual hunger, and a worldwide stirring which may be preparing us for a new spiritual renaissance. During such times of unrest and transition there is always a resurgence of conservatism in politics and religion. Those experiencing the greatest trauma in these periods of change are the fundamentalists of the old order. It is, therefore, not surprising that they denounce everything and anything that is new and different.
It has been fashionable in fundamentalist circles to attack the New Age Movement as unchristian, inspired by the devil, and born out of such philosophical swamps as secular humanism, hedonism, satanism, scientism and many other social, cultural, and quasireligious organizations.
Most mainline Christians have traditionally chosen to ignore the extremism inspired by these end-time theologies. Some form of fundamentalist dispensationalism has been with us since the time of Christ. Furthermore, such attacks on new ideas by religious reactionaries have played an important part of our history. Although such hostilities threaten the freedom of expression and diversity in our society, they may also serve to define extremism and clarify the faddish and illusory perspectives that proliferate in periods of spiritual awakening.The authors of The Urantia Book point out that such dogmatic and reactionary pronouncements speak more of spiritual arrogance than truth, and throughout history have tended to stifle creative endeavors in the search for reality.
The second coming of Christ has been a focal point of the Christian community since its inception. Speculation and predictions of its time have been legion. The primary misconception of televangelists in their apocalyptic pronouncements is that they confuse the finite material kingdom of the world —or the church— with the Kingdom of God, which is spiritual and eternal. The teachings of Jesus clearly distinguish between the two.
Neither mainline Biblical scholars nor The Urantia Book provide a timetable for Christ’s return to our world. Both sources affirm that there is no reliable way to make such predictions and both come to the same conclusions regarding his return: Although Jesus promises to return, his return should not be connected with any particular epoch or event. We should always be ready to welcome him on earth, even as he is now prepared to welcome and receive us in heaven.
The televangelists’ pronouncements of apocalyptic dispensationalism have many negative and erroneous implications. They dispense a theology of fear, pessimism and disappointment. Their literalist interpretation of the Bible projects a static view of the human condition. Evolution is seen as a concept born out of secular humanism. Instead of viewing it as the creative methodology of God in the finite universe, as do the authors of The Urantia Book, they see evolution as a heretical evil.
The “saved” and “lost” psychology of the fundamentalistic televangelists makes it very difficult for them to think of our world as existing under Jesus’ concept of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all humankind. They view the world theologically as an area of irreconcilable confrontation and their preaching is often framed in nationalistic and patriotic terms.
The religion of Jesus considers all ideas defining the “chosen” in terms of material qualities of lifestyle, political philosophy, theological perspective, and social status as arrogant and erroneous human judgments. Neither the Bible nor The Urantia Book provide us with an infallible guide to spiritual evaluation. Such an assumption of infallibility in the minds of ordinary people or demagogues is dangerous. History is littered with examples of tyrants imposing their will upon people because they possess “the true way.”
Neither the Bible nor The Urantia Book provide us with an infallible guide to spiritual evaluation. Such an assumption of infallibility in the minds of ordinary people or demagogues is dangerous.
In spite of these limitations, there are constructive developments which accrue from apocalyptism. What the teachings of mainline theologians have failed to accomplish in the popular mind, television may now provide the opportunity to achieve. As a much larger audience is exposed to the extremism of their positions and the failure of their predictions, the light of truth may be increased in our culture. It is becoming increasingly difficult to persuade the person on the street that the Battle of Armageddon will result from the breakup and democratization of the Soviet Union.
Perhaps humankind will mature beyond the simplistic literalist interpretation of scripture and recognize its deeper qualities as a spiritual guide. A new generation of truth seekers will understand the realities of evolutionary change without needing the fictitious quick fix of the “rapture.” An enlightened humanity will no longer tolerate the vagaries of a Biblical anthropocentric cosmology.
Perhaps humankind will mature beyond the simplistic literalist interpretation of scripture and recognize its deeper qualities as a spiritual guide. A new generation of truth seekers will understand the realities of evolutionary change without needing the fictitious quick fix of the “rapture.”
Finally, the religious fundamentalists and reactionaries contribute a helpful service to society in providing comfort and psychological security to those who find it threatening and difficult to adjust to new ideas and progressive change, while at the same time counterbalancing the more radical aspects of religious visionaries who are equally out of touch with evolutionary reality.
The future of human destiny is in good hands. Even though we do not have a spiritual crystal ball to foretell the vicissitudes of human destiny, the sovereignty of God controls the culmination of history. The overcontrol of the Creator will assure that divine purposes and objectives will be achieved. We see a demonstration of this truth as we look at the spiritual depth and hunger of the Soviet people as they emerge from the despair of Marxist atheism.
Finally, I am convinced that Christ’s return to our planet will surpass our highest human expectations and be far more glorious than any of us imagine! We need not conjure up scenarios of disaster to win souls for the kingdom. The program of the Master emphasizing the priorities of truth, beauty, and goodness actualized through love and service is sufficient to inspire all people to enter the kingdom and share the joyful knowledge that life is progressively enriching and eternal.
| Significant Books: “God and Religion in the Postmodern World” By David Ray Gritlin | Spring 1992 — Index | The Dawn of a New Age |