Recently a Central Coast resident wrote a letter to the editor in another paper titled: “Religion is a Problem” (Jan. 3, Santa Barbara News-Press). In his letter the writer attributes the atrocities, killings, and social mayhem in the world to religion.
Recognizing the perverted attempts of radical Islamists directed by a tenet of Islamic Sharia law to kill nonbelievers (a theology not accepted by most Muslims), the writer acknowledged that roughly 80 percent of the U.S. population believes in religion. The letter then proclaimed “such is the height of wickedness to which men are driven by religion.”
The true fact is that more murders (roughly 100 million) have been perpetrated in the last century alone by communist atheists Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, and by fascist Adolph Hitler (6 million of whom were Jews), than by all of the world’s religions, combined, over a time span of two millennia. The true cause of most killing and evil in the world today is not because of religion, but because of the diminution of religion … the growing separation of man from God.
God, our creator, and still controller of the universe, created man to be with him, both here on earth and forever in heaven, if we so choose. Man has been created in the image of God, uniquely possessing some of the attributes of God who truly loves us, wants us to love him, and to love one-another (biblical reference: “The Great Commandment” Matthew 22:34-40).
As stated in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should have everlasting life.” The important question is: How can we reverse the downward trajectory of our relationship with God drawing closer to him, and in so-doing achieve lifelong and eternal happiness?
After considerable thought on this matter, it dawned on me that just as our physical bodies need proper care and nutrition for adequate health, so also our spirits need proper care and nutrition. Then I came up with a brainstorm, which was that we should provide for our spiritual nutrition by partaking “spiritual BLTs” … not the familiar sandwiches we ingest to nourish and satisfy the hunger of our physical bodies, but “spiritual sandwiches” comprised of belief, love, and trust (in God)—these three elements providing the holy nutrition we need, which when partaken is richly rewarding and wonderfully satisfying to our souls. And know that these spiritual BLTs are greatly enhanced when garnished by the generous seasoning of communication between God and man—from man to God via our prayers, and from God to man via his “love letter” to us, i.e. the Bible, and the moral compass (conscience) and divine inspiration God also provides. We are truly blessed that God created us and loves us so. Mankind is indeed the crown jewel of God’s creation.
This article appears in Mar 3-10, 2016.
