Much is written today about Atheism. More than is needed in fact. How can I say that? Isn't the goal of apologetics to explain and defend the faith to those far from God? Yes, it is, but our apologetics and outreach should focus on the real people around us and not a fictional audience. Atheists only make up between four to six percent of the U. S. population. Some of them may keep a high profile, but they haven't been all that effective. Their numbers have not significantly grown in recent history. We should not ignore them altogether, but we should be giving more time to the major enemies of faith at work around us.
Chief among these is Romanticism. Romanticism is a philosophical and artistic reaction to Enlightenment with its narrow focus and trust of reason. In response, the Romantics triumphed the power of the emotions and insight. They believed that society and reason often undercut and twisted us, but if we listened to our heart we could live authentically. While most Americans know little or nothing about formal Romantic philosophy, it has invaded every part of our culture and become dominant in our thoughts.
Some examples would be useful. When someone says, "I am closest to God when I am out in nature," they are repeating a Romantic idea. The emotion of awe and pleasure that some people experience is interpreted as a religious experience even though there is no real belief or a personal focus of worship. The emotional experience itself is seen as a religious experience. When someone expresses their opinion about a factual topic by beginning the statement with "I feel" rather than "I think," it is an unconscious appeal to Romantic ideals. "If it feels good, do it," "always go with your heart," and "finding yourself" are all Romantic ideas.
So what's the problem? Jeremiah 17:9 highlights the problem:
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
While Romantic philosophers balanced Enlightenment thought somewhat, they are at odds with reality. They believed in a basic goodness in humanity that would allow us to trust our hearts, our emotions, in all things. That is at odds with all we learn from God about ourselves, and it be honest, it's at odds with what we see around us. We don't have to look far to see the train wrecks that have been caused by blindly following our heart.
Far more people are led astray by Romanticism than by Atheism. More important, though, is the degree that Romanticism has replace Biblical theology within the church. Emotions are often confused with the voice of the Holy Spirit. If I have an emotional peace about something, then it must be okay. That kind of peace most often results in mediocracy or disobedience. Statements such as, "I don't care what the Bible says, I have a peace about my decision," reflect that confusion.
But didn't Jesus take care of all that once I became a Christian? Actually, no. We are told that we find salvation and forgiveness when we come to Christ, but that is a beginning point of God's work of transformation. Our healing will not be complete until our resurrection in the age to come. Now, we are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as we put off the old self and put on a new self (Col. 3:1-17). My heart still needs watching. I don't feel a emotional peace about the risks that God legitimately calls me to, and it's hard to "find myself" when I'm still being formed.
I don't despise emotion, and I don't try to pretend that God didn't make me an emotional being. It does mean that I look to Scripture and the Holy Spirit to build in me the character that I was not born with. In addition, I recognize that I am an active agent in building my character. God does not do it for me, but through Christ my deceitful heart has a cure that was impossible without him.
