Ten really dumb ideas of mankind

As a people, we love "lists." We are eager to see lists of the "Best Dressed," the "Best Books," "The Best Movies," the "Best Restaurants," the "Best Places to Live," the "Best Team," and so on. We love to categorize, group and label. Books of lists are compiled and entertainers make humorous lists, and we get a chuckle out of them.

Some time ago a newspaper columnist, a political science professor at Lyons College in Arkansas, wrote a very entertaining piece using his readers' love of lists as a springboard. His column was entitled "Ten Really Dumb Ideas." In his column he listed and explained what he thought were the ten dumbest political ideas of the twentieth century.

I found his approach to be a very interesting way to focus on mistakes from which we can learn valuable lessons. Mankind has made some really dumb mistakes through the ages, which have resulted in much pain, suffering, and hardship for the human race.

With this in mind – using the professor's approach – in this commentary, we will embark on a list-making expedition focusing on ten "really dumb ideas of mankind." Here we go now: Number Ten!

10. There is good in all religion.

This is widely taught, and many people fall into the trap of this dumb idea. Millions of people study the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Sikhism and of course Islam. Then, there are the many branches of professing Christianity to which hundreds of millions of people are devoted. A growing number of people are even getting into Wicca, or witchcraft, and Satanism. After all, there is some good in all religion, so they must be OK, right? Wrong!

In Exodus 20:1, 3-6, we find that The Eternal God of the bible is very possessive. He demands allegiance to Him only. He will not share His people with gods that are not God. In Jeremiah 10:1-3 God, through the prophet Jeremiah, warned the people, "do not learn the way of the heathen" for, "the customs of the people are vain" (KJV).

The Apostle Paul made it very clear in I Corinthians 10:14 when he said, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." Notice, he said to run from it! Going on in verses 21-22, Paul said, "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's Table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?"

Some idolatry is very obvious and some is not so obvious. Statues or other images, religious relics, icons or works of art representing God that are worshipped or venerated are clearly idolatrous. The bible also makes it clear that a person's attitude can be idolatrous. In 1 Samuel 15:23, the prophet Samuel told King Saul that his rebelliousness and stubbornness was as, "iniquity and idolatry." In the New Testament the Apostle Paul made it plain that inordinate desire was wrong when he wrote, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5).

King Solomon of Israel, who had a special gift of wisdom from God, put this subject into proper perspective when he wrote: "Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor. So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor" (Ecclesiastes 10:1). Certainly, a little error, something rotten, can ruin some thing that would otherwise be worthwhile, rendering it worthless or even harmful.

The untruths and falsehoods found in all these religions render them worthless, and the Eternal God says (paraphrased) "Don't go there!"

If you want to know more about the religious practices of the early Christian church during the times of the Apostles, request our booklet entitled, Restoring Apostolic Christianity. You can order it online or download it at this website. Just click on the "booklets" tab.

Do it today.

(More of the Ten Really Dumb Ideas of Mankind will be featured in a series of Commentaries.)

Next: 9. Nothing is worthy of respect.