Judgment and consequences: A few thoughts with contemporary examples

Texts: Romans 1.1-2.11 (Monday thru Wednesday)

A few years ago, Christianity Today ran a poll on the question, "Does God judge nations through human evil (including terrorist attacks)?" The question is prompted by a review of Stephen J. Keillor's book, God's Judgments: Interpreting History and the Christian Faith, a study which attempted to give scholarly cover to the simplistic comments of Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell following the 9/11 attacks. One astute reader noted in the discussion forum following the review the inappropriateness of such a review appearing in a respected evangelical publication.

Keillor's thought reveals a profound (and unforgivable) misunderstanding of the biblical text, most notably the OT texts upon which his premises seems to rely. This makes Falwell's snap judgments, foolish in their own right, seem fairly benign. Americans want to believe that they are some how special. Or that because America is a so called Christian nation, it is blessed by God. Or that because America is protective of the Jews, God will protect them. All of this is hogwash, pure and simple. That Webb and CT don't call it as much is a reflection on their own complicity in spreading such false beliefs, which have absolutely no foundation in or support from the biblical text. I simply cannot imagine what CT had in mind with this review, or why Webb cannot see nonsense when he sees it, and call it such. CT should refrain from even recognizing the existence of works of this sort. They have no credibility and make CT (and Webb) seem like they have never actually read the OT text.

Keillor, like Robertson and Falwell before him, failed to understand the distinction between judgment and consequences. Yes, God judges. He judges individuals, communities, and even nations. But the manner in which he pours out his wrath is, more often than not, indirect rather than direct.

It is all too easy, for example, to say that AIDS is God's judgment against homosexuals and others who engage in unnatural sexual conduct. But such a view is not consistent with what Paul says in this week's readings from Romans 1-2. God's does not mete out his judgment against the wicked by afflicting them with disease and suffering. Rather, he metes out judgment by "[giving] them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves" (Romans 1.24). In other words, God's judgment against the ungodly is to give them over to their ungodliness. Having "exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans 1.25), they are left wide open to the deadly consequences of their actions, thus "receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error" (Romans 1:27). Judgment, then, would seem a rather benign decision on God's part simply to permit an ungodly people to sink to the lowest possible depths of depravity. It is the consequences of his judgment that can be deadly, but the ungodly have no one to blame but themselves for the final outcome.

Paul would also take issue with the claims of Fred Phelps and his cultish followers (mostly extended family members) who go around the country protesting at funerals of servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such deaths, Phelps and company claim, are God's judgment on America for tolerating homosexuality in the military and other institutions.

Conservative Christian leaders from all branches of the faith have rightly denounced Phelps and company for their despicable behavior. But many of the denunciations are as shallow as Phelps's vile rhetoric. The chief concern, most often, is with the damage such over the top tactics do to mainstream Christian opposition to legitimization of homosexual behavior.

But a deeper issue goes largely unaddressed.

There is nothing in the vitriol of Phelps and company that even remotely resembles authentic Christianity, neither in belief nor practice. Spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper, appearing on television several years back, seemed quite gleeful in railing about "a raging, mad God" who is pouring out the cup of his wrath on America, but never once mentioned the name of Jesus. Neither did she say anything about how the country might turn back the wrath of God through repentance.

Even the most abrasive of the Old Testament prophets did not declare God's judgment merely for its own sake. Whenever God announced his judgment in advance, he did so in the sincere hope that he would not have to carry out the sentence. There was always included a clarion call to a wicked nation or a rebellious people to turn away from sin and turn back to God. Phelps and company make no such call to repentance. Having no concern whatsoever for the moral state of the nation, they merely declare judgment for judgment's sake.