I had forgotten about this one from March 8, 2014…

The other day my wife sent me a picture and asked me to “crush it” and my immediate reaction was just to let it go… what’s the point?  You see these kinds of things all the time here on WP, and it just strikes me as pathetic and thinly veiled  attempts to justify a position.  Don’t get me wrong, if a person chooses not to believe, that’s their business and their right (granted by God, by the way) but to use a child is pathetic.

The more I thought about it however, I decided to deviate from my usual policy and comment on the one she sent. No, I’d prefer not to include it here, it depicts a very young little girl, smiling sweetly and holding up a hand written sign that says.

“According to religion I am: broken, flawed, sinful, dumb, weak, nothing. According to science I am: full of wonder, smart, a great learner, beautiful, potential for greatness. Which do you think is damaging?”

The little girl in the picture looks to be 4 or 5; I highly doubt she wrote these words…

The sign wasn’t specific on which religion her mother or father had in mind; Heaven help us if it was written by her teacher!  Anyway, I can only look at this from the point of view of a Christian, so here goes…

As for what “religion” says, some of that list is true.  Are we broken, flawed and or sinful? Probably so, certainly none of us are perfect. Healing comes from recognizing our imperfection and seeking grace, and we have grace to offer!  Dumb? Does anyone know of any religion that teaches we are dumb?  Does Christianity teach that we are dumb? Not even close.  Apparently the person who made this sign and gave it to an innocent child to hold for a photo wasn’t a very a faithful steward of the truth, or is woefully misinformed. Does Christianity teach that we are weak?  Yes, I guess it does in the sense that we are weak without God who strengthens us. Nothing, does Christianity teach that we are nothing?  No, in fact it teaches that God so loved us that He sent His only Son to die to rescue us, that He knows every hair on our heads, and that He knew us while we were still in our mother’s womb!  Again, it seems that someone is playing a little fast and loose with the truth.

Now what does science teach, does it teach anything like the sign says?

Seriously?

NO! It teaches that the little girl in the picture is the accidental evolution of random pond scum who is without hope, without purpose and without any particular value, apart from what she might someday contribute to society. Gee, once again we are far from representations that are truthful.

As for which is damaging, I’ll leave that to you.

Sadly, that poor little girl seems like she is going to be taught a willful and deliberate set of lies, and that is sad indeed. What does that say about the person doing it?  Seems like maybe they are sinful, broken, weak and flawed… but there is hope! No, it doesn’t come from the latest amazing advances of science, it come from the fact that Jesus died for your sin, and is waiting with open and loving arms to attend to your healing and transformation from hopelessness to eternal life, a life that is full, and purposeful.

Ironic, isn’t it?

No, I didn’t “crush anything, I’m feeling charitable today.