Bill O'Reilly: Confused about Christianity
I'm not a Bill O'Reilly fan. I do agree with much of his politics and many of his views on cultural and societal issues, but I'm generally put-off by his style and attitude. And I now have an additional reason to view with skepticism anything he writes about faith and religion.
His column entitled "Suddenly, atheism has become 'cool' for many people" ran on Sunday's Opinion page in our local newspaper, and it was a discussion of the increasingly loud voices of atheists in our society. O'Reilly who claims to be a man of faith, presumably Christian describes a portion of his debate with Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion. In response to something Dawkins says about the origin of the universe, O'Reilly makes the following statement:
Well.
I gave up long ago trying to be anyone else's spiritual Jiminy Cricket, once I realized that I have very few answers, and those I have I don't always fully understand. I've also found that it's more than sufficient to simply rely on the Bible in all issues of faith. And the Bible clearly says that Bill needs to re-examine his beliefs and his faith if he wants to be a spokesman for Christians.
The Bible isn't vague or disingenuous about the identity of Jesus Christ and his role. According to the Bible, he was before time and space, and will be after time ceases; he's the Alpha and Omega. He's the creator, and the sovereign ruler over creation. He's the loving savior the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. He's King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Bright and Morning Star, the Lion of Judah. He's fully God and fully Man, a concept which we'll never be able to fully grasp this side of Heaven. No, the Bible leaves no doubt as to the identity of Jesus, or whether he is God.
If none of that were true if any of that is false then, like the apostle Paul put it, we Christians are to be pitied more than any other people, because our faith is nothing apart from the reality and truth of Jesus Christ and his saving grace.
My advice to Mr. O'Reilly, worth what he's paying for it, is to forgo a few debates with atheists and spend the time studying the Bible.
How 'bout it!
It's good advice for all of us, not just the blowhards.
Posted by: Jim at June 11, 2007 06:57 PMI would just email you but Suddenlink is down. Maybe because it's 3 AM there. We are in London and using our host's computer.
Your comments are profound and very much on target. Being here in England, the land of the liberated and seeing a anti Israel demonstration near Piccadilly with mostly Brits applauding for the destruction of Israel I have become more aware of the strong delusion that has blinded our world. I sensed the lostness of the world in a way that causes me to grieve in a despairing way. Its so different from the last time we were here twenty years ago. Maybe Im getting old --- getting?
Well we are off to down town and hope the rain holds off.
Thanks for your comments and I really enjoyed the video clips from your previous blog.
Gene, thanks for taking the time to check in from London; feel free to give us ongoing reports from merry old England!
If it rains on you over there, just make yourself at home -- it's raining here, too.
Posted by: Eric at June 12, 2007 07:48 AMShakes head. I don't know whether I read someone else saying this or whether I just thought it when I read the post orginally but you have to wonder whether he ever had a personal relationship with our Mighty Creator!
Posted by: Rach at June 13, 2007 06:07 AMAmen.
Posted by: Foo at June 13, 2007 06:46 AMAbout the publisher
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What? Confuse perfectly inane opinion with actual fact? Puh-leeese!
I believe mightily in God's perfect plan for all of us, and know better than to doubt His ability to take the meaningless, the mundane, and the absurd from our lives and knit it into a coherent, eternal future. But when that blowhard gets going, well, Come SOON, Lord Jesus!
Posted by: Bret at June 11, 2007 06:50 PM