80 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
80 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
7 Ways to Avoid God.
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I think of myself as an average person. ÿI don't hate God. As far as I know
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He has done me no harm. But I do find it difficult to avoid God.
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I am not an atheist. I am an agnostic. If there is a God I don't want to
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know Him. ÿI ÿprefer to live my own life. ÿThe last thing I want is for God
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to get in my way. So I have set out a personal seven-point plan toÿavoid Him.
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ÿWith Bibles on display in bookstores, ÿand churches ÿon almost every street
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corner, my task has not been easy. ÿBut here is my procedure:
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STEP ONE: ÿI sleep Sunday mornings. ÿI ÿpersonally don't find "sleeping in"
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ÿthat easy. ÿI have the bad habit of waking early, ÿeven on Sunday. But ÿI
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ÿhaveÿsolved the problem. ÿIÿtold my doctor ÿI wasÿhavingÿa difficult time
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sleeping and he gave me someÿpills.ÿÿAbout midnight on Saturday ÿI ÿswallow
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ÿtwo pills and am good until eleven o'clockÿSunday morning, which conveniently
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is too late to go to church.
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STEP TWO: ÿÿAs a traveling man I keep hotel and motel dresserÿdrawers
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closed. ÿIn many hotels and motels today a Bible will jump out at you if you
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open a drawer. Iÿenter my room,ÿhang up my suitbag and leave my other things
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in my open suitcase. ÿIÿcarry an off-color paperback with meÿso if there is
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nothing to do in town at least ÿIÿcan read myself to sleep. ÿBy the way, ÿI
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don't accept literature from strangers. ÿWhen offered literature I politely
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tell people I am too busy to read it.
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STEP THREE: ÿIÿcarefully choose my radio stations. ÿMany citiesÿcarry
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twenty-four-hour ÿreligious stations. ÿSome of their music is good but you
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must be wary because they may be skillfully concealing a sharp hook. Right
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while enjoying a fine recording, ÿsome preacher breaks in to tell you that you
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are a sinner and need God. I am on to their tricks, so now I dial a station
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that is really rocking and rolling and feelÿreasonably safe.
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STEP ÿFOUR: ÿI ÿavoid Christian businessmen. ÿIn fact,ÿIÿam aÿchurch
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member. ÿIÿseldom attend,ÿbut my membership has given meÿmanyÿgood
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businessÿcontacts.ÿÿBut one must be careful. ÿIÿhaveÿdiscovered a
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fanaticalÿbrand of businessmen who would rather talk to you aboutÿGod then
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about gold. ÿI don't question their sincerity, ÿbut it takes money to feed a
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ÿfamily, ÿand that is my first concern. ÿWhen aÿChristian businessman invites
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me to church or for Bible study, Iÿusually back cut with, "I have a splitting
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headache" (that sounds better than a hangover) "and just can't make it
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tonight."
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STEP FIVE: ÿI create my own gods. I have a list of things Iÿwould like to
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do but never have time to get done. So Sunday I play around with the most
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attractive items on my list. I have come to feel that that is what Sunday ÿis
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for. ÿEvery person should have a hobby and I use Sundaysÿto spend time on my
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hobbies and to do my thing.
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STEP SIX: I see to it that I am "master of my fate." It is my privilege to
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choose to believe in God or to choose not to believe. ÿIÿaccept the old Roman
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ideaÿthat death ends everything. ÿThisÿmakes theÿwhole business of escaping
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God a lot easier. ÿIt allows one to sing with ÿthe freedom of a bird, "Eat,
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drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die."
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STEP SEVEN: I can always kill myself. This I call my desperate step. I
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don't really advocate it and frankly, ÿIÿam chicken. ÿButÿI know it happens
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ÿmany times a day. ÿSelf-destruction isÿaÿwayÿofÿescape. However, it leaves
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me a little cold. Questions pop into my mind. Is it a copout from life? ÿIs
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it really escape? ÿDoes one avoid God in this way or is death the solemn usher
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that leads me into the presence of God?
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Now that I have answered questions on what I can do to avoid God I ÿfind
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myself faced with an even greater question. If there is a Supreme Being who
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loves me, why should I try to avoid Him? Is my attempt to hide from God
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ÿinconceivable conceit? ÿWould I not be wiser and happier to accept His ÿlove?
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ÿIs it not the fool who says in his heart "There is no God?" Why ÿrun from God?
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ÿHis invitation is pretty inviting for a man who ÿis tired of running: "Come
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unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
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(Matthew 11:28)
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After ÿrunning for so long I gave God my worries and accepted His ÿrest. I
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found it so easy. ÿI just said, "Jesus, ÿYou please take my sin and I will
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take Your salvation." ÿGod and I made the trade and I am no longer running, I
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am resting in His salvation. I have thrown my list away. If you will do what
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I did, you won't need your list either. ÿ"And it shall come to pass, that
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whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21).
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