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The Two Ditches: Atheism on the Left, Imperial Dictator God on the Right

The Two Ditches: Atheism on the Left, Imperial Dictator God on the Right

God is Creator — builder of all reality (space, time, energy, life) — and God’s laws are the laws upon which reality are constructed to operate — the laws of physics, health, and the moral laws.

One cannot break God’s design laws and remain in harmony with life. All deviations from God’s design for life unavoidably result in injury, pain, suffering, and ultimately death — unless remedied by God.

God’s law cannot be changed in any form or fashion. To change even the slightest element of God’s law would cause the universe to fall apart and cease to exist.

Rejection of the truth about God and His design protocols for life always results in pain, suffering, and death — regardless of whether that rejection is to the left (Atheism) or to the right (Christian fundamentalism with an Imperial God-construct).

Evidence that rejection of God to the left (Atheism) damages and destroys:

  • The French Revolution: In the late 18th century, the French parliament voted to reject God and embrace the Goddess of Reason. The result? A combination of horrible hedonistic debasement, cruelty, and violence. The country was torn by the Reign of Terror in which tens of thousands were executed in both internal and external wars.
  • Communist Soviet Union and Communist China: Both countries rejected God and His methods and principles. Instead they promoted the doctrine of a godless universe with a principle of “Survival of the Fittest.” Millions died as a result of the evolutionary idea that the strongest should survive and dominate the weak, even though it was presented through the Marxist mantra.

Rejecting God, and moving to a godless frame for society, unleashes the basest passions infecting humanity — fear and selfishness. Only the power of love, emanating from our God of love, is capable of restraining these destructive forces. When we reject God, He grants us freedom and we reap what we have chosen. His restraining power is removed and selfishness, exploitation, violence, and destruction ensue.

While recent history has given us ample evidence that rejecting God altogether (moving to the ditch on the left) results in destruction as the infection of fear and selfishness breaks out unrestrained, there is greater evidence from history that the ditch on the right (Imperial God-concepts) is equally damaging.

What are Imperial God-concepts? The idea that God’s law is functionally no different than the types of laws humans enact — imposed rules, rather than design protocols. Such imperial rules require the ruling authority to use its power to enforce adherence to the law and thus punish rule-breakers. In this construct, God is presented as the source of inflicted pain, suffering, and death, all under the claim of “divine justice.”

Because of one of God’s design laws, the law of worship (or modeling), we are actually changed to become like the god we admire and worship. Thus, when the dictator views of God are taught, people become more authoritarian. They will eventually use the methods of coercion to punish those they view as breaking God’s laws. History is replete with this type of behavior:

Evidence that rejection of God to the right (Imperial God-constructs) damages and destroys:

  • The Dark Ages: those who believed differently were burned at the stake.
  • The Inquisition: An authoritarian church aimed to root out and punish heresy through torture, imprisonment, and death.  
  • Conversion from Islam: Muslims who convert to another religion risk being punished or even killed for their decision.
  • The Rwanda genocide: More than one million people were killed in 4 months during the Rwandan Civil War in the 1990’s. The primary killing zones were churches. People from every denominational group participated in the killing and were convicted of war crimes. In the aftermath, researchers found the common denominator, which separated those who participated in the killing from those who protected the refugees, was the god-concept held. Those who had an authoritarian god, with imperial law that inflicted punishment for law-breaking, participated in the killing. But those who worshipped a God of love, who seeks to heal and save people (consistent with design law), protected the refugees. It didn’t matter what denomination, how they were baptized, what day they worshipped upon — the only factor that mattered was whether they rejected the truth about God’s character of love and His design law methods.

While rejecting God and moving to a godless view of the universe (the ditch to the left) results in pain, suffering, and death, accepting a false view of God as dictatorial and His law as imperial rules that require Him to inflict punishment for breaking His law (the ditch on the right) is just as damaging, if not more so.

Satan, the master deceiver and trickster, gets people in both the left and right ditches to attack each other. Both groups are suffering without remedy to their terminal condition. They see the lie of the other ditch and feel relieved not to be deceived by that lie, but remain trapped in their own ditch, never realizing they, too, are dying without hope.

If we want genuine healing of mind, restoration of heart, happiness, cooperation, love, and unity — an actual healthy and vibrant life — then this is only possible by living in harmony with God’s design protocols for life.

We must reject the lie on the left that there is no God, but we must also reject the lie on the right that God is a dictator and His laws are imposed rules that require Him to punish sinners.

We must embrace the truth that the punishment for sin comes from sin itself, from being out of harmony with God and His principles of life and health. We must realize that only God can heal, only God can save, and only God can fix what is wrong with us and restore humanity back to perfection.

And this can only happen when we reject these lies and return to the truth about who God is.  Then, invite Him into our hearts to heal and transform. I invite you to reject the lies about God and experience the freedom, love, and joy that living in harmony with our Creator and His protocols for life bring!

 

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I got the book “Could It Be This Simple?” a few months ago and the reading was wonderful and I was fascinated. I lent the book to a friend at work. She is having a difficult time and the book is helping her to find Jesus and I found this very exciting. She has asked me questions and I can see her life changing.

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I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa

 

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I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

Bless you for all you do.

Melissa L.

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

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I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA

 

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We listen to your bible studies lessons in our class in Montana. You actually were the main reason I decided to get a laptop, so I can go to your site and listen, read, learn, and print the class notes. I am so grateful to learn the correct view of God and his character. Now, to just have others have an interest in knowing, so I can share it with them. Good thoughts your way.

R. N., MT, USA

 

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.

 

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 12

I have been really blessed reading your response to the various questions on your site.

K.C., OH, USA

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

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I’m a youth leader in South Africa. We as a youth group are currently using a lot of the material on the Come and Reason site. Since we’ve started using the material, our youth group has grown.

R. V. N., South Africa

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA