Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
April 11, 1963
NUMBER 48, PAGE 10a

A "Modern" Believer

Roy L. Foutz

The following brief article was published in the January, 1960, issue of The Readers Digest. It was titled "Vice Versa" and was written by Stanley J. Harris. It is an excerpt from Strictly Personal, which was published by Regnery.

"A favorite argument of those who disagree with the idea of a purposeful God is to point to all the evil in the world. 'How can a benevolent God permit so much badness to exist and to flourish,' they ask?

"I always like to answer this question by turning it inside out and confronting these people with what I call 'the problem of good.' How do they account for the existence of so much good in the world? How is it that man, who only a few thousand years ago was on the level of the beasts, has risen to the heights of love, unselfishness and self-sacrifice? Why should he lay down his life for his friends? Why should he sacrifice his welfare for others? Why has the history of humanity been so illuminated by heroes and martyrs who have willingly died for an idea greater than themselves?

'We tend to take for granted the virtues of mankind and excoriate his vices. But why should mankind have any virtues at all beyond those of the scorpion or the spider? We have far more cause for rejoicing at God's goodness than for reviling man's imperfections."

Seemingly, this author is striving to show to his readers that he believes in a "purposeful" God. Yet, he denies the record of the Bible, which is God's word to man, concerning the relationship of man to the animal kingdom. Notice his worth again: "How is it that man, who only a few thousand years ago was on the level of the beasts (Emphasis mine. R. L. F.) has risen to the heights of love, unselfishness and self-sacrifice?"

I wonder if Mr. Harris ever read the first chapter of Genesis. Since he claims to be a believer in God, I feel sure that he has; however, a careful reading of his article indicates that he either has not read it or does not believe what it says. This chapter describes the creation of all things and beings by God. Let us notice the 26th verse: "And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth?' (Emphasis mine R L F )

According to the Bible man was never "on the level of the beasts" as this article asserts. Since the Bible says so, it is true and Mr. Harris is another false prophet. This is just another example of an "unbelieving believer." How he, or anyone else, can claim to believe in God and then deny His word, His revelation, is a deep mystery. — Greenville Texas