In his Breakpoint commentary, Chuck Colson lamented the idolatrous condition of our world. He reported:
Between 1976 and 1997, the number of Americans who believed in astrology grew from seventeen to thirty-seven percent. During the same period, the percentage of Americans who professed a belief in reincarnation nearly tripled—from nine percent to twenty-five percent. . . . In addition, up to half of all Americans [believe] in necromancy (that is, conjuring up the dead).
With compassion, Paul boldly preached the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
According to Colson, only one conclusion can be drawn from the findings: It's as simple as ABC—Anything But Christianity. We lack discernment about spiritual issues.
As G. K. Chesterton remarked through his insightful character Father Brown,
People readily swallow the untested claims of this, that, or the other. It's drowning all your old rationalism and skepticism, it's coming in like a sea; and the name of it is superstition. . . . It's the first effect of not believing in God that you lose your common sense and can't see things as they are. . . . And a dog is an omen, and a cat is a mystery, . . . (The Incredulity of Father Brown)
Today's lack of true spiritual discernment is the same problem that Paul faced in Athens. The Athenians did not believe in God. Instead, they believed in many gods, and in order to ensure that every god was represented in their worship, they even erected an altar with the inscription "to an unknown god" (Acts 17:23).
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