Opus 2024-408: The Proliferation of Heathens

Have you ever wondered why there are so many heathens around?  Have you ever wondered why they seem to be so prosperous and live such long lives?  The thought came to mind today that it might be because they resemble kittens who never grow up.  Or perhaps it’s like having a perpetual supply of grandchildren.  One of the great joys of kittens is the stupid things they do.  Of all the cats we’ve had we only had a kitten once, and I remember how it would just suddenly, for no known reason, do a couple of flips in the air.  I remember how vigorously it would chase red dots.  There was something about kittens that generated a spontaneous joy in everything around them.  Of course they were also very destructive.  Their energy not only knew no bounds it seemed without awareness of consequences.  They would climb your expensive curtains just as readily as an old piece of canvas thrown over a board.  In fact, they might be more drawn to your expensive curtains simply because something in them knew it would generate problems.

Such is the nature of kittens.

The same could be said of grandchildren, except that there is a much greater long-term potential for good or evil and the grandchildren.  Keep in mind that the great satanic names that we’d like to throw around, like Hitler or Soros, belong to people who are once grandchildren.  They may have had a doting grandparents, allowing them to get away with all kinds of nefarious things not knowing that they were building the foundation for destructive personalities.

So why does God allow the heathens of the world to prosper so much?  Well, on one side, he knows that they are destined for an eternity in hell so they might as well get much as much joy as possible in this life.  While He is making that generous allowance, I think He also enjoys some of the nonsense they come up with.  He enjoys seeing how they don’t seem to be able to think or reason.  Maybe God has a streak of slapstick in His nature.

This comes to mind from a quote that I got from reading Durant’s book on the development of civilization.  He quotes a scholar who has the audacity to actually offer dates for the exodus from Egypt that would match with the Bible seems to be saying.  And notice his logic,

“He believes that the material found in these tombs confirms the story of the fall of Jericho (Joshua, vi); he dates this fall ca. 1400 B.C., and the Exodus ca. 1447 B.C.  As this chronology rest upon the precarious dating of scarabs and pottery, it must be received with respectful skepticism.” p. 302, footnote

Now I ask you, just what kind of data do archaeologists use to date things if it’s not obscure markings and figurines?  I don’t know about the sculpture, but I know that they will date things based on the shape and style of pottery.

Here is a heathen writer who is very talented except for the fact that he didn’t do much homework.  He makes a pontifical announcement about some thing and acts like it’s great wisdom when actually, it’s kind of foolish.

Somehow I think God finds it entertaining.  Again, I may be on the border of heresy, but the idea came to me.

Durant, Will.  The Story of Civilization:  Part 1, Our Oriental Heritage.  New York:  Simon and Schuster, 1954.

homo unius libri