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Outrage and Terror

Recent news stories have re-visited the horrors inflicted by acts of terrorism in this country.To our relief, most of it has been around the battle to apprehend and bring the perpetrators to the justice system.   But that is not the case in all countries, nor are issues localised to a single country. Ten or twenty years ago, mention terrorism in the UK, and we thought of Northern Ireland. Now, terrorism is a global issue, one that troubles politicians in most countries of the world.

Here are a few facts and figures for 2005: (1)

11,111 Incidents of terrorism worldwide

5,131 Incidents resulting in the death of at least one individual

14,602 Individuals worldwide killed as a result of incidents of terrorism

24,705 Individuals worldwide injured as a result of incidents of terrorism

34,780 Individuals worldwide kidnapped as a result of incidents of terrorism

There is little doubt that no one wants to see close relatives killed, so why is it that such conflict occurs? Conflict which ranges in description (and depending on your point of view) from 'fighting for (defending) what is right' to 'evil terrorism'; from 'holy war' to 'butchery'.   Some find it difficult to see the difference between terrorism and what has also occurred in wars throughout history.

There is a question: what causes intelligent man to do such desperate deeds?

It is not our purpose to consider the rights and wrongs of individual cases, but to consider fundamental questions about our human traits. Questions which can only be answered by our Designer and Creator. Answered for us in the Bible, God's word.  

Inherently Good?
One view of mankind is that there is inherent good in each one of us.   That is, that we all want to do good. That given time, civilisation will progress to the point where peace and harmony is universally found.

But God says:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9

Which view is right?  
If we look at history, what do we see?   We do see incredible technological progress.   We do see parts of the world where there is higher 'quality of life.'   Yet where progress has been made, technology has been turned to evil purposes.  

For example, Alfred Nobel is perhaps best known for his bequest prizes for making peaceful progress. His technology contribution was the invention of dynamite - a stable form of nitro-glycerine. Nobel's invention was aimed at helping to build railways and roads through hill country. He even hoped that these explosives would outlaw war by making it too horrible. Rather than seeing war outlawed, explosives such as dynamite were the backbone of the armouries of the world at war. So we find truth in the words of the prophet Jeremiah - "the heart of man is ... desperately wicked".

Shifting the Blame   
Yet men find it hard to face the facts. It is much easier to shift the blame. Many believe that if God is the force of good, then there is also an opposing force of evil. This is not a new idea either. The Persians over 2,500 years ago believed in two gods - one of light, good (Ahura Mazda) and one of darkness, or evil (Ahriman). Today this idea is reflected in belief a supernatural being, called Satan or the Devil.

Again, we consider words from the Bible:

I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: ... I am the LORD, and there is none else.   I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things .
Isaiah 45:5-7

God clearly states that He is the sole power, denying any other immortal influence of creation, of good or evil. There is no room for belief in a supernatural devil.

The teaching of the Lord Jesus is consistent with this:

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Mark 7:20-23

Evil comes from within, says Jesus.   And this teaching was re-iterated by his disciple, the apostle James:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.   Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1:13-15

More than just telling us that our doing wrong is as a result of listening to ourselves, James tells us that this brings our death.   Just as Adam disobeyed God in the garden of Eden (Genesis chapters 2 and 3) and was condemned to die, so does everyone who sins - you and me.

What is the Antidote?
Death comes from 'listening to ourselves', being self-centred. From the apostle Paul, writing to Christians in Rome, we learn the antidote:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23

The answer is to try to be like Jesus who was completely self-less in his life. Not self-centred, but God-centred. And the first step is to recognise that we cannot shift the blame to some other being.

(1) http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2005/65353.htm

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