A Fanatic Life or a
Normal Life
What will our life be
like if we love God and our neighbors as God would have us love? This is a
very, very, difficult question. It is clear that if we love God and our neighbors
we will give food to a starving child, water to a thirsty stranger, shelter to
someone who is homeless and cold. This intuitive truth is strong and basic. Is
it always good to give a drink of water to a thirsty neighbor? There may be
situations where we must choose to give water to one of two neighbors based on
which neighbor must have the water immediately to live. There may be times when
we are physically prevented from giving water to a thirsty neighbor, or when
there may be other negative consequences of doing so. Yet it is clear that the
basic, fundamental, statement "we should give water to a thirsty
neighbor" is always true.
So where does all that we have said leave us? Does it leave us with pragmatic,
situation ethics, where that which is "good" is determined by
individual circumstances? It does not. Perhaps God will forgive us if we love
God and our neighbor with a lesser love, yet that does not change the fact that
you can and should "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your mind, with all your strength" and "love your
neighbor as yourself", nothing more, nothing less, period.
If I love a neighbor who is hungry and thirsty what will I do? The answer is
that I will give them food and water. No matter how hard I have tried to find
another answer, if I love my neighbor and my neighbor is hungry and thirsty, I
cannot imagine not giving them food and water. If you know and understand the
love that God has given us, you know and understand that there is no other
answer. This alone tells me that if we love our neighbor as God would have us
love, we will not live a "normal life", we will live a "fanatic
life".
So what will we do if we live a "fanatic life"? If you love your
neighbor as yourself, you will go from neighbor to neighbor, communicating
God's word to them by word and deed so that each and every one knows and
understands that they can and should choose to do that which is good, that they
can and should choose to do God’s will. If you love your neighbor as yourself,
how can you do anything less than the best you can so that each and every one
of your neighbors knows and understands that they can choose to do God's will,
and live a joyous life forever in heaven?
Even though you may agree with what we have just said, you need to recognize
that it is incredibly difficult to live a "fanatic life". It is
relatively easy to accept that living a "normal life" filled with
love for our family and friends is far better than living a life filled with
selfish physical and emotional pleasure. It is not as easy to accept that a
"normal life" is not the life that we should live, that it is not the
"good life". It is extremely difficult to accept that we should live
a life filled with "fanatic" and total acceptance of that which God
would have us do.
This brings us to a very difficult question, if you "love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your
strength" and "love your neighbor as yourself", and you live in
a world where some people do not choose to do God's will, will you ever do that
which you would not do in a world where every person does God's will?
God has given each and every one of us the choice of giving food to our hungry
neighbor or not. God has given each and every one of us the choice of doing
physical harm to our neighbor or not. No matter what anyone else may choose to
do, each of us has the choice to give food to a hungry neighbor or not, and
each of us has the choice to do physical harm to a neighbor or not. I strongly
believe that God would never have a neighbor choose not to give food to a
hungry neighbor. I strongly believe that God would never have a neighbor choose
to do physical harm to another neighbor. I simply do not believe that it is ever
God's will that any of us choose not to give food to our hungry neighbor, or
that any of us choose to do physical harm to our neighbor.
If your neighbor has plenty to eat yet is thirsty, and your neighbor refuses to
share their food, it is not God’s will that you say to your neighbor “share
your food and then I will give water to you”. It is God’s will that you love
your neighbor as yourself and give them a drink of water if they are thirsty.
If your neighbor is doing physical harm to their neighbor, it is not God’s will
that you say to your neighbor “do not do physical harm to your neighbor and
then I will not do physical harm to you”. It is God’s will that you love your
neighbor as yourself and not do physical harm to them.
If we can kill one neighbor and prevent them from killing two other neighbors,
it is not God’s will that two people be killed, it is not God’s will that one
person be killed. It is God’s will that no one is killed. If we do physical
harm to reduce the physical harm done by another person, there is one more
person in the world who is doing physical harm, not one less. I am unwilling to
conclude that God would have any of us do physical harm to our neighbor when
each and every one of us has the choice to do physical harm or not to do
physical harm, to kill or not to kill. [If you do not agree with one or more of the conclusions we
reach, you may want to read our comments and notes on our
website,
which discuss some of our views on complex questions and difficult topics, and
perhaps read our other versions which contain some additional text (may
not remain available).]
It is God’s will that
each and every moment of our lives each and every one of us do God’s will,
nothing less, nothing more, period. My hope is that if we live a “fanatic life”,
we will have done God’s will on earth, and after our physical death we will
live a joyous life in heaven, nothing could be better.
What if I am wrong about God wanting us to live a “fanatic life”? I understand
that if I am wrong, the consequences of choosing to live a “fanatic life”,
where we do no physical harm to protect others, may be horrendous. As the
probable consequences of choosing to live a “fanatic life” unfold you may
witness horrific events including the torture and death of adults, children,
and infants. I strongly believe that we can and should live a “fanatic life”,
yet I do not believe that during my lifetime on earth I will ever be able to
say in good conscience that I am certain that I am right.
The collective wisdom
of generations of human beings who want to do that which is good,
is that God would have us live a "normal life". The vast majority of
people, almost every person in the world, believe that we should do the best
that we can to maximize the positive physical aspects of our lives on earth,
while minimizing the negative. Perhaps the billions of people, including
virtually every theologian and philosopher, who believe that we can and should
love God and family and friends with a more complex love are right. Most view
life after death as a separate existence from life on earth, where those people
who made physical life on earth as “good” as it can be will live a joyous life
in heaven.
A “normal life” most
would consider to be a “good life” is a life where
each individual has strong spiritual beliefs and faith which they gladly share
with other people. Such a normal life may include a strong family unit, a
loving spouse and kids, and close relationships with relatives. The parents
have jobs they enjoy, that provide sufficient income for the family's comfort,
and that give them plenty of time at home. Family members and extended family
enjoy talking, playing games, helping with homework, working around the house,
eating out, going to movies, etc. The adults and kids participate in sports and
hobbies, and take family vacations each year.
A “good” normal life
includes volunteer work at hospitals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, etc.,
and generous donations to charitable organizations. The family accepts
protection provided by police, military, and other government agencies using
social programs, diplomacy, and the minimum force necessary to prevent one
person from doing physical harm to another person. People who live such a
“normal life” have a pleasant, happy, positive attitude toward all their
“neighbors” – including family, friends, and strangers.
This is a “normal life” that most people would call a "good life".
Indeed, almost everyone believes that this is the life that God would have us
live. It is a life that focuses primary love and attention on family and self,
and secondary love and attention on friends, while at the same time providing
what each individual considers to be their fair share of love, care, and help
to those outside what is commonly known as their extended family.
Is this kind of
"normal life" the life God would have us live, or not? I return to
the question, if I love a neighbor who is hungry and thirsty what will I do?
The answer is that I will give my neighbor food and water. My conclusion
remains the same, I strongly believe that God would
have us live a “fanatic life”. Yet I may be wrong.
Even though I strongly believe that each and every one of us can and
should live a “fanatic life”, I intuitively believe that very, very, very, very,
very few will choose to live such a life. Almost everyone who chooses to
love God and their neighbor will choose to love God and their neighbor with
a “lesser love” than God would have them choose. Almost everyone who chooses
to love God and their neighbor will choose to marry and have a family, to have
a successful career, to support government use of minimal physical force to minimize
physical harm, etc. They will buy a nice house and car, participate in sports,
and go on
vacations. They will make generous charitable donations and volunteer to help
those in need, yet they will not spend all of their time communicating God’s word to
neighbors, nor will they spend all of their money feeding, clothing, and caring for
them. Almost everyone who chooses to love God and their neighbor will choose to live
a “normal life” that maximizes the positive physical aspects of their life on earth,
without causing what they consider to be unacceptable negative
consequences for their neighbors
We live in a world
where people choose to do evil.
If we do not use minimal physical force to prevent physical harm, there will almost certainly be people
who inflict excruciating pain and almost unimaginable tortures on our neighbors.
If we do nothing to physically
stop them, there will almost certainly be parents who savagely beat infants,
mass murderers who kill innocent children, and brutal
political leaders who commit genocide.
If we do nothing to stop those who choose to do evil
there will
almost certainly be more wars, slavery, rape, and murder. If we choose to
live a “fanatic life” we will most likely live a lifetime surrounded by horrors.
Perhaps we are wrong
about God wanting us to live a fanatic life, perhaps God wants you to live a “normal
life” which minimizes the negative and maximizes the positive.
Perhaps we are wrong and there is existential meaning and value in living a “normal
life” even if there is no life after death. Perhaps if we choose to live a “fanatic
life” we will not be choosing to do that which is good. If you, like almost
every single human being in the world, including the author, are not willing to
accept the physical consequences of living a “fanatic life”, then live a
“normal life” like the “normal life” we described. If you are unwilling to live
a “fanatic life”, love God with as much of your heart, your soul, your mind,
and your strength as you are willing to love him with, and love your neighbors
as much as yourself as you are willing to love them,
with the hope that God will forgive you.
You must be
absolutely certain that you complete your search of your heart, mind, and soul,
and know and understand the true, pure, real, love that God has given us. You
must be absolutely certain that you complete your search of your heart, mind,
and soul, and know and understand God’s will, what God would have you do. You
must decide for yourself what you will do. You will make your choice.
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