The Works of God

When my sister introduced me to G.K. Chesterton more than 20 years ago, I had little idea how much he would influence how I read and think.

Recently I came across a piece he did on eugenics, which to his horror was rising in popularity at the turn of the 20th century, and even into the 1970’s had public proponents.  Like those who advocate for abortion, and seem to particularly advocate for it when a pre-born child is shown to have disabilities, much of that movement was based on ‘the good of society’ and the economic and psychological benefits to families.

Chesterton would have none of it, and pointed out the duplicity of asserting the ‘feeble-minded’ (those we would say today live with cognitive disabilities) bring harm to society or families when the real problem lay with those who violently force their will on others:

Even if I were a Eugenist, then I should not personally elect to waste my time locking up the feeble-minded. The people I should lock up would be the strong-minded.  I have known hardly any cases of mere mental weakness making a family a failure; I have known eight or nine cases of violent and exaggerated force of character making a family a hell.  If the strong-minded could be segregated it would quite certainly be better for their family and friends.  And if there is really anything to heredity, it would be better for posterity too. For the kind of egoist I mean is a madman in a much more plausible sense then the mere harmless ‘deficient’; and to hand on the horrors of anarchic and insatiable temperament is a much graver responsibility than to leave a mere inheritance of childishness. . .

Why do not the promoters of the Feeble-Minded Bill call at the many grand houses in town or country where such (strong-minded) nightmares notoriously are? Why do they not knock at the door and take the bad squire away?  Why do they not ring the bell and remove the dipsomaniac prize-fighter? I do not know; and there is only one reason I can think of, which must remain a matter of speculation.  When I was at school, the kind of boy who liked teasing half-wits was not the sort that stood up to bullies.

G.K. Chesterton, Eugenics and Other Evils, Cassell and Company, 1922, pp. 51-52.

That’s a straight shot directly into the evil that is the tyranny of the powerful over the powerless when we are not guided by higher, transcendent, universal principles.  Chesterton saw it clearly: the powerful were defining what was acceptable (and the ‘feeble-minded’ were not acceptable) and pronouncing judgment over those who could not defend themselves.

But, one might argue, we have become much more enlightened than 80 years ago.  We have laws and strict rules about bullying and teasing.  We have whole school programs dedicated to peace and conflict resolution.  We have rules and regulations to protect those with disabilities.  We have curb cuts and elevators and dedicated parking spaces. Our public face is very much different, so we must be different.

Unless one looks at the war against our most defenseless children in the womb.  We applaud the young man with Down syndrome who lives in a community, participates in Special Olympics and maybe holds a job – and eliminate more than 9 out of 10 children like him when Down syndrome is discovered in the womb.

What would Chesterton say about our public applause and our private, socially sanctioned, extraordinarily effective modern eugenics campaign?  What name can we give it but murderous hypocrisy?

Read Full Post »

For some reason, Google has been bringing me a number of articles recently that deal with disability and anger.  It is a grace to realize I don’t live in that constant, debilitating state of anger at everything, including God, any longer.  God is very merciful.  And he continues to help me fight it today.

In our circles dealing with disability, being angry with God over our circumstances is common.  I won’t say universal as I have met people who did not struggle with anger towards God.  But they would have to be in the minority.

Pastor John dealt with this issue some years ago, and I’ve always appreciated how helpful it was.  So, here’s an excerpt from his article, Is It Ever Right to Be Angry at God?

This is why being angry at God is never right. It is wrong – always wrong – to disapprove of God for what he does and permits. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). It is arrogant for finite, sinful creatures to disapprove of God for what he does and permits. We may weep over the pain. We may be angry at sin and Satan. But God does only what is right. “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments” (Revelation 16:7).

But many who say it is right to be angry with God really mean it is right to express anger at God. When they hear me say it is wrong to be angry with God, they think I mean “stuff your feelings and be a hypocrite.” That’s not what I mean. I mean it is always wrong to disapprove of God in any of his judgments.

But if we do experience the sinful emotion of anger at God, what then? Shall we add the sin of hypocrisy to the sin of anger? No. If we feel it, we should confess it to God. He knows it anyway. He sees our hearts. If anger at God is in our heart, we may as well tell him so, and then tell him we are sorry, and ask him to help us put it away by faith in his goodness and wisdom. (Emphasis mine)

When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he removed forever the wrath of God from our lives. God’s disposition to us now is entirely mercy, even when severe and disciplinary (Romans 8:1). Therefore, doubly shall those in Christ turn away from the terrible specter of anger at God. We may cry, in agony, “My God, My God, where are you?” But we will follow soon with, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

No, this is not easy, especially when the air we breathe in our American culture tells us that we have the ‘right’ to be angry.  I’m thankful God is so much bigger than that and is ready to help us!

Read Full Post »