Articles
A Godless World
In his landmark song “Imagine” John Lennon sang, “Imagine there’s no heaven; it’s easy if you try. No hell below us; above us only sky…You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” Though this song was first heard in 1971, many folks today still hold its sentiments close to their hearts.
Would a Godless world really be a better place? No, it would be a worse place. That’s not to say that humans have created the idea of God for the sake of making life easier and giving people something to hope for. God created man, not vice versa. The Bible does not hide the fact that the world is full of evil even though God exists, not because God is responsible for the hatred, but because people rebel against their Creator. Before Noah’s flood, for instance, the “earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11). God was not the reason for man’s wickedness; rather, He was its judge.
If we turn Lennon’s words on their head we see their foolishness—a world with no heaven or hell would be an utterly lawless, immoral, and violent place (even more so than today) because there would be no meaningful distinction between wrong and right. People would do what they want without thought of the consequences because there would be none! Ultimately, mass murderers, child molesters, rapists, and racial supremacists would get off scot-free. I don’t think anyone with wants to live in that kind of world.
The only way there can be good in this life is if God is real. God Himself is the definition of what is right and holy. You cannot imagine God away. Logically, it makes no sense. Morally, it removes all definition of right and wrong. Eternally, it condemns us to everlasting death.
