So that’s the conclusion I’ve come to in the last few days.  No, I’m not struggling with depression because of it, and it’s certainly not the first time it’s dawned on me that the human race is fallen and sinful.  And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with Obama’s inauguration (as much as I disagree with him on many issues, I’m cautiously optimistic that he’ll be at least a reasonable president).  It really doesn’t have to do with anything in particular, except a realization that if you dabble too much in worldliness, it gets to you after a while.

I haven’t been doing anything that unusual and none of the things that have contributed to this subtly oppressive feeling is that serious by itself.  But put together, without anything particularly redeeming to balance them, they become a stronger force than you’d think.

It started with the books I read on my recent vacation.  None of them are overtly anti-Christian or immoral, but each of them has a decidedly agnostic/atheistic worldview.  Now, I don’t think it’s bad for Christians to get that perspective every now and then.  I’m a firm believer in the strengthening effect that challenges can have on our faith, and for me, the “reasoned” perspective of atheism is the one I find myself most sympathetic with.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m no atheist and don’t think I’m in danger of becoming one.  The more I learn about creation and the more I observe in our world, the more convinced I become that God exists and is involved in our world.  And as I’ve researched the history of the Bible, I’ve only found my confidence in its truthfulness strengthened.  What I’m saying is that if there’s one worldview besides my own that I have some respect for, it’s that of wise, well-intentioned individuals who reject all religions on the basis of personal experience and reasoning.

One person with this perspective is a hero of mine, Neil Peart.  Anyone who knows me very well knows I’m a pretty die-hard fan of the progressive rock band Rush, in which Peart is the drummer.  Peart not only writes most of the lyrics for Rush, but has also published four books.  I read two of these on the trip (both excellent, if a bit wordy), and got a good dose of his worldview.  I find myself relating to a lot of what he shares in his books.  As he might say, we’re kind of “kindred spirits” – we have many of the same interests and values (motorcycling, travel, nature, writing, drumming, rock music, peace, decency, loyalty, open-mindedness, etc.).  But for all of that, he is decidedly not religious.  I can’t really blame him for his reasons – how do you explain to someone who lost his wife and daughter in the same year that it’s part of God’s big-picture plan? – but his conclusions about Christianity are based on a woefully incomplete picture.  He dwells on the hypocrisy he sees in churches, as well as the legalistic and overly “religious” tendencies of many denominations, and concludes that Christianity is no different than any other religion, and in some ways worse.  Based soley on his experiences, I understand his conclusions, but I wish I could help him understand Christianity not as its explained through its sinful followers, but through the teachings of Christ and the Bible.  Unfortunately, it’s hardest to disprove something based on years of personal observations, as his worldview clearly is.  I’m toying with the idea of sending him a piece of fan mail anyway…we’ll see.

In addition to those books, I also read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence by Robert Pirsig – a good book, but decidedly not Christian – and Saturday by Ian McEwan – great read overall, but very secular.  Oh, and John Grisham’s The Rainmaker (typical pop novel, but enjoyable and, you guessed it, secular).  I’ve also been watching a lot of How I Met Your Mother since I recently picked up all three season on DVD (on sale at amazon…found through slickdeals).  It’s a sitcom that is at moments brilliantly funny, but all too often morally bankrupt when it comes to sex.  In moderation, I wouldn’t consider these sources of entertainment to be all that bad, but when you spend too much time immersed in the worldview they exude, it’s hard not to feel kind of spiritually assaulted.

So, to get myself out of that rut, I decided to check out what’s new at my favorite Christian periodical, the always insightful and well-reasoned Boundless Webzine, a Focus on the Family ministry.  Here’s a few articles I thought were particularly good:

Fatal Addiction: Ted Bundy’s Final Interview
I wasn’t familiar with the story of serial-killer Ted Bundy (who was executed in the late ’80s), but this is a pretty fascinating and sobering interview (his last, with Dr. James Dobson).

Question Global Warming
It really bothers me when people accept or reject topics like global warming based on what’s popular in their political party.  It also bothers me when people fail to think critically and instead just believe what they’ve been told.  I’ve been guilty of both, but on the topic of global warming have tried to stay open-minded.  I don’t think it’s really debatable that it is ocurring, but am not convinced that it’s all our doing.  This article does a good job of taking on the topic in a reasoned, step-by-step way which separates the facts from the hyped-up theories.

God Told Me
An excellent article on discerning God’s will for our lives.  I’d have to agree from my own experience that peace, not clarity, is usually the best indicator of what God’s will is, and is achieved through trust.  I need to remember to pray for that kind of direction.

Well, that’s all for this post.  I’m sorry it was a bit aimless, but I thought those thoughts and articles might be worth sharing.