Samhain and Halloween

The Armstrong Churches of God and Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Halloween is pagan in origin and should NOT be observed by "true" Christians. Is that true? Does our Halloween have its origins in the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "sow-win")? AND Should Christians shun anything to do with the observance of that holiday? This post will attempt to answer those questions.

In support of their stance against "pagan" holidays, the favorite prooftext of the Armstrong Churches of God is found in the book of Deuteronomy. We read there: "These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way." (Deuteronomy 12:1-4, ESV) Moreover, a little later in the same book and chapter, we read: "When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, ESV)

So, there you have it - case closed! It is clear. God doesn't want his people adopting pagan practices in their worship of him! The PLAIN TRUTH is that God doesn't want his people adding to or taking away from what he has commanded them! Right? Not so fast!

Let's take a closer look at that passage from Deuteronomy. Question: To whom were these instructions given? Answer: The Children of Israel! Question: What pagan practices did God designate as unacceptable for the Israelites? Answer: Using the places where the former inhabitants of the Promised Land worshipped their gods! Also, in the latter passage, they were instructed NOT to worship God in the way that those nations who had lived there before them worshipped their gods! Moreover, notice that this passage also spells out that God hated the way they sacrificed their children as burnt offerings to their gods! Question: What commandments was God talking about when he instructed the Israelites not to add or subtract from them? Answer: The commandments that he was giving to THEM - Torah! In other words, these instructions were given to the Israelites to outline how God wanted THEM to deal with the religious practices of the former inhabitants of the Promised Land! This was also consistent with the commandments NOT to have any gods besides, before, or in place of THE GOD and NOT to make any idols to worship (images of gods). Moreover, students of Torah will also remember that God had given the Israelites instructions about a Tabernacle and a future central sanctuary for them to use in worshipping HIM (Deuteronomy 12:20-28 and 16:1-17). Likewise, we know that God gave the children of Israel specific commandments about a number of Holy Days which THEY would observe in their worship of HIM! (Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16:1-17)

Question: What do these instructions have to do with the Celtic peoples? Answer: Nothing! What do these instructions have to do with Christians? Answer: Nothing! Question: Who were they for? Answer: The Children of Israel!

Now, with that background in hand. We will turn our attention to the Celtic holiday which the ACOGs and Jehovah's Witnesses characterize as the forerunner of our modern Halloween. On the website Irish Myths, in their article titled A Brief History of Samhain, we read: "Samhain (“summer’s end”) marked the conclusion of one pastoral year and the commencement of the next. As an ancient Celt, you would have been keenly aware that the days were noticeably shorter during the Samhain season, as if the sun itself were in retreat. The world was darker. The harvest, over...So the ancient Celts did what any sensible people would do in the face of encroaching darkness: They shined a light."

Likewise, on the History.com website, in their article titled Samhain, we read: "Ancient Celts marked Samhain as the most significant of the four quarterly fire festivals, taking place at the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice. During this time of year, hearth fires in family homes were left to burn out while the harvest was gathered. After the harvest work was complete, celebrants joined with Druid priests to light a community fire using a wheel that would cause friction and spark flames. The wheel was considered a representation of the sun and used along with prayers. Cattle were sacrificed, and participants took a flame from the communal bonfire back to their home to relight the hearth. Early texts present Samhain as a mandatory celebration lasting three days and three nights where the community was required to show themselves to local kings or chieftains. Failure to participate was believed to result in punishment from the gods, usually illness or death."

A little further, in the same article, we learn that: "Because the Celts believed that the barrier between worlds was breachable during Samhain, they prepared offerings that were left outside villages and fields for fairies, or Sidhs. It was expected that ancestors might cross over during this time as well, and Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them. Some specific monsters were associated with the mythology surrounding Samhain, including a shape-shifting creature called a Pukah that receives harvest offerings from the field. The Lady Gwyn is a headless woman dressed in white who chases night wanderers and was accompanied by a black pig." Hence, we see that the Celtic mythology surrounding this festival associated it with the supernatural, and a time when evil forces might enter their world and work their mischief among them.

Question: Does any of that sound like our celebration of Halloween? Answer: Outside of the supernatural mythology, the festival sounds more like the fall harvest festivals of the ancient Israelites! After all, most Americans don't let the fires go out in their fireplaces during harvest time (the majority of homes don't even have fireplaces anymore), and they aren't in the habit of lighting a communal bonfire for the purpose of relighting their own extinguished home fires. Likewise, outside of young folks, I don't think that many modern Americans believe in fairies or monsters, and they certainly aren't disguising their children to protect them from being kidnapped by fairies!

Question: If we didn't get it from the Celts, where did this "Halloween" originate? Answer: The holiday is derived from the vigil for All Saints' Day. In the online version of the Catholic Encyclopedia, in their entry for "All Saints' Day," we read: "The vigil of this feast is popularly called 'Hallowe'en' or 'Halloween.' Continuing, we are informed that: "In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring <sic> dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast ; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honoured <sic> by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a 'Commemoratio Confessorum' for the Friday after Easter. In the West Boniface IV , 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84)."

Now, with all of this history as evidence, we are forced to conclude that Halloween is a development of the Christian Era! Hold on! Jesus didn't say anything about honoring saints or martyrs! Question: Are you sure about that? Actually, the writings of the New Testament have a great deal to say about saints and martyrs being honored (See Revelation 6:9-11, 17:6, 20:4, I Thessalonians 3:13, 4:16, Jude 1:14, Revelation 11:18, 5:10, etc.). Question: Well, what about all of that stuff related to ghosts, witches, demons, and the like? Answer: Are you suggesting that all of those things are NOT mentioned in Scripture? Now, I'm certainly NOT condoning or suggesting that you dress up your children to look like demons and ghosts, but I think that we can all see that the superstitious paranoia of these folks is just a little overboard - a little pharisaical! Bottom line, observe Halloween or don't - it's up to you and your conscience, but don't try to pin your decision to shun it on God's commandment! 

    

Christianity Today on Christian Nationalism

In the September/October edition of Christianity Today, Russell Moore contributed an article titled The Uneasy Conscience of Christian Nationalism (which I am happy to recommend). In the piece, Moore cautions Christian nationalists that the eutopia they seek may not be the reality that they end up with. Indeed, he likens the current climate among Evangelicals of that bent to the moral equivalent of the selling of indulgences which prompted Luther to nail his paper to the door of the castle. He wrote: "In our time, the indulgences are more akin to a hotel’s green initiative than to the construction of St. Peter’s. The new Christian nationalism—like the withered old state churches of Europe and the secularized old social gospels of mainline Protestantism—defines Christianity in terms of reforming external structures rather than of regenerating internal psyches. Unlike the older theological liberalisms, though, Christian nationalists seek solidarity not in the actual mitigating of human suffering but in the mostly symbolic boundary markers of taking the right amount of theatrical umbrage at culture war outrages, at having the right kind of enemies, at 'owning the libs.'"

Moore went on to quote Philip Yancey (a longtime columnist at Christianity Today) about the fate of the Soviet Union: "Humans dream of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good, wrote T. S. Eliot, who saw many of his friends embrace the dream of Marxism. 'But the man that is - will shadow the man that pretends to be.' What we were hearing from Soviet leaders, and the KGB, and now Pravda, was that the Soviet Union ended up with the worst of both: a society far from perfect, and a people who had forgotten how to be good." He went on to conclude: "We should not pretend that we could not see the same thing with a lifeless, politicized dystopian Christian nationalism as we saw with a hollowed-out Soviet empire. What a tragic end it would be to wind up with a society as debauched as ever and a people who have forgotten how to be saved. The way forward is what it’s always been. As Luther said in his Heidelberg Disputation, 'The theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. The theologian of the cross calls a thing what it is.' Sometimes that means nailing a word or two to the castle door. Sometimes that might mean letting goods and kindred go. The whole of the Christian life is about repentance. That repentance must be about the renewing of our minds and the renovation of our hearts, not just the laundering of consciences that are no longer bound to the Word of God."

From my perspective, that's just about right. We can huff and puff about the culture wars, protest at abortion clinics, and insist on voting for the "right" candidate OR We can focus on repenting of our own shortcomings and sins, trying to live our best lives in the here and now, and helping others to be successful in the same pursuits. Bottom line, religious/spiritual does NOT equal political/civic. If we claim to be Christians, we MUST remember that our primary allegiance is to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Kingdom of God!    

When Are You Going to Admit that Bill Watson IS RIGHT?

Pastor Bill Watson of the Church of God International is certainly consistent – I’ll give him that! He has never wavered in his conviction that he has the truth, and that it is his job to try to convince everybody else to conform to the dictates of his conscience.

Pastor Watson opened his remarks with a warning about a potential widening of the ongoing wars involving Israel because of that nation’s counterattack on Iran. Turning his attention closer to home, the pastor reminded his audience that the general election was rapidly approaching in the United States. Watson said that he saw some of Trump’s most recent rally, and that “DJT” was “essentially trolling the Marxist group of people, the Marxist party, frankly, that stands for killing children – I’m not going to make any apologies for that, because that’s what that party stands for - open borders, by-the-way, higher taxes, and let the prices continue to rise. If you like it, you can vote for that particular party of Marxists…” Once again, however, Bill insisted that he wasn’t talking politics – that he was talking “policy.”

Then, finally, Mr. Watson waded into the main topic of his message: How important it is for everyone to observe the festivals outlined in Torah. Hewing close to the Armstrongist party line, he insisted that Christians need a yearly reminder about what God is working out here on earth. Ironically, after fifty years of observing these festivals, Bill still hasn’t learned what they symbolize or mean! Indeed, instead of underscoring how they ALL point to CHRIST, Watson parroted Mr. Armstrong’s nonsense about how they portray the “truths” which he alone had deciphered and revealed. For Bill, the Eucharist is only to be performed within the context of the yearly Jewish Passover. Likewise, Christians MUST make a concerted effort to deleaven their houses, cars and toasters. The Day of Atonement is all about Satan, and the Feast of Tabernacles is all about the Millenium. And, of course, Bill means that all of them should be observed according to Armstrongist tradition (don’t worry about all of those instructions in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy).

Talk about a true-believer, Mr. Watson is it. He believes that physical observances (rituals) repeated over and over again are the way to grow in grace and knowledge. Never mind that mushy love stuff! For Bill, true spirituality is found in performing all of the rituals which Mr. Armstrong identified in Torah as being binding on “true” Christians. For him, the New Covenant is built on the foundation of the Old one – an updated version of the same deal which God made with the children of Israel. According to Bill, Christ’s fulfillment of the Law of Moses does NOT mean that we are exempt from obeying it. Forget that stuff about Christians not being justified by the works of the Law. For Bill, Christians would be lost without the Torah!

Come to think of it, Bill may be right to worry about his flock’s observance of those Jewish rituals. Indeed, all of the clips that I looked at of ACOG feast sites showed a lot of empty seats, and most of the ones that were occupied were supporting elderly men and women. In fact, there were quite a few empty pews at Medina this past Sabbath for Bill’s sermon! 

The Major Problems with Armstrongism (which this blog and others have identified)

The following teachings of Herbert Armstrong have been thoroughly refuted here and elsewhere:

1. The nature of God. His teachings about the Trinity, and more particularly those that were related to the Holy Spirit.

2. The nature of the human potential. His teaching that man would one day be equal to God.

3. The biblical origins of the English-speaking nations of the earth. His teaching that the people of the United States and Britain are the descendants of the birthright tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh).

4. That the return of Jesus Christ to this earth is imminent. He repeatedly engaged in date setting and misleading people about the signs of the times.

5. That Christians are obligated to observe the commandments of Torah (including the weekly Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing, and clean and unclean animals as food.

6. That the symbolism of the Holy Days reflected Armstrong's understanding of God's plan. More particularly, his understanding of the meaning of Atonement, Trumpets, and Tabernacles.

7. The nature, purpose, and fate of the angels. Especially, as it related to Satan and his demons.

8. The nature of the ekklesia. His teachings about government within the Church, the composition of the Church, disfellowshipping, and that traditional Christians were deceived members of a false church, a pseudo-ekklesia.

9. The influence of paganism on Christianity. More particularly, his teachings regarding Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Saint's Days, etc., and his rejection of the cross as a Christian symbol.

10. The interpretation of prophecy. More particularly, his headline theology and insinuating modern nations, institutions, and leaders into biblical prophecies.

11. The nature of the Gospel. More particularly, his de-emphasis on the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth and what all of that meant for humanity.

12. The nature of the Kingdom of God. He ignored the anti-authoritarian message of Christ and dismissed the fundamental change that was being wrought in the nature of humanity. Instead, he emphasized a literal government which would forcibly impose its will on everyone.

13. The nature and purpose of human sexuality. More particularly, his teachings about dating, marriage, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, child rearing, appropriate clothing, makeup, and what constituted sexual lust.

14. The nature and role of faith and works in the life of a Christian. His understanding of love, mercy, forgiveness, repentance, faith in Christ, and physical works was twisted and inconsistent with what is revealed in Scripture.

15. The way that Scripture was used and interpreted. Mr. Armstrong's insistence on literalism and proof-texting; and his rejection of all textual criticism, along with the way he ignored context, doomed his interpretations of Scripture to failure.

Is Someone Trying to Steal Your Crown?

Over at Banned by HWA, in reaction to Dennis Diehl's post about the dangers inherent to trying to live one's life in accordance with a Divine purpose, a conversation was inaugurated about whether or not Dennis was trying to steal a Christian's metaphorical crown. Now, this is not the first time this charge has been leveled against the various authors of the posts which appear on that blog. Of course, we must first understand that the entire blog is devoted to holding Armstrongist "agents of deception accountable." In other words, everything which appears there is meant to expose the inconsistencies and errors inherent to the theology of the Armstrong Churches of God - to prevent THEM from "stealing your crown."

The concept of crown stealing is drawn from a passage in the book of Revelation. In the messages to the seven ekklesia of Asia, the congregation at Philadelphia was praised for its faithfulness to God's word and their perseverance in the face of opposition to their work (Revelation 3:7-10). Then, in the next verse, we read: "I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown." (Revelation 3:11, ESV) What did they have to hold on to? Wasn't it faithfulness to God's word and perseverance in the face of opposition? Are the Armstrong Churches of God faithful to God's word? OR Are they the agents of deception that we contend they are? In other words, if they aren't being faithful to God's word, then what do they have to hold on to?

In this connection, I have always thought that the message to the ekklesia at Laodicea was more appropriate for the Armstrong Churches of God. We read there: "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see." (Revelation 3:17-18, ESV) Indeed, they glory in the "truth" which they possess even as they completely misunderstand the nature of the "crown" they seek to protect and the kingdom which it represents!

The Greek word "stephanos" is translated into English as "crown." It is indicative of the wreath, garland, coronet which was worn by the Roman emperor or given as a prize to the victor in the public games of that time - a symbol of the honor due to a particular person. In his letter to the ekklesia at Corinth, Paul wrote: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." (I Corinthians 9:24-27, ESV) Likewise, he called the saints at Philippi his "joy and crown" in the Lord (Philippians 4:1). Paul also wrote to Timothy that a "crown of righteousness" was waiting for him "which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." (II Timothy 4:8, ESV) For those who endure trials, James said that they would receive a "crown of life" someday (James 1:12, ESV). Moreover, Peter wrote to the leaders of the ekklesia to: "shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." (I Peter 5:1-4, ESV)

In short, even the use of the "crown" as a metaphor in the writings of the New Testament undermines the teachings of the Armstrong Churches of God about the Kingdom of God and the reward that Christian's are intended to receive from God! Finally, I would also point out that this context makes abundantly clear that YOU are responsible for protecting your crown - NO ONE can steal it from you if you are doing what you're supposed to be doing!  

The Purpose of Life

Dennis Diehl just posted an article titled The Danger in "The God Given Purpose" on the Banned by HWA blog, and I highly recommend that everyone read it. Unfortunately, I know all too well that there will be a few narrow-minded readers who will automatically dismiss whatever Dennis has to say because he is an atheist (I've experienced the same phenomenon because of my homosexuality). Oh well, it is as they say, "they don't know what they are missing!" Scripture tells us that it is dangerous to be without counsel, and that wisdom is to be found in a multitude of counselors - suggesting a variety of perspectives and opinions (Proverbs 11:14). In other words, you don't have to embrace everything that I, Dennis, or anyone else has to say on some subject, but you might find something useful in formulating your own perspective on the topic.

Dennis began his post with some quotes from another counselor:

"Isn't it fantastic that if there is no purpose you have nothing to fulfill. You can just live. But no. You want a purpose and not just a simple purpose, but a God given purpose. It's very dangerous. People who think they have a God given purpose are doing the cruelest things on the planet. They are doing the most horrible things. And they have always been doing the most horrible things. Because when you are given a God given purpose, life here becomes less important than your purpose."

Dennis then proceeded to summarize his own spiritual journey - beginning in the Dutch Reformed Church, followed by his experiences in Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God and ending in the rejection of all manmade religion. He then concluded by agreeing with those quotations that he began with, and "The purpose in life is to live."

Now, interestingly, those who profess to be disciples of Jesus of Nazareth would come up with all kinds of answers to the question: "What is the purpose of life?" For many more traditional Christians, the answers might involve anything from the Great Commission, being kind and compassionate to others, or getting to heaven someday. For most Armstrongites, the answer would be becoming a priest-king in God's Kingdom and/or becoming God! For me, the Scriptural and obviously natural answer is much closer to the answer provided by the guru and Dennis!

If we look at the natural world around us, we see that ALL of the life on this planet is preoccupied with the perpetuation of itself. Both instinct and cognition impel us to avoid hurt and death. Even the process of evolution is defined by the adaptation of life to whatever environment it inhabits! Moreover, every species of life on this planet has the ability to reproduce - to perpetuate itself. Plants produce seeds, and animals produce offspring. What's more, EVERY system (respiratory, circulatory, digestive, etc.) within this organism we call "human" is designed to sustain its life! Hence, we see that the most profound and reasonable answer to our question about the purpose of life is the perpetuation of ourselves! Too simple and mundane for you? Let's look at some Scripture on this subject.

In the first chapter of Genesis, it is revealed that God created life and gave it the ability to reproduce. And, notice the very first instructions which God gave to the first humans: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth!" (Genesis 1:28, ESV) In the very next chapter, it is revealed that one of the trees which God placed in the Garden of Eden was referred to as the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9). Interestingly, we are told that the humans had access to this tree (Genesis 2:16). Indeed, the only one that they were forbidden to eat of its fruit was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17) - the one that would lead to DEATH! Then, at the end of the third chapter, we read: "Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—' therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24, ESV)

What follows, in both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, is the story about how God gets mankind back to LIFE! In Torah, we read that God told the Israelites: "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it." (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, ESV) Continuing, the thought concluded with: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV) Clearly, God's purpose was the perpetuation of LIFE!

In the Greek New Testament, we read: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, ESV) A little later, in the same Gospel, we read that Jesus said: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10, ESV) Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints at Rome (a favorite of Armstrongites): "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, ESV) He also wrote to the saints at Corinth on this wise: "The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual." (I Corinthians 15:45-46, ESV) He went on to explain: "For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'" (I Corinthians 15:53-55, ESV) Finally, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote: "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Hebrews 2:14-15, ESV)

Now, it is inevitable that someone will ask: "Who wants to live forever?" (The Queen song from Highlander is playing in my mind as I write - great song) But isn't that really a question about the quality of life - NOT its purpose? In other words, would your answer to that question be different if you didn't have to worry about your health, losing loved ones, war, pollution, over-crowding, starvation, crime, etc.? In the book of Revelation, we read about a new heaven and earth where God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4, ESV) Afraid of getting bored? What if you were always preoccupied with the perpetuation of life?

Nevertheless, Dennis makes a valid and an astute point about folks wasting this life in pursuit of their purpose - another point which gets us back to the issue of quality of life. I think that this is best answered by something written long ago that was attributed to the wise King Solomon: "I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also, that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man." (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, ESV) In other words, we should be enjoying what we do in this life! As for purpose, he had this to say: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, ESV) 

Finally, while Jesus certainly instructed his disciples to make the Kingdom of God a priority in their lives, he also said: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34, ESV)

"The purpose in life is to live." I think that's just about right!

The Parable of the Talents

 The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

--Matthew 25:14-30, ESV