Are You Religious Because You Are Bitter?

Are You Religious Because You Are Bitter?

Earlier this campaign season, a Presidential candidate was recorded saying that people in small town America hold on to their guns and religion because they are bitter. Looking up the word “bitter” in the dictionary I notice the first definitions have to do with taste. I do not think this person was meaning that people that believe in God do so because of their taste. The next definitions deals with grief, fear, sharp animosity for, and anguish. The idea being expressed is that people with guns and God are angry and afraid.

By “small town America ” he is talking about people in places such as Owensboro , KY , Shoals, IN, and most town in other states. In fact, just about every state except Rhode Island has some small towns. Obviously the term small town is used to denote a certain group of people. A group of people that have guns and also believe in God.

I could mention that most people that have guns do so for the following reasons: the Constitution of the United States gives them and us the right to “bear arms”; they like hunting and it is hard to club to death a deer or even a squirrel, and they want to protect themselves. Since this is a church bulletin I will not mention those things.

The part that distresses me is the part about religion. Sadly the comments that this one unnamed Presidential candidate made is probably held by a lot of politicians and cultural elitists in our society. They see people worshipping God on Sunday mornings, and carrying a Bible and just don’t get it. They probably don’t get the idea of sin either.

I have heard many reasons given for why people believe in God. Reasons such as, ignorance, tradition, peer pressure, and so on. But why do people believe in and worship God?

They believe this universe and man is more than the product of evolution. By faith they understand “the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11.3). As stated in Hebrews 3.4 every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. Since God is our creator it would be logical to believe in and serve Him.

Perhaps they believe in what the Bible says. This is called faith. Their faith is built upon the word of God, Romans 10.17. That word is contained in the Bible and is proper for us to read, study, and obey, 2 Timothy 3.16,17. You will notice religious people have Bibles and study them.

Maybe they worship God because they believe in heaven and want to go there when this life is over. Jesus promised to go and prepare a place for His people, John 14. If the Presidential Candidate meant to say that people that believe in God do so because they are afraid of hell then he should have said so, but that was not what he was implying.

Religious people may be angry and bitter toward sin and its results but not toward God or their fellowman. Instead we are to love each other and even love our enemies, Matthew 5.43-44. We can not afford to be nor are we taught to be bitter toward God or each other.

Sadly, the attitude of bitterness, has been exhibited by some people in our society. Those that do not believe in God are often bitter toward those that do. Those that see religion as a way to get even with their fellowman are often bitter. Such an attitude was recently seen by a “Revered Wright” on television. Perhaps that is why this unnamed Presidential Candidate said what he did about those that have guns and religion being bitter. Think about it. —Dennis Tucker

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