And so, it has happened. It got here – not as a bolt of lightning. Not as a flash of thunder. Not with a mighty roar like an earthquake. It didn’t are available the shape of war, plague and famine. It got here because the pale horse whose rider was named Death (Revelation 6:8).
The judgement of God has finally come upon the United Kingdom. Quietly. Silently. Like a thief within the night. It got here in the shape of an irrational, emotive and Godless parliament who this week voted to allow the killing of babies within the womb up until birth, and has now introduced the National Suicide Service, with its vote to allow assisted suicide. God has given us what we voted for.
God’s anger against sin could be seen in alternative ways, and for various purposes. Sometimes he acts directly – to correct and rebuke. Sometimes he gives us our just desserts. But the worst sort of punishment is that inflicted on the UK this past week. His best punishment is to offer us what we are saying we wish – autonomy. He lets us have it our way. And within the name of alternative, we limit life. In the name of freedom we bind the poor, the sick and the disabled. In the name of humanity, we kill humans.
Paul told the Romans about this wrath of God. It “is being revealed from heaven against all of the godlessness and wickedness of individuals, who suppress the reality by their wickedness”. It’s not as if we don’t find out about God – he has made it plain to us. We have the glory of his creation – and for hundreds of years we now have had the teaching of his word.
It was that teaching upon which our society was based – with its values of equality, diversity, freedom and justice for all. But now that has all gone. Words are used, but they haven’t any more meaning. Indeed, such is the perversity of our leaders that if the words have any meaning in any respect – they’re the other of what was intended. Life has turn into death. Freedom has turn into slavery. And compassion has turn into cruelty. The truth of God has been exchanged for a lie. We have turn into crammed with every sort of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity (Romans 1:18-32).
When the vote for assisted suicide (falsely called ‘assisted dying’ – it will not be assisted dying, it’s assisted suicide and due to this fact State-sponsored killing), the pagans rejoiced. Has anyone noticed how the self-styled humanists appear to have such a love affair with death? They danced, chanted and shouted for joy as if they’d just won an election. And perhaps they’d? Their death cult has turn into triumphant – it’s now the official doctrine of the State.
Another evidence of this cult of death and its twin, the cheapness of life, is the expansion of what are termed ‘direct cremations’. Twenty per cent of funerals last 12 months within the UK were direct cremations – that’s, the body is cremated cheaply with no ceremony and no attendees. It’s less expensive than a funeral and it’s quite a bit less hassle.
Psychologically it allows families to simply move on without having to think about the physicality or reality of death. There isn’t any closure. I cannot help but think that such an inexpensive death reflects an inexpensive view of life. We have gotten a shallow, sick and sinful society. Dostoevsky argued those that wanted a very great heart would experience suffering. We know higher. We won’t permit suffering, so we’ll know nothing but superficiality – and ultimately even greater suffering.
And don’t think that that is the top. It won’t stop there. The humanists produce other Christian doctrines – and more humans – to kill. In the name of ‘compassion, equality and humanity’ there can be further additions – we’ll soon get to a degree when euthanasia for the non-terminally unwell can be permitted, when infanticide (post-birth abortion) can be legal, when involuntary euthanasia can be used to remove those unproductive elements of society who’re only a burden on the economy. Mammon should have its sacrifices. Babylon should be fed. We will cut support for the disabled and justify their killing within the name of mercy.
CS Lewis warned us about this. It is the logical consequence of a philosophy of naturalism that denies the existence of the God who brings justice, beauty and love. He stated in his book Miracles that “Nature can only raid reason to kill”. What he meant by that was that it’s natural to kill, and reasonable to save lots of life. Have you noticed how the humanists want humans to be treated like dogs? After all they argue, if we are able to put down dogs then why not human beings?
Rationality has been thrown out of the window. We call the killing of 1000’s within the war in Gaza ‘genocide’, however the killing of 250,000 human beings every 12 months within the UK through abortion ‘reproductive rights! Within a decade I believe that the second highest reason for death within the UK (the primary being abortion) can be the National Suicide Service. The State can be the best killer of its own people. The State will turn into the Pale Rider.
The death cult that has gripped the UK is an inevitable results of the rejection of our Christian roots. As Dostoevsky argued in The Brothers Karamazov, “if there is no such thing as a God, all things are permitted.”
Euthanasia has been held back within the West until now, no less than partly due to its association with Nazism and Hitler. But now we now have made history in addition to language meaningless, the brakes are off. Hitler would have thoroughly approved of this week’s votes. As his secretary Traudl Junge testified in her book, Until the Final Hour:
“He was not a member of any church, and thought the Christian religions were out-dated, hypocritical institutions that lured people into them. The laws of nature were his religion. He could reconcile his dogma of violence higher with nature than with the Christian doctrine of loving your neighbour and your enemy. ‘Science isn’t yet clear in regards to the origins of humanity,’ he once said. ‘We are probably the best stage of development of some mammal which developed from reptiles and moved on to human beings, perhaps by the use of the apes. We are a component of creation and kids of nature, and the identical laws apply to us as to all living creatures. And in nature the law of the struggle for survival has reigned from the primary. Everything incapable of life, every little thing weak is eliminated. Only mankind and above all of the church have made it their aim to maintain alive the weak, those unfit to live, and folks of an inferior kind.”
As for the old religion – the Christianity upon which the UK was founded – most of its leaders were silent. The Catholic Church spoke out with clarity – as did a lot of evangelical and Reformed churches. But the so-called national churches were either silent or whispered so quietly that only the few who attend them could hear.
For example, the Church of Scotland this week trumpeted its support for the Scotland Demands Better campaign – a worthy campaign against poverty. But not one word in regards to the two essential votes on abortion and assisted suicide – each vital subjects for the poor, who’re way more more likely to be adversely affected than the wealthy and powerful. The Church of England expressed regret. Some evangelicals said that while assisted suicide wasn’t nice, we must always not use strong and emotive language like calling it evil. Others wept and cried in frustration.
And Jesus I’m sure wept.
“And the Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:6).
And the Pale Rider rode on – but he will not be alone. Hades was following close behind him (Revelation 6:8). The death cult has only begun its work in broken Britain. There can be Hell to pay.
But it will not be the top: “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fireplace. The lake of fireplace is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written within the book of life was thrown into the lake of fireplace” (Revelation 20:14-15).
But that will not be the top either. “Then I saw a recent heaven and a recent earth, for the primary heaven and first earth had passed away … and I saw that God’s dwelling place was along with his people and there was no more death or crying or pain, for the old order of things had passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
“And I saw the river of the water of life, and the tree whose leaves were for the healing of the nations …” (Revelation 22:1-2).
“And I heard the Spirit say come. And I heard the Bride say come. And let everyone who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. And I heard Jesus say, ‘I’m coming soon’” (Revelation 22:17).
Then it’s the End. The end of the start. And the start of the countless glory. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
David Robertson is minister of Scots Kirk in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He blogs at the Wee Flea.
 And so, it has happened. It got here – not as a bolt of lightning. Not as a flash of thunder. Not with...){kind=link}