It has been a long time since I sat down to write an article. I once spoke with a pastor and asked, "For whom is it easier to come to faith in the Lord: The atheist or the polytheist?" He replied that it is harder for the polytheist. This got me thinking: why is that the case? What is the essence of atheism? Atheists place their trust in themselves, and those who rely on themselves are essentially relying on money. Thus, the essence of atheism is materialism; atheists put their faith in money, influence, power, and ability. Atheism is what we call "living according to the flesh." They believe that death is the end—that there is no body or soul—and that this life is all there is. If this life is all we have, what hope remains? We live lives worse than those of pigs or dogs. Why do I say that people who live only for this life are to be pitied? Just think: Among all mobile creatures, is there any species more pitiable than humans? No other animal spends its entire life as a slave just to buy a house, nor does any other animal desperately pressure its offspring to achieve high grades. I hear that the youth suicide rate is rising in Hong Kong; while children in Taiwan are unwilling to be born at all, Hong Kong pushes its children to the point of death. Humans are truly the most pitiable creatures on Earth! We strive to invent AI to replace ourselves—but what is the goal? Is it to wipe out humanity? If we intend to destroy humanity, why go to such lengths to bring children into the world? We live in a foolish generation. Why are humans so foolish? Because we are held captive by atheism. Many say there are two billion Christians in the world, yet perhaps 1.9 billion of them are actually polytheists. What is polytheism? Many define it as the belief that all things possess a spirit—that everything is a god. I believe many "Christians" fit the description Jesus gave: People who worship both God and Mammon. They stand with one foot in the Kingdom of God while refusing to let go of the world with the other. This is the very picture of Lot’s wife—and she ended up as a pillar of salt.
In truth, the thing I find most baffling of all is polytheism. How could the world possibly be polytheistic? We all know there is only one supreme Creator! I believe polytheism mistakes fallen angels for gods; yet fallen angels are simply devils—evil spirits! Why? Because angels are ministering spirits, and when they were created, they were good. But later, due to "pride," they chose to become devils and "fell." Many people believe in polytheism; perhaps they mistake "good angels" for gods, or perhaps they mistake "fallen angels" for gods! Christianity teaches that there is only one "God"—one Creator—and that all angelic powers are bestowed by the Creator. Whether the angels are good or bad, their abilities come from the Creator! Let’s discuss polytheism; it is a fundamentally flawed concept! If gods exist, there must be one supreme God! Therefore, any idol we see is inherently "limited." "Mazu" might only be effective for Chinese people; she might not work for Thai people! The "Four-Faced Buddha" might only be effective in Thailand and fail elsewhere! As the saying goes, "A powerful god cannot overpower the local deity." Essentially, polytheism is like worshipping local officials; if you keep relying on a local official, you might get bullied by officials in a different area when you move! When do people move? The ultimate migration is "death"—after death, one inevitably moves! If you keep worshipping King Yama, Ksitigarbha, and the like—worshipping evil spirits—do you think you have a chance of entering Heaven? If you don't even know the Creator, how could you possibly enter Heaven? You might say, "But I worship gods!" I ask: Which god do you worship? Does he rule over Heaven? There is only one ruler of Heaven: The Creator! So, whom should you worship if you want to go to Heaven? Think about it yourself!
Whether you subscribe to polytheism or atheism, ask yourself: do you really want to live a life worse than that of a pig or a dog? Is the purpose of life merely to earn money? Does life hold no other value beyond making money? Yesterday, I was talking to a sister in the faith, and she remarked that Chinese people often look down on the disabled. The truth is, I want to say this: Chinese people look down on all "poor people"! Many people with disabilities—if they come from wealthy or powerful families—are not looked down upon at all! Yet anyone lacking "money"—even without a disability—is treated with contempt and trampled upon! To put it even more bluntly: This world simply despises and tramples on the poor! Some might say, "That is the reality! What can we possibly change?" We cannot change the world itself, but we can faithfully follow Jesus! I believe Jesus has already given us the best answer for life! Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself! If we realize that we are merely sojourners in this world, whom would we ever look down upon? To a Christian, the poor are still brothers and sisters! There is only one type of person a Christian cannot regard as a brother or sister: The lazy! If someone claims to belong to God but spends all day trying to get money from the church and fellow believers, that person does not truly belong to God! If we are all ultimately walking the path toward death, would you still spend your life frantically chasing after wealth? Life is but a single breath! Yesterday was 9/11; we know that 2,977 people died on that day. Why? Why did those people rack their brains to murder strangers they had never met? Why were those killers in such a rush to plunge into the lake of fire? Some people only feel fear and regret right before they die, realizing the evil they have done and dreading hell! Today, we still have the time and opportunity to repent. We shouldn't focus on how many evil people are in the world; instead, we must hasten to Jesus to "confess and repent." No matter how many "lies," acts of "deceit," or "wickedness" mark our past, we must confess them one by one, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and resolve not to sin again! As the old saying goes: We never know whether tomorrow or an unexpected accident will come first. If we have the chance to repent, we should seize it! "Confessing and repenting" is a matter of one's own salvation and eternal life! Instead of wasting time and energy hating or plotting against others, it is far better to transform yourself and embrace the hope of eternal life! Is the "hope of eternal life" expensive? Not at all! Spending a lifetime chasing money—only to live a life worse than that of a pig or a dog—is the price too high? And ultimately, it condemns us to hell; is it really worth it?
