Wise as serpents and harmless as doves

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(Matthew 10:16)
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Available online at www.mi elanderson.!om "o. 1 $00% Clich thinking is for the birds Anderson Mi e & #eptember

An 'n(lishman, an )rishman, and a #!otsman wal into a bar. *he bartender t+rns to them, ta es one loo , and sa,s, -What is this - some ind o. a /o e0A !li!h1 is an o.t-+sed phrase. #ho+ld we avoid them li e the pla(+e or .ind pearls o. wisdom in them0 )t2s tri! ,. 3ne thin( that sho+ld ma e +s war, abo+t slo(ans is that it is not hard to .ind their e4+all, !harmin( opposites. 5or e6ample, -man, hands ma e li(ht wor - b+t -too man, !oo s spoil the broth.- And -(reat minds thin ali e- b+t -.ools never di..er.- A !li!h1 ma, have validit, in a !ertain sit+ation, b+t its literar, appeal !an ma e it loiter in the mind, displa!in( other tho+(hts (or opposite !li!h1s) and pers+ade .ar be,ond its real val+e. &ord 7hester.ield said, -Most ma6im-mon(ers have pre.erred the prettiness to the /+stness o. a tho+(ht, and the t+rn to the tr+th.-1 *hat bea+t, is onl, s in deep !an appl, to !li!h1s too8 *he, are o.ten /+st too s+per.i!ial to be reliable (+ides. )t wo+ld be better i. !li!h1s !ame with 4+ali.i!ations. 9owever, it is their ver, terseness that ma es them so 4+otable. 7onsider the ditt, -:ed on ,ellow, ill a .ellow; red on bla! , venom la! .- *his .ol rh,me is intended to help people distin(+ish
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venomo+s !oral sna es .rom the similar-loo in( non-venomo+s Mil #na e and other mimi!s. )t is tr+e eno+(h - .or "orth Ameri!a. A .ellow who pi! s +p a red on bla! banded sna e in A.ri!a ma, well end +p dead. *he rh,me is a pra!ti!al short!+t. )t .osters the 4+i! and appropriate rea!tion o. a !owbo, to a sna e so that he !an (et on with his other d+ties. 5air eno+(h. A person who tries to appl, the rh,me in all !onte6ts has .allen into !li!h1 thin in(. #o, lets ta e a .ew !li!h1s and e6amine in what sit+ations the, appl,, i. an,. *a e -<od helps those who help themselves.- 3ne poll .o+nd that three 4+arters o. Ameri!ans believe that it appears in the =ible8$ A!t+all, it be(an as, -the (ods help those who help themselves- in Aesop>s .ables. Aesop (6$0-?60 =.7.) was tal in( abo+t (ettin( a wheel o+t o. the mire. *he monotheisti! version was pop+larised b, 'n(lish politi!ian Al(ernon #idne, and s!ientist =en/amin 5ran lin.@ *here are sit+ations in whi!h the =ible s+pports appl,in( the !li!h1. 5or instan!e, when the p+rs+in( '(,ptians were !losin( in on the pra,in( )sraelites, the word o. <od !ame to Moses sa,in(, -A+it pra,in( and (et the people movin(.-B *he )sraelites were loo in( to <od alone while he was e6pe!tin( them to pla, a part. *heir ph,si!al wellbein( depended on them helpin( themselves8 9owever, it is spirit+al madness to appl, it to eternal wellbein(. *he =ible stresses that we are 4+ite helpless to se!+re o+r own redemption. -5or it is b, (ra!e ,o+ have been saved, thro+(h .aith--and this not .rom ,o+rselves, it is the (i.t o. <od-- not b, wor s, so that no one !an boast.-? <od redeems those who re.+se to tr, and redeem themselves. 3r ta e -7leanliness is ne6t to (odliness.- 3ne wonders whether some snea , medieval mother tried to !oer!e !leanliness o+t o. her son b, (ivin( it eternal si(ni.i!an!e. Cohn Wesle, (1D0@ - 1D%1) and <eor(e White.ield (1D1B - 1DD0) approvin(l, 4+oted it.6 *he, sho+ld have nown better. *r+e, there are man, !eremonial laws in the 3ld *estament re(ardin( !leanliness. 9owever, Ces+s !riti!ised the Eharisees and tea!hers o. the law .or (ivin( e6ternals too m+!h importan!e, 4+otin( )saiah, F*hese people honor me with their lips, b+t their hearts are .ar .rom me.GD *he tro+ble with !leanliness or dirtiness is that both have been +sed as mar s o. spirit+alit,. #ome d+rin( the Middle A(es so ne(le!ted themselves in rea!tion to worldl, !om.ort that the, be!ame in.ested with li!e. *his was seen as a si(n o. saintliness8H. Ces+s de!lared that a person is not made spirit+all, +n!lean b, bein( ph,si!all, !lean% nor made spirit+all, !lean b, bein( ph,si!all,

dirt,.10 )t is all too eas, to +se e6ternals to man+.a!t+re an arti.i!ial spirit+alit,, b+t <od sees inside the heart. Earado6i!al h+mo+r in a !li!h1 !an (ive it an +ndeserved meas+re o. import. Mar *wain has o.ten been 4+oted: -5aith is believin( what ,o+ now ain>t so.-11 9is de.inition ma, well des!ribe the ind o. .aith that he had. *he apostle Ea+l had a di..erent view. -"ow .aith is bein( s+re o. what we hope .or and !ertain o. what we do not see.-1$ Ces+s e6plained one !onte6t: -*he wind blows wherever it pleases. Io+ hear its so+nd, b+t ,o+ !annot tell where it !omes .rom or where it is (oin(. #o it is with ever,one born o. the #pirit.-1@ #+re, the 9ol, #pirit !annot be seen, b+t <od in!arnate was 4+ite visible. And the e..e!ts that <od has on people are evident in their lives. 3ne 4+estion is -does .aith breed !harit,0- Atheist :o, 9attersle, admits it does. Writin( in the <+ardian, he a! nowled(es that a.ter the h+rri!ane Jatrina disaster it was the #alvation Arm, and mostl, other .aith (ro+ps that (ot st+! in with relie. wor . 9e added, -"otable b, their absen!e are teams .rom rationalist so!ieties, .ree thin ers> !l+bs and atheists> asso!iations - the sort o. people who not onl, s!o.. at reli(ion>s intelle!t+al abs+rdit, b+t also re(ard it as a positive .or!e .or evil.-1B "obel priKe-winnin( ph,si!ist #teven Weinber( made a statement that has be!ome a !li!h1 overni(ht. )t (ot 1B1 000 hits on <oo(le81? *he statement: -.or (ood people to do evil thin(s - that ta es reli(ion.-16 *he !on!ept o. reli(io+sl, inspired evil is not new with Weinber(. Ces+s warned his dis!iples, -)n .a!t, a time is !omin( when an,one who ills ,o+ will thin he is o..erin( a servi!e to <od.-1D 7hristians sho+ld not be s+rprised when reli(ion !ooperates with evil. )ndeed, Ces+s never !alls +s to .aith in reli(ion (he does not even mention the term); he !alls +s to .aith in <od. Loes this mean that all reli(ion is invariabl, bad0 "o, be!a+se Ces+s (oes on to identi., the tr+e so+r!e o. the evil sa,in(, -*he, will do s+!h thin(s be!a+se the, have not nown the 5ather or me.-1H *here is a reli(ion that sprin(s .rom nowin( <od and it leads to doin( (ood thin(s. *he apostle Cames sa,s, -:eli(ion that <od o+r 5ather a!!epts as p+re and .a+ltless is this: to loo a.ter orphans and widows in their distress and to eep onesel. .rom bein( poll+ted b, the world.-1% Cames implies that there is a ind o. reli(ion that <od does not a!!ept and whi!h is imp+re and .a+lt,. )t has been noted that Weinber(2s statement -wo+ld pla, badl, in almost an, !onte6t and demanded !lari.i!ation.- $0 *o

be .air he did tr,. 9e said, .or instan!e, -) thin that on balan!e the moral in.l+en!e o. reli(ion has been aw.+l,-$1 impl,in( that reli(ion has done some (ood. 9ow o.ten does the 4+ali.ier a!!ompan, the provo!ative statement on the )nternet0 Mer, m+!h less than one per!ent o. the time.$$ #till, the 4+ali.ier itsel. needs to be 4+ali.ied. *here are and have been thro+(ho+t histor, a (reat deal o. reli(io+s people o. vario+s pers+asions on the planet. )nvesti(atin( the e..e!t o. reli(ion on re!ent disaster relie. alone is a bi( tas . What ind o. reli(ion does Weinber( thin inspired those who helped the vi!tims o. Jatrina0 3ne wo+ld have to be <od to a!!+ratel, s+m +p the (lobal e..e!t o. reli(ion thro+(ho+t histor,.- 'ven the #on o. <od, who new his dis!iple2s .+t+re, spo e spe!i.i!all, instead o. (eneralisin( abo+t the e..e!ts o. reli(ion. )n !ontrast, when it !omes to spirit+al matters, Weinber( is less into 4+ali.,in( statements and more into the sweepin( ind. )t is a little li e noti!in( the wret!hed lives o. dr+( ab+sers and sa,in(, -dr+(s are bad N +se sna e oil.- Ample !lini!al trials demonstrate that prescribed dr+(s +sed wisel, are .ar better .or parti!+lar patients than no dr+(s at all. Weinber( is wel!ome to atta! reli(io+sl, motivated evil (Ces+s did), b+t he m+st do so a!!+ratel,. 9e ma es no distin!tion between !onvertin( to reli(ion and !onvertin( to 7hrist. 9e p+lls a .ast one in promotin( 7hristlessness. <od does not pres!ribe reli(ion, b+t Ces+s. 9ow does one avoid been ta en in b, the slo(an0 Avoid bein( overawed b, its literar, appeal or air o. pro.+ndit,. :emember that /+st li e an, other !laim, slo(ans have to be eval+ated. A !li!h1 ma, be as !+te as a b+nn, b+t as sa.e as a rabid one. 7li!h1 thin in( is .or the birds; onl, a bird-brain wo+ld thin otherwise. ---------------------------------------------------------). ,o+ .o+nd this arti!le help.+l please (ive it to someone else. Mi e & Anderson, Eh.L. (Ehilosoph, o. 'vol+tionar, =iolo(,) is a writer, spea er and ed+!ational so.tware developer .o!+sin( espe!iall, on Ces+s and evol+tion. FWise as #erpents and 9armless as LovesG is a .ree 7hristian e-Kine p+blished b, the Montane E+blishers, E 3 =o6 $1H, =ett,>s =a,, D1B1, #o+th A.ri!a. 'ditor: :a!hel 7 Anderson 'mail: ra!helOmi elanderson.!om 7op,ri(ht ($00%) held b, the a+thor o. the arti!le. *he e-Kine ma, be .reel, !opied on !ondition it is done so in its entiret, witho+t alteration and .ree o. !har(e.

*o s+bs!ribe to FWise as #erpents and 9armless as Loves p+t -s+bs!ribe W)#'- in the s+b/e!t line o. an e-mail messa(e to: -wiseOmi elanderson.!om*o +ns+bs!ribe to Wise as #erpents and 9armless as LovesG p+t -+ns+bs!ribe W)#'- in the s+b/e!t line o. an e-mail messa(e to: -wiseOmi elanderson.!omE+blisher: Montane E+blishers, E 3 =o6 $1H, =ett,>s =a,, D1B1, #o+th A.ri!a. '-mail: mi eOmi elanderson.!om Web: www.mi elanderson.!om =oard: Lr A Eotts, :evd : Anderson, M Joe(elenber(, # Eea!o! (7A)#A =an Letails: Mi e Anderson Lonation A!!o+nt, #tandard =an , :ondebos!h, A!!o+nt "o: 0D??%BB0B, =ran!h 7ode: $?00%, #avin(s A!!o+nt, El+sElan #M'

"otes

A+oted in 9oover, A.C. (1%H$) Dont you believe it. Mood, Eress, 7hi!a(o, p. %%. M!Jibben, =. ($00?) *he 7hristian parado6: 9ow a .aith.+l nation (ets Ces+s wron(. Harpers Magazine, A+(+st. 3 Ehilpott, J. (1%DB) If the Devil wrote a Bible. &o(os )nternational, "ew Cerse,, p. 11 4 '6od+s 1B:1? &ivin( =ible. 5 'phesians $:H-% 6 Ehilpott, J (1%DB) Ibid., p $0. 7 Matthew 1?:H. 8 9arp+r, C. ($00$) Sacred Tracks !""" years of #hristian $ilgri%age 5ran!es &in!oln &imited, &ondon, p. 10H. 9 Matthew 1?:16-$0. 10 Matthew ?: 16-1H. 11 A+oted in Jonner, C. ($00D) The &theists Bible &n illustrious collection of irreverent thoughts . 9arper7ollins E+blishers, 9arper7ollins, p. 1$?. 12 9ebrews 11:@. 13 Cohn @:H. 14 9attersle,, : ($00?) 5aith does breed !harit,. The 'uardian, Monda, 1$ #eptember. 15 A!!essed on 1Dth #eptember +sin( the sear!h items Weinber(, -.or (ood people to do evil thin(s,G and Fthat ta es reli(ion.G )t was done this wa, be!a+se p+n!t+ation varied. 16 Weinber(, #. ($001) (acing )p Science and its #ultural &dversaries* 9arvard Pniversit, Eress, 7ambrid(e, Massa!h+setts p. $B$. 17 Cohn 16:$. 18 Cohn 16:@. 19 Cames 1:$D. 20 <iberson, J. and M. Arti(as ($00D) +racles of Science #elebrity Scientists versus 'od and ,eligion. 36.ord Pniversit, Eress. p. 1H$. 21 Weinber(, ($001) Ibid., p. $B1. 22 *he 4+ali.ier re!eived onl, $@0 hits on <oo(le !ompared to the 1B1 000 .or the provo!ative slo(an.
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