God is Not Gentle

…and neither are godly masculine men.

Readership: All
Theme: Glory
Author’s Note: This post contains reader’s comments. Links to the original comments are given in the initial words.
Length: 750 words
Reading Time: 4 minutes + 2 short videos totaling ~ 9 minutes

¹⁸ There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:
¹⁹ The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.

Proverbs 30:18-19 (NKJV)

In this post, we’ll look at three vastly contrasting arenas in which God is glorified.

1. The wild and untamed natural world
2. Masculinity
3. The backwoods bumpkin.

God is Glorified in the Wildness of Nature

Misunderstanding the nature of the Fall has continued to resurface as a sticking point of misunderstanding the basic nature of life on this planet. I addressed this question in a previous post, Is Our Fallen Nature as God Designed it? (2021/10/4). To make sure I got it right, I teamed up with NovaSeeker and Ed Hurst to help me write and double check everything. It is a must-read post, in case you missed it.

Moreover, it is not as simple as saying, “The world is fallen. The world and everything in it is corrupted by sin.” This is only true if we define “world” in the biblical sense of the word. If one doesn’t understand the contextual nuances (for example, the difference between “creation” and “the world”), then one is prone to fall into The Wrath of GNON* crowd which has slowly been gaining popularity.

* GNON is an acronym for the “God of the Natural Order / Nature”. The primary and strategic appeal to GNON permits a consensual acceptance of Natural Law, unobstructed by theological controversy. A logical appeal to GNON enables important things to be said in contexts where, otherwise, an interminable argument would first need to be concluded. Thus, an agreement that “Reality Rules” need not be delayed until religious differences are resolved.

The GNON approach accepts as a fundamental truth one thing that is difficult for most mild mannered Progressives and theological moralizers to accept, and that is the competition for dominance and survival that is stereotypical of the Animal Kingdom and the Natural World. There is great wonder and glory in this, so much so, that it has been the subject of documentaries, National Geographic programs, and scientific research ever since the advent of the modern age.

From a humanist viewpoint, being ripped apart by claws and fangs is regarded as ruthless and cruel. But from a practical standpoint, namely that of the Animal Kingdom, it’s just taking care of business, succinctly captured in the latest buzz-phrase that’s been trending: “F around and find out.”

It’s plain and simple really. It only becomes a difficult question when we try to mix theology into it, and the essence of the truths behind creation and the glory of it all is lost when we try to reduce it to a system of logical precepts.

For example, venomous animals and poisonous plants kinda proves that humans weren’t the only ones who “fell”… Same goes for lions, hyenas, and other aggressive animals. They’re self-defensive. They’re territorial. They defend and provide for their own, even if it comes at the life of another creature. They have these characteristics in order to compete and survive in the grand game of life, e.g. “survival of the fittest”. However, tarantulas, thornbushes, tigers, and bears aren’t sinful. At worst, we could say they are “unclean”, according to the Old Testament. But human beings are prone to speculate upon mortal things from an eternal perspective, and that’s where it gets hairy.

God is Glorified in the Masculine-Feminine Dichotomy

Likewise, one thing about masculine nature (and by extension, God) that a lot of Christians find difficult to accept as being “good”, is the brutal dog-eat-dog competition to survive, dominate, and procreate. Feminism has done well in convincing us that these aspects of masculine nature are “toxic”. That alone should give us a clue as to how good it is in God’s eyes.

This competition extends to the SMP. Although moralizers may shudder at the ongoing immorality of it all, in the long run, human beings who fail to successfully capitalize on the opportunities presented during their youth will be outbred, outearned, and outmatched by those who do. Standardized Religion has little to do with it, although conviction and genuine faith can be a guide. Already, we are seeing a small number of men starting businesses while many others are “enjoying the decline” with a joint and a beer. Already, we are seeing many aging feminists expressing regrets over not having children, while stable communities with marriage minded gals, although few, are experiencing a boon in population. Perhaps it is God’s way of cleaning disobedience, debauchery, and faithlessness out of the gene pool. Another case study of the “survival of the fittest”.

The Gentile Rube

We have the common notion that a Gentile is anyone who is not a Jәw, or so we have been taught to believe. A fuller understanding of the word ethnos (Greek: ἔθνος), which is commonly translated as “Gentile”, is an ethnic minority, a foreigner, or an outsider. Although the definition is given as “race” or “nation”, the distinction made is not so much about Jud@!sm or even r@cial!sm as we understand it today, but rather refers to those who are NOT a member of your own tribe, ethnic group, or in-group. Remember that the authors of the Bible were Jәws, so to them, anyone who was not a Jәw would fall under this definition of ethnos.

To wit, “gentle” and “gentile” come from the same root word origin. By “gentle”, think of a friendly working-class person who is very relaxed and easy-going due to his poor, diminished, or minority status in society.

God is glorified in our weaknesses. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

In some contexts, “Gentle” could also have the connotation of being just a step away from effeminate. IOW, those feeel-good do-gooders possessing a weak agentic capacity. After having lived abroad for many years, I can attest that foreigners must always play second fiddle and kowtow to the locals, no matter how classy, excellent, or wealthy they may be.

As a mental exercise that should prove to be a real eye-opener, replace the word “gentile” with “gentle people”, foreigner, hillbilly, “deplorables”, etc. whenever you read the Bible. Here’s a little taste. Click on the embedded links for the suggested context.

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the hillbillys / ethnic group / Taiwanese / etc., And sing praises to Your name.

2 Samuel 22:50 (NKJV)

He gave them the lands of the foreigners, And they inherited the labor of the nations…

Psalm 105:44 (NKJV)

And He gave them into the hand of the deplorables, And those who hated them ruled over them.

Psalm 106:41 (NKJV)

Epilogue

There is irony in how God has chosen the insignificant, the small, even shameful things of this world, the thorns, the chickens, the rednecks, etc. to glorify Himself and extol His Power.

There is irony in how Jesus wore a crown of thorns. Thorns — which sprang forth after the Fall — a symbol of sin, shame, and suffering — became Christ’s crown of glory. His bloody countenance raised high with arms outspread — the physical stance of a victorious conqueror in battle — was His posture during His gruesome death on the cross.

Related

• Σ Frame: Against The Naturalistic Fallacy (2018/2/12)
• Σ Frame: Is Our Fallen Nature as God Designed it? (2021/10/4)
• Antemodernist: Danger and Masculinity (2022/5/23)
• The Orthosphere: Reading Enemy Propaganda (2022/7/3)
• Σ Frame: The Moral Agency of Dogs (2022/11/18)