Thanks for Nothin' Nietzsche

So, here is a nutshell history of human thought:

Ancient Times (Prehistory is an oxymoron)- "I know God exists because I just talked with him"

Middle Ages- "God exists, but I'm not sure what He's saying, so let's make up a story about Him and do crazy things in response"

The Enlightenment- "I've decided that God might not exist because I'm thinking more now and He doesn't make logical sense to me...by the way, I'm really smart and basically good"

Modern Era- "If we just follow reason and science, we will find God and the truth!"

Postmodern Era- "We couldn't find God and the truth because all the rest of the idiot world isn't reasonable like us and we can't agree. There are limits to what science can prove, so I guess I can't really know God after all. HEY...LET"S JUST ALL MAKE UP OUR OWN GOD STORY AND MAKE IT OUR OWN LITTLE TRUTH! " There can be a gazillion God stories out there to believe...only one will be true and saving, but we'll have fun and peace in the meantime!


I'm trying to understand the history of philosophy better these days. Am I sort of close to accurate in my summary? I was more of a science student and missed out on a lot of amazing information through my school years...another reason why I love homeschooling :) History is the only academic subject I insist on doing WITH the kids because Mom needs to know these things! Although we have heard the saying before "History repeats itself" I don't think we are paying enough attention to how knowing that can help us. We just continue to think the same thoughts, come up with the same answers or un-answers and forget that others before us did the same and we can read about it. Read about the dangers of abandoning the notion of God in exchange for self worship or even the dark, hopeless beliefs of Nietzsche. This postmodern German philosopher is famous for his brilliant quote "God is dead." He suffered from severe mental illness leading to death, by the way.

Postmodern thought has contributed, I believe, to much of the rebellion, suffering and suicide our culture experiences today. Believing that there must be a God, but we can't know Him is a very depressing and hopeless thought. You CAN know God. You can know what He is like, what He has done and will do, how you were made and what will make you happy, both now and even after this temporal life. It's the simplicity of trusting His word, the Bible. Many think this is foolish thinking, but I believe it anyway and have daily joy in it. Everyone is thought of as a fool by someone. The important thing is not to be RIGHT all the time in your thinking, but to be right with God in His thinking.

I love the way Michael card puts it:

So surrender the hunger to say you must know,
Have the courage to say I believe,
For the power of paradox opens your eyes,
And blinds those who say they can see.

"God is alive and well"