Nietzsche's false truth: "God is Dead " 

During the last decades of the 19^th century, a philosophical work was released into the world of the European intelligentsia.  This work entitled “Thus Spake Zarathustra”  Of course this statement in no way intended to claim that the almighty God had given in to mortality.  Rather the author, one Herr Friedrich Nietzsche, was claiming that the belief in God was dying in the world around him.  Nietzsche, a professed atheist, claimed that in the modern-scientific and culturally developing world of the 1880’s, the idea of the Christian God was simply no longer believable.  He predicted the imminent demise of the Church and a totally reshaping of the structure morality.  Nietzsche boldly claimed that God was dead and now everything is permissible caused no small stir among its readers and is perhaps best known for it bold statement declaring that “God is dead!” 

            If one were criticize Nietzsche’s claims, one could start by illustrating the fact that more than a century after the predicted “imminent demise of the Christian Church” the Catholic Church that Jesus founded still exists with a billion members.  It would appear that our Lord’s promise that “the gates of hell shall not overcome her” carries more validity that the predictions of modernist philosophers.  However, where Nietzsche did have a valid point was in his observation regarding the foundations of morality.  Nietzsche held that without God standing as the ultimate standard and rule of right conduct, there were no actions that were any longer prohibited.  Ideal notions such as right and wrong, good and evil were now seen to be outdated products of human origin.  The will to power was now the dominate factor in human action.  In this worldview might makes right and justice becomes whatever the strongest party has decided.  If Nietzsche were correct about God being dead, then each person would logically and reasonably be required to change their entire view of themselves and world around them.  Fortunately Nietzsche claim is ridiculous and totally unfounded.  Over the centuries many voices have declared that the ChurchJesus was either dead or dying; for the last two thousand years Holy Mother Church has outlasted all of them.  Nietzsche’s idea however, can serve as a useful basis of comparison for another proposal of world altering proportions. 

            In opposition to Nietzsche’s claim, I posit that “Jesus Christ rose from the dead and now everything is different!”  God has humbled Himself to take on our flesh and die that we might live with Him for eternity.  No longer is humanity subject to the hopelessness of our impending deaths.  No longer must we be slaves to our irrational passions as are lower animals.  Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, now everything is different!  Truth is now knowable by the assurance of divine revelation, no longer are we restricted to power of our frail human intellects.  Goodness and justice are no longer matters of mere opinion, but now are clear concepts that are mandated by God.  Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, now everything is different!  Humanity is no longer separated from its creator by an unbridgeable chasm; we now have access to God who invites us all into personal relationship with Him.  Grace is now available in abundance to all who would seek the living God, and the Father now stands ready to share with us his very divine life.  Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and each person now logically and reasonably is required to change their entire view of themselves and world around them.  I think a fruitful practice this Easter season would be to reflect on just how we have allowed this world-changing truth to alter are thinking and our actions.  It is only logical, if we believe that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead then everything is now different.