New Mission

New Mission: Peran Nilai Moral Pancasila Dalam Kancah Politik Indonesia

2010-04-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

New Mission: Peran Nilai Moral Pancasila Dalam Kancah Politik Indonesia

Peran Nilai Moral Pancasila Dalam Kancah Politik Indonesia

2010-04-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

1. Definisi Disiplin ilmu politik

Pada prinsipnya, politik merupakan salah satu dari sekian banyak cabang ilmu dari apa yang disebut filsafat. Kata “filsafat” berasal dari kata bahasa Yunani philosophia, (“love of wisdom”), cinta akan hikmat kebijaksanaan menurut prinsip-prinsip fundamental. Filsafat terdiri dari empat cabang utama yakni metafisika yang mengkaji tentang realita; epistemologi yang menyelidiki asal-asul, validitas dan batas-batas pengetahuan; berikut etika yang menyelidiki kodrat atau sifat moral dan keputusan; dan estetika, ilmu tentang keindahan dan seni.
Karena metode dan prinsip khusus dikembangkan dalam berbagai bidang pengetahuan, setiapnya memperoleh aspek filsafatnya tersendiri, yang akhirnya membentuk filsafat seni, ekonomi, politik, agama, teologi, dll. Istilah filsafat juga sering dipakai secara populer yang mengandung arti seperangkat nilai dasar dan sikap terhadap kehidupan, alam dan masyarakat yang membentuk frase “filsafat/prinsip hidup.” Demikian juga ilmu politik memiliki filsafat tersendiri yaitu filsafat politik.

Ilmu Politik
Ilmu politik adalah sebuah ilmu pengetahuan sosial menyangkut teori dan praktik politik dan deskripsi serta analisis sistem-sistem politik dan perilaku politik. Sering dideskripsikan sebagai aplikasi pragmatik dari seni dan ilmu politik yang didefinisikan sebagai “siapa yang memperoleh apa, kapan dan bagaimana” dengan meniadakan “mengapa.” Ilmu politik memiliki beberapa cabang termasuk teori politik, kebijakan publik, politik nasional, hubungan internasional dan politik komparatif.
Secara metodologi, disiplin ini termasuk filsafat politik klasik, positivisme, interpretivisme, strukturalisme, behavioralisme, realisme, pluralisme dan institusionalisme.
Ilmuwan politik mempelajari segala sesuatu yang bersangkut paut dengan alokasi dan pengalihan kekuasaan dalam pengambilan keputusan, peran dan sistem penguasaan termasuk pemerintahan dan organisasi-organisasi internasional, perilaku politik dan kebijakan publik. Mereka mengukur suksesnya penguasaan dan kebijakan-kebijakan khusus dengan mempertimbangkan banyak faktor termasuk stabilitas, keadilan, kekayaan materi dan perdamaian.
Menurut Chaturvedy, para ilmuwan politik berjasa sebagai penasihat bagi kaum politisi tertentu, atau bahkan menjabat sebagai politisi. Mereka dapat dijumpai bekerja di jawatan pemerintah, dalam partai-partai politik atau sebagai pegawai pemerintah. Mereka juga terlibat dalam organisasi-organisasi non pemerintah atau gerakan-gerakan politik.

Filsafat Politik
Filsafat politik adalah ilmu yang mempelajari konsep-konsep seperti kebebasan, keadilan, harta kepemilikan, hak, hukum, dan pemberlakuan kode etik oleh otorita; apa sesungguhnya, mengapa (atau meski) dibutuhkan, apa yang membentuk satu pemerintahan yang sah, hak dan kebebasan apa yang harus diayomi, dan mengapa, bentuk apa yang harus diambil dan mengapa, apa hukumnya, dan apa tugas dan kewajiban warga terhadap satu pemerintahan yang sah. Secara logika, istilah “filsafat politik” sering merujuk kepada satu pandangan umum atau etika khusus, kepercayaan dan sikap politik. Filsafat politik dapat juga dipahami dengan menganalisisnya menurut perspektif metafisika, epistomologi dan etika atau axiologi dengan demikian menguak sisi realitas pokok, sisi pengetahuan dan metodologi dan aspek-aspek nilai politik. Tiga kepedulian sentral dalam filsafat politik adalah ekonomi politik untuk mendefinisikan hak milik dan mengatur akses kapital, tuntutan keadilan dalam distribusi dan hukuman, dan peraturan-peraturan tentang kebenaran dan bukti yang menentukan peradilan dalam hukum.

2. Perubahan pandangan politik dari zaman ke zaman

Seiring dengan perkembangan zaman dan peradaban manusia, cara berpikir orang pun terus berganti dari zaman ke zaman menurut kecenderungan tersendiri dalam menyikapi persoalan hidup yang muncul di tengah masyarakat, bangsa dan negara. Maka tak dapat dipungkiri telah muncul banyak filsuf yang mengetengahkan pendapat mereka dalam wujud teori-teori dan prinsip dalam mengatasi segala permasalahan sosial politik dan dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan. Gagasan dan teori terus muncul mulai dari filsafat barat purbakala yang bersumber dari Mesir kuno, dengan berbagai bentuk organisasi politik seperti monarki, tirani, aristokrasi, oligarki dan demokrasi. Di antara filsuf yang berjasa pada zaman ini adalah Plato dengan karya klasiknya “Republik” disusuli Aristoteles dengan karyanya “Politik Aristoteles.”
Filsafat timur jauh misalnya muncul filsuf-filsuf kenamaan seperti Cong-hu-cu, Mencius, Mozi, dll. yang mencoba menempuh cara-cara yang layak untuk memulihkan keutuhan dan stabilitas politik melalui pengembangan nilai cinta kasih dan kebajikan.
Kekristenan pada zaman pertengahan memiliki ikon penting seperti Santo Agustinus dengan perubahan dasar pemikiran yang menandaskan peran negara dalam mengaplikasikan belas kasihan sebagai satu paradigma moral. Tokoh politik lainnya pada zaman ini adalah Santo Thomas Aquinas yang menghadirkan 4 jenis hukum yang berbeda yakni, hukum kosmik Allah, hukum Alkitab Allah, hukum alamiah atau kaidah perilaku yang diaplikasikan pada situasi tertentu.
Berikut Islam pada zaman pertengahan memperkenalkan filsafat politik yang bersumber pada sharia (hukum Islam seperti termaktub dalam Al-quran) di mana nabi Muhamad dengan tegas merubah keseimbangan kuasa dan persepsi asal mula kuasa di kawasan Mediterania. Pada abad ke-14 salah seorang teoris politik terkenal Ibnu Khaldun mendefinisikan pemerintahan sebagai sebuah lembaga yang mencegah ketidakadilan dan semua bentuk kejahatan – teori politik terbaik dalam sejarah.
Eropa pada zaman pertengahan menerima pengaruh besar dari pemikiran Kristiani yang memiliki banyak kesamaan dengan pemikiran Islam Mutazalit yang menandaskan keharmonisan potensial dalam logika dan wahyu.
Jelaslah bahwa sejak zaman kuno sampai pertengahan, pikiran para filsuf masih diilhami oleh Roh ilahi yang berupaya mengendalikan kehidupan politik dengan melibatkan satu kuasa kebenaran dari Tuhan demi menciptakan satu keharmonisan ideal dalam hidup bermasyarakat, berbangsa dan bernegara.
Ironisnya, justru pada zaman yang disebut sebagai kebangunan kembali (Renaissance), berbagai filsafat politik sekuler mulai menjamur setelah pandangan politik teologis berkuasa selama seabad di Eropa. Pada zaman ini muncul pandangan pragmatis yang sesat bahwa kebaikan dan kejahatan semata-mata dipakai sebagai sarana untuk mencapai satu tujuan. Konsep ini terus berkembang sampai abad ke-17 selama Renaissance Inggris. Lebih jauh filsuf pada zaman kebangunan ini seperti Thomas Hobbes dan Machiavelli memahami kodrat manusia sebagai individu yang mementingkan diri sendiri.
Selanjutnya pada zaman pencerahan Eropa muncul kaum teoris baru seperti Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu dan John Locke yang mendasarkan pemikiran mereka pada dua persoalan dasar; pertama, atas hak dan kebutuhan apa rakyat membentuk negara; dan kedua, apa yang mungkin menjadi bentuk negara. Kedua persoalan ini melibatkan perbedaan konseptual antara “negara” dan “pemerintah.”
Pada zaman industrialisasi dan era modern muncul Karl Marx dengan teori komunismenya yang merupakan salah satu ideologi politik yang paling berpengaruh di abad ke-20 melalui leninisme. Revolusi industri menghasilkan revolusi paralel dalam pandangan politik. Urbanisasi dan kapitalisme membentuk kembali komposisi masyarakat dengan drastisnya. Selama masa ini, gerakan sosialis mulai terbentuk.
Akhirnya setelah perang dunia kedua filsafat politik memasuki era kontemporer. Komunisme tetap menjadi fokus penting khususnya selama tahun 1950-an dan 1960-an yang sempat menabur benih ideologinya di bumi pertiwi, meski tidak berhasil berkecambah dan bertumbuh kembang, dan embryonya mengalami aborsi total. Bangkit pula isu penting lain yang disebut kolonialisme dan rasisme. Indonesia tak luput dari meneguk cawan pahit anarki kolonial yang disodorkan kaum penjajah yang memperkosa HAM dengan nafsu keserakahan dan birahi keegoisan. Umumnya, ada satu tren menuju pendekatan pragmatis terhadap isu politik daripada pendekatan filsafat. Dari sinilah timbul gerakan-gerakan seperti feminisme dan LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), praktik penyimpangan seksual yang dipicu oleh spirit jangak, yang sudah sangat marak di seluruh dunia dengan Amerika sebagai promotornya dan menyebarkan pengaruh busuknya ke seluruh dunia, tak ketinggalan Asia dengan organisasi komunitas mesum bin maksiat mereka yang disebut ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association).
Meninjau semua teoris politik dengan berbagai perspektif mereka terhadap masalah sosial politik, dapat disimpulkan bahwa Cong-hu-cu berupaya mengintegrasikan nilai etika dalam falsafah dan prinsip politik. Demikian juga Santo Agustinus dan Santo Thomas Aquinas mencoba memadukan nilai Kekristenan dalam praktik politik yang mengembangkan gagasan Aristoteles tentang hubungan antara etika dan politik. Dalam bukunya yang berjudul Nicomachean Ethics, Aristoteles menegaskan bahwa substansi dan esensi politik adalah etika itu sendiri dalam lingkup yang lebih luas. Berikut Ibnu Khaldun yang berpedoman pada kaidah dan nilai Islam mencoba memberantas aksi kejahatan dalam kancah politik. Sedangkan yang lainnya sampai kepada zaman kontemporer lebih cendrung kepada pendekatan metafisik dan estetik yang hanya melihat kenyataan yang ada dengan pandangan sekuler dalam seni berpolitik sementara mengabaikan nilai-nilai luhur agama dan akhlak dalam menyikapi problematika hidup.

3. Peran Nilai Moral Pancasila dalam Politik Indonesia

Karena sudah lama meninggalkan tanah air dan berdomisili di luar negri, saya tidak tahu jelas apakah Pancasila sebagai dasar negara Indonesia ini masih diucapkan atau dideklamasikan bersama dengan Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945 pada setiap upacara pengerekan bendera merah putih. Pancasila ini dihafal dengan baik oleh semua warga negara Indonesia yang berpendidikan.
Etimologisnya, Pancasila berasal dari kata bahasa Sansekerta (bahasa liturgi inspiratif Hindu dan Buda di India yang sekarang sudah terancam punah), yang terdiri dari kata “panca” artinya “lima” dan “sila” berarti “prinsip/asas”. Lima prinsip yang tak dapat dilepas pisahkan. Pada prinsipnya, Pancasila merupakan dasar falsafah resmi dan filsafat politik negara Indonesia, demikian definisinya.
Historisnya, Pancasila adalah hasil pemikiran calon presiden pertama, Sukarno, yang mengumumkan ideologi ini dalam sebuah pidatonya yang dikenal dengan “Lahirnya Pancasila” yang disampaikannya kepada Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia (PPKI) pada 1 Juni 1945. Dengan demikian ia menolong mengatasi konflik antara kaum Muslim, nasionalis dan Kristen. Setelah itu UUD 1945 mengabadikan Pancasila sebagai pengejawantahan prinsip dasar negara Indonesia merdeka.
Mari kita kaji satu persatu signifikansi kelima sila ini dalam kaitannya dengan peran penting yang dimainkannya dalam konteks percaturan politik di bumi merah putih ini.

Sila pertama adalah “Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa.”
Bukan sekadar kebetulan sila ini ditempatkan pada urutan pertama sebagai bukti positif bahwa Allah mencurahkan inspirasi Roh-Nya kepada bapa-bapa bangsa. Inilah yang perlu dihayati oleh semua warga negara Indonesia, teristimewa oleh yang memangku jabatan penting baik dalam instansi pemerintah maupun non pemerintah dan para politisi yang memainkan peran utama dalam proses penentuan kebijakan dan pengambilan keputusan.
Sila ini menandaskan iman kepercayaan warga Indonesia bahwa Allah itu ada. Semua warga yang mengaku beragama percaya bahwa semua makhluk hidup, dan seluruh alam ciptaan di dunia dan alam semesta adalah hasil ciptaan Tuhan Allah. Sila ini mengakui eksistensi Allah sang Khalik menurut iman. Dengan kata lain, manusia, hewan dan tumbuh-tumbuhan serta semua benda angkasa berasal dari Allah, bukan muncul dengan sendirinya seperti yang diklaim oleh kaum evolusioner. Artinya bahwa sila ini sama sekali menyangkal dan menolak teori evolusi, ilmu favorit yang memenuhi buku-buku teks biologi di seluruh dunia yang berkembang pesat selama 5 abad terakhir.
Karena seluruh lapisan masyarakat Indonesia percaya akan keberadaan Allah, sila pertama ini juga berarti warga Indonesia percaya akan satu kehidupan setelah kematian atau setelah hidup di bumi ini. Sila ini menegaskan bahwa penekunan nilai-nilai sakral akan menuntun orang kepada satu kehidupan yang lebih baik di dunia sekarang dan dunia yang akan datang.
Karena Pancasila merupakan filsafat politik Indonesia, sila pertama ini juga merupakan bagain integral dari semua sistem kehidupan yang harus diejahwantahkan dalam semua sistem, praktik, perilaku dan aktivitas politik. Artinya kaum politisi Indonesia haruslah benar-benar menjadi politisi yang pancasilais dan ber-Tuhan. Mereka harus menjadi ikon-ikon yang menampilkan citra Allah dalam seluruh kehidupan politik. Merekalah figur-figur penting yang menyatakan karakter Allah dalam kehidupan politik mereka. Dengan demikian, mustahil bagi politik untuk menyandang kata “kotor,” melainkan bermeterai “murni.”
Sila ini dilambangkan dengan bintang di tengah perisai Garuda Pancasila. Apa artinya bintang? Bintang sebagai benda angkasa ciptaan Tuhan memiliki sumber cahaya sendiri sama seperti matahari sebagai sentrum tata surya kita di galaksi bima sakti. Ini berarti para aktivis politik hendaknya memancarkan cahaya kebenaran yang berlandaskan nilai-nilai luhur agama dan kaidah moral tanpa mentolerir segala praktik korup yang mengarah pada degradasi akhlak dan dekadensi moral. Ikon-ikon politik ini harus menjadi paradigma kebenaran berdasarkan norma moral Pancasila sebagai filsafat politik Indonesia.
Ambil contoh kasus yang lagi seru diperbincangkan belum lama ini di Surabaya tentang gagalnya rencana penyelengaraan kongres homoseks dari organisasi se-Asia, ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association). Berbagai pandangan pro dan kontra telah muncul menyikapi problem sosial politik yang akut ini. Terlepas dari sudut pandang mana pun kita meninjau, semuanya haruslah bermuara pada prinsip kebenaran yang diakui, yang mendasari semua praktik, prilaku dan aktivitas sosial politik. Inilah standarnya. Artinya, semua sudut perspektif, apakah dari sudut ekonomi, sosial budaya, kesehatan, pendidikan, psikologi, HAM, dll, harus berlandaskan pada tolok ukur ideologi bangsa, yakni Pancasila. Dan telah disahkan secara konstitisional bahwa Pancasila merupakan pengejawantahan UUD 1945. Jadi kalau kaum politisi dari Partai Demokrat SBY menilai tindakan para polisi Jawa Timur yang melarang kongres homoseks sebagai tidak konstitusional merupakan penilaian atas dasar pemikiran yang menyimpang dan melenceng. Justru para polisi telah bertindak secara konstitusional dengan mendengar advis berharga dari para pemuka agama untuk mencegah praktik penyimpangan seksual di bumi Pancasila.
Allah, yang kepada-Nya kita sembah, yang dirujuk sila pertama, melarang perbuatan maksiat seperti itu yang hanya mendatangkan murka dan laknat. Seyogyanya kalau kaum politisi dan pemerintah pada umumnya mau memulihkan kembali pandangan hidup mereka dengan berpatokan pada nilai moral Pancasila dan norma agama maka segala problem sosial dapat diatasi dengan mudah. Alasan semua permasalahan sosial seperti pelacuran kian marak dan telah mewabah secara mendunia ialah karena pihak yang mengendalikan negara sudah menyimpang dari ideologi dan falsafah yang dianut. Konsekuensinya, bukannya mengatasi permasalahan dengan menyelenggarakan kongres yang bermanfaat seperti menolong saudara/i kita yang malang itu untuk menyadari kesalahan mereka dan bertobat, kembali kepada jalan hidup yang benar, dengan memberikan ceramah-ceramah keagamaan, sebaliknya menjerumuskan mereka dalam kubangan dosa yang semakin pekat dengan dalih menjamin kebebasan hak asasi yang sebetulnya telah disalahgunakan. Inilah salah interpretasi dari entitas kebebasan dan hak asasi itu sendiri. Memang Allah memberi kita hak asasi dan kebebasan yang harus kita gunakan dengan semestinya demi kemuliaan-Nya dan kebaikan sesama manusia, bukan untuk disalahgunakan dalam perbuatan dosa dan kekejian yang melanggar hukum-Nya. Oleh karena itu, sikap, tindakan dan keputusan yang telah diambil aparat keamanan Surabaya yang bekerja sama dengan para pemuka agama dalam menggagalkan kongres homoseks ILGA sebetulnya sama sekali tidak melanggar hak asasi melainkan mengayominya. Memang tak mengherankan mengapa pandangan kaum politisi begitu melenceng karena itulah ilmu yang mereka tekuni dengan menerima indoktrinasi teori evolusi yang mengajarkan bahwa manusia berasal dari binatang (monyet) makanya persepsi mereka juga miring dengan memelopori segala perbuatan keji seperti binatang.
Kasus homoseksualitas harus dicermati secara bijaksana dengan tetap bertolok ukur pada ajaran agama dan kaidah moral, karena inilah standar absolut ilahi yang mengatur seluruh kehidupan umat manusia. Tetapi sayangnya, yang menyebut diri manusia intelek, yang bertitel, begitu bengalnya meninggalkan standar kebenaran ‘sumber air yang hidup’ ini dan menggali ilmu sendiri ‘kolam bocor’ (Merujuk pada Yeremia 2:13) yang hanya membinasakan diri mereka. Firman Allah (Kitab Suci Kristen) baik dalam bahasa asli (Ibrani dan Yunani) maupun dalam semua terjemahan, dengan gamblang menyatakan bahwa Allah menjadikan manusia laki-laki dan perempuan. Jadi hanya dua jenis kelamin secara alamiah. Jenis apa pun namanya selain dari kedua ini adalah penyimpangan, kelainan dan tidak alamiah. Tapi ini memang kenyataan hidup yang perlu diluruskan. Penelitian-penelitian terbaru terhadap DNA manusia membuktikan bahwa penyimpangan seksual seperti homoseksualitas dan lesbianisme bukan alamiah secara genetika, melainkan sifat tabiat yang dikembangkan setelah kelahiran, bukan pembawaan. Kitab suci juga menegaskan bahwa penyimpangan ini adalah dosa, yakni hubungan seksual yang tidak wajar, tidak alamiah. (Lihat rujukan ayat Alkitab dalam ulasan selanjutnya). Jadi kalau kaum aktivis gay menyatakan bahwa praktik gay itu tidak bersangkut paut dengan kejahatan merupakan kesalahan fatal yang bertentangan dengan wejangan Firman Allah. Di samping itu argumen tersebut bertentangan dengan argumen lain yang diungkapkan sendiri oleh fulsuf gay bahwa konferensi itu bisa jadi sarana untuk membuat kaum gay bertobat. Berarti sebenarnya mereka sendiri mengakui keberadaan mereka sebagai orang berdosa yang memerlukan pertobatan. Nah, jelaslah bahwa gay adalah satu problem yang harus diatasi, bukan dibiarkan berkembang. Kalau memang niat dan maksud organisasi ini tulus untuk mengatasi persoalan maka pasti akan didukung oleh berbagai pihak, khususnya kaum agamawan. Tetapi kenyataannya, intensi mereka ditolak tegas karena maksud baik mereka tidak transparan dalam agenda, dan hanya menonjolkan maksud ‘jahat' mereka yang sesungguhnya yakni supaya eksistentsi mereka diakui dan dikembangkan. Inilah letak kesalahan fatal dari pihak gay. Memang mindset dan perspektif orang yang meninggalkan Allah kedengaran lucu dan melenceng, sampai tidak mau menyebut soal agama, doa, surga, neraka, karena memang hal-ihwal agamawi dari Allah sungguh-sungguh menempelak perbuatan keji yang mereka gemari.
Karena sudah lama diindoktrinasi dengan teori evolusi, tidak sedikit ilmuwan sekuler menolak Allah, meragukan wahyu-Nya yang dituangkan dalam Kitab Suci semua agama, menganggap Kitab Suci itu hasil tulisan manusia dengan latar belakang kultur patriarkis, sosialis, dan macam-macam embel aliran lain. Mereka pikir Allah itu sama dan sederajat dengan mereka. “Dengan siapa hendak kamu samakan Aku, seakan-akan Aku seperti (kamu)” (Yesaya 40:25)? “Itulah yang engkau lakukan ... engkau menyangka, bahwa Aku ini sederajat dengan engkau. Aku akan menghukum engkau dan membawa perkara ini ke hadapanmu” (Mazmur 50:21). Yang tidak disadari oleh kaum aktivis gay adalah meski Alkitab itu ditulis oleh manusia, para penulis diilhami oleh Roh Kudus Allah. “Segala tulisan yang diilhamkan Allah memang bermanfaat untuk mengajar, untuk menyatakan kesalahan, untuk memperbaiki kelakuan dan untuk mendidik orang dalam kebenaran” (2 Timotius 3:16). Andaikata pendidikan yang dienyam orang di seluruh dunia adalah pendidikan sejati berdasarkan ilham Allah maka semua kesalahan dapat dikoreksi dengan panduan kebenaran ilahi ini. Tapi sayangnya kaum cendekiawan menolak otoritas kebenaran Allah dan menyimpang jauh dari jalan-Nya dan menempuh jalan kebinasaan mereka sendiri. Dan biarpun kasus pembubaran kongres gay itu diangkat ke Komnas HAM, kalau Komnas sendiri tidak mengerti apa sesungguhnya HAM dalam konteks kebenaran hakiki ini, maka sia-sialah segala usaha yang mungkin ditempuh.
Tidak hanya di bumi Pancasila, di negara Paman Sam Amerika Serikat, negara yang pernah bangga dengan statusnya sebagai negara adidaya dan adipura itu, tapi ironisnya merupakan negara terkorup di dunia dan sekarang tengah dilanda bencana ekonomi, Presiden Barak Obama sudah mendeklarasi bulan Juni 2009 sebagai bulan kebanggaan kaum homoseks (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/LGBT) dengan dalih yang sama memberi kebebasan dan persamaan hak asasi kepada warga kaum homoseks ini. Di samping itu pada 15 Mei 2008, Mahkamah Agung California telah melegalisasi perkawinan gay dan mengeluarkan akta perkawinan untuk pasangan sejenis. Hukum ini telah diberlakukan di beberapa negara bagian AS, Belanda dan Belgia. Andaikata Obama itu ber-Tuhan, dia tidak akan pernah menentukan kebijakan aneh dan mengambil keputusan ganjil seperti itu yang sama sekali melanggar perintah Tuhan mengenai penyimpangan seksual.
Larangan Allah mengenai penyimpangan seksual ini termaktub dalam Imamat 18:22; 20:13; Roma 1:24-28; 1 Korintus 6:9, 10; dan Ulangan 22:5. Satu ratapan yang terus terdengar di seluruh Kitab Suci merupakan duka nestapa Allah terhadap para pemimpin negara dan kaum ilmuwan sekuler yang menolak Dia, dan menggiring warga mereka menuju penyesatan. Yang sangat menyayat hati adalah peristiwa seperti tertera dalam kitab Yesaya 3:9-12, “Mereka menyatakan kejahatan mereka ... seperti orang Sodom, mereka dengan terang-terangan menyebut-nyebut dosanya, tidak lagi disembunyikannya. Celakalah orang-orang itu! Sebab mereka mendatangkan malapetaka kepada dirinya sendiri. ... Celakalah orang fasik! Malapetaka akan menimpanya, sebab mereka akan diperlakukan menurut perbuatannya sendiri. ... Hai umat-Ku, pemimpin-pemimpinmu adalah penyesat, dan jalan yang kamu tempuh mereka kacaukan.”
Jadi sila pertama ini sangat signifikan yang merupakan dasar dari keempat sila lainnya. Sebab tanpa Allah, maka tak ada sesuatu pun yang ada di muka bumi ini, dan tak ada kehidupan seperti yang kita nikmati sekarang. Oleh sebab itu, menolak Pancasila pada hakekatnya menolak Allah dan ibarat rumah tanpa fondasi yang akan segera rubuh kapan saja ditimpa badai, negara akan rubuh dan luluh lantak bila fondasi negara ini tidak kokoh. Degan demikian, pandangan teoris politik kontemporer yang mengatakan bahwa nilai-nilai agama dan kaidah moral tak bermanfaat sehingga harus dipisahkan dari aktivitas politik adalah pandangan yang melenceng, menyesatkan dan destruktif. Justru esensi dan entitas politik merupakan etika itu sendiri dalam pengertian yang lebih luas.

Sila kedua adalah “Kemanusiaan yang Adil dan Beradab.”
Sila ini menghendaki umat manusia diperlakukan dengan harkat dan martabat sebagai insan ciptaan Allah. Prinsip ini menandaskan bahwa warga Indonesia tidak mentolerir penindasan jasmani dan rohani terhadap manusia oleh sesama warga atau bangsa lain.
Rantai pada bagian kanan bawah perisai menyimbolkan kesinambungan generasi umat manusia. Apa artinya rantai? Inilah tali pengikat jatidiri kita dari generasi ke generasi dengan memiliki silsilah yang jelas dan asal usul epistomologis yang pasti yang dapat ditelusuri menurut ilham Allah. Manusia bukan keturunan kera, melainkan keturunan Allah yang dijadikan menurut gambar dan rupa-Nya. (Merujuk pada Kejadian 1:26, 27; Kisah Para Rasul 17:29).
Jelaslah bahwa sila kedua juga pada hakekatnya menolak teori evolusi. Musuh bebuyutan Allah yang disebut Setan iblis sudah menjerumuskan seluruh dunia dalam kancah pendidikan palsu mengajarkan bahwa manusia berasal dari monyet. Argumen ini sungguh-sungguh melecehkan harkat dan martabat manusia sebagai puncak ciptaan sang Khalik. Konsekuensi logis pengajaran ini membuat orang-orang terus berseteru dengan prinsip hukum rimba di mana orang-orang kuat menginjak orang-orang lemah demi memenuhi keserakahan dan keegoisan mereka berdasarkan teori seleksi alamiah dan “survival of the fittest.” Teori palsu seperti ini telah demikian gencarnya diimplementasi oleh semua partai politik dalam berkampanye untuk memenangkan suara bahkan dengan menghalalkan berbagai cara haram untuk mencapai tujuan pihak tertentu. Inilah ciri politik yang mulai berkembang pada zaman Renaissance Inggris yang banyak menerima indoktrinasi teori evolusi. Sebenarnya yang menjadi kuncinya adalah sila pertama. Orang yang ber-Tuhan akan memiliki hati penuh cinta kasih terhadap sesama sehingga ia akan bersikap adil terhadap sesamanya dan benar-benar beradab. Orang yang beradab adalah orang yang hidup dengan mengamalkan semua nilai agama dan kaidah moral yang berlaku. Seluruh hidupnya akan diatur secara tertib menurut kaidah kencana ini. Ia tidak akan menindas sesamanya untuk memenuhi ketamakan dan keegoisannya. Nilai moral ini harus diintegrasikan dan dialihterapkan dalam kehidupan sosial politik di mana keadilan harus sungguh-sungguh ditegakkan dalam proses pengambilan keputusan dan penentuan kebijakan. Itulah sebabnya sabda Allah mengatakan, “Apabila orang adil memerintah, rakyat gembira. Tetapi apabila orang jahat berkuasa, rakyat menderita” (Amsal 29:2; Alkitab Terjemahan Bahasa Indonesia Sehari-hari).

Sila ketiga adalah “Persatuan Indonesia.”
Sila ini mewujudkan konsep nasionalisme dan patriotisme, cinta akan bangsa dan tanah air. Prinsip ini memandang perlu untuk selalu memupuk persatuan dan menumbuhkan integritas nasional. Nasionalisme Pancasila menghendaki warga Indonesia menghindari perasaan unggul secara ras, keturunan dan warna kulit.
Bajuzirah mengabadikan simbol “Bhineka Tunggal Ika” yang berarti “berbeda-beda tapi tetap satu.” Ini dilambangkan dengan pohon beringin pada sebelah kanan atas perisai. Apa arti pohon beringin? Pohon beringin mengacu kepada naungan dan lindungan Allah yang maha pengasih dan penyayang terhadap umat manusia yang mau bersatu dengan Dia dan sesama mereka tanpa pandang bulu dan pilih kasih. Mereka berusaha semaksimalnya untuk mencegah diskriminasi ras, suku, agama, dll di tengah lingkungan heterogen. Kita adalah satu dari nenek moyang yang sama yaitu Adam dan Eva/Hawa, keturunan Allah.
Hanya orang yang bertakwa kepada Allah yang memiliki roh persatuan dan semangat kesatuan. Tetapi kalau meniadakan Allah dalam kehidupan politik, maka pada gilirannya akan memimpin pemberontakan dengan menyulut api separatisme dan diskriminasi untuk memecah-belah bangsa dan negara.
Signifikansi lain dari pohon beringin ini adalah hidup manusia di atas mayapada ini, ibarat pepohonan dan tanaman, harus berbuah, sebab pohon yang tidak berbuah meski musim menuai sudah tiba, harus ditebang dan dicincang lalu dibakar dalam api menjadi abu dan diterbangkan angin sampai lenyap tanpa bekasnya. Sebaliknya pohon yang berbuah akan memuaskan hati penggarapnya dengan memberikan hadiah buah yang manis dan lezat untuk dinikmati. Sebagai insan terluhur dan termulia ciptaan Tuhan, para pemerintah dan kaum politisi harus bisa bertunaskan daun-daun lebat tempat bernaung rakyat yang letih lesu dan tertimpa beban berat. Mereka harus memerankan peran penting sebagai pialang untuk menyalurkan aspirasi rakyat tanpa pamrih. Mereka juga harus menyebarkan aroma kembang yang dapat memikat hati orang dengan tidak hanya mengubar janji tapi menepatinya, dan mempersembahkan hadiah buah-buah kehidupan yang lezat kepada rakyat untuk menikmatinya melalui jaminan kesejahteraan. Barulah akan tercipta persatuan dan kesatuan yang memperkuat bangsa dan memperkokoh negara pada gilirannya. Itulah sebabnya nasihat Allah berikut ini perlu diperhatikan oleh para penguasa. “Dengan keadilan seorang raja menegakkan negerinya, tetapi orang yang memungut banyak pajak meruntuhkannya” (Amsal 29:4). Falsafah hidup seperti inilah yang harus dihayati dan diamalkan dalam kubuh pemerintahan bangsa dan negara Indonesia.

Sila keempat adalah “Kerakyatan yang Dipimpin oleh Hikmat Kebijaksanaan dalam Permusyawaratan/Perwakilan.”
Demokrasi Pancasila menghendaki pengambilan keputusan melalui musyawarah untuk mencapai konsensus atau mufakat. Ini berarti pemungutan suara tidak dianjurkan selama musyawarah masih mungkin dilakukan meski membutuhkan ketelatenan dan waktu. Inilah demokrasi yang benar-benar mengamalkan prinsip Pancasila secara konsisten dan konsekuen.
Sila ini dilambangkan dengan kepala banteng di sebelah kiri atas perisai. Apa arti banteng? Allah menciptakan segala sesuatu sebagai pelajaran penting yang perlu kita simak. Kepala banteng yang besar melambangkan kecerdasan, kepandaian, hikmat, kebijaksanaan, pandangan dan pengertian yang dalam dan luas. Tanduknya yang kokoh melambangkan keteguhan iman dan keuletan moral sehingga memiliki keyakinan besar dalam berjuang melawan kuasa kefasikan dan kejangakan global.
Untuk mencapai satu mufakat dalam musyawarah, pemerintah dan kaum politisi hendaklah memiliki hikmat dan kebijaksanaan Allah. Dikatakan bahwa hikmat itu hanya datangnya dari Allah. “Karena Tuhanlah yang memberikan hikmat, dari mulut-Nya datang pengetahuan dan kepandaian” (Amsal 2:6). Tanpa hikmat Allah, bagaimana suatu musyawarah mencapai kata mufakat dengan mempertahankan opini dan gagasan mereka masing-masing? Di sini juga perlu satu aspek karakter yang disebut kerendahan hati yang merupakan advis Allah yang perlu didengar dan diamalkan oleh pemerintah dan kaum politisi, “Keangkuhan merendahkan orang, tetapi orang yang rendah hati, menerima pujian” (Amsal 29:23). Inilah salah satu prasyarat profil ideal seorang pemimpin bangsa. Ciri kepemimpinan yang ideal bukan ditentukan oleh seberapa besar kuasa yang mereka gunakan melainkan seberapa rendah hatinya mereka mau mengorbankan diri tanpa pamrih untuk melayani rakyat yang dipimpinnya. Dengan begitu mereka dapat menerima penerangan rohani dan memperoleh hikmat ilahi dalam mengambil satu keputusan demi memecahkan satu persoalan.
Makanya tak mengherankan mengapa Amerika pada zaman permulaan demikian makmur karena presiden-presiden yang terdahulu berpedoman pada kaidah Alkitab dalam memimpin negara. Inilah apa yang diakui presiden pertama, George Washington mengenai keunggulan Alkitab. “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Tidak hanya Washington, tapi beberapa presiden Amerika yang masih murni nuraninya memiliki keyakinan yang sama, seperti Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams dan Theodore Roosevelt. Abraham Lincoln mengatakan, “I believe the Bible is the best book God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.” Selanjutnya John Quincy Adams mengatakan, “So great is my veneration of the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country.” Dan Theodore Roosevelt berkomentar, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” Tetapi kaum politisi jebolan indoktrinasi teori evolusi meniadakan Allah dalam proses musyawarah sehingga kebijakan yang ditentukan dan keputusan yang diambil hanya untuk memuaskan keinginan iblis dengan membangun lokalisasi WTS di mana-mana yang sudah merupakan epidemi sosial, membangun industri rokok yang menghancurkan kesehatan masyarakat meski upaya kampanye anti merokok sudah berlangsung lebih dari 5 dekade, memelopori kongres maksiat homoseks, dll yang hanya menghancurkan moral masyarakat, memerosotkan akhlak bangsa, membejatkan karakter negara dan memudarkan serta menghilangkan citra dunia yang telah diciptakan Tuhan. Hanya orang dungu yang menyangkal keberadaan Allah seperti kaum evolusioner yang sekuler itu. “Orang bebal berkata dalam hatinya: ‘Tidak ada Allah.’ Busuk dan jijik perbuatan mereka, tidak ada yang berbuat baik” (Mazmur 14:1). Walau demikian, mereka mengaku berhikmat padahal bodoh seperti yang dikatakan Alkitab, “Sebab sekalipun mereka mengenal Allah, mereka tidak memuliakan Dia sebagai Allah atau mengucap syukur kepada-Nya. Sebaliknya pikiran mereka menjadi sia-sia dan hati mereka yang bodoh menjadi gelap. Mereka berbuat seolah-olah mereka penuh hikmat, tetapi mereka telah menjadi bodoh” (Roma 1:21, 22).
Realita sistem pemerintahan Amerika dalam kaitannya dengan kesejahteraan dan kemakmuran bangsa menjadi pelajaran berharga untuk introspeksi diri bagi bangsa lain khususnya Indonesia. Semakin modern peradaban manusia, semakin korup akhlak manusia, baik para pemimpin negara maupun rakyatnya. Lihatlah presiden Barrack Obama. Saya tidak tahu pasti apakah benar atau tidak, tapi dalam cuplikan-cuplikan video yang di-upload di UTube, terdapat beberapa rekaman video ia menghujat dan mencemooh Alkitab sebagai filsafat dan hukum yang tidak layak untuk dipakai sebagai pedoman dalam memerintah dan memimpin negara. Makanya tak mengherankan kebijakan amoral seperti deklarasi bulan kebanggaan kaum homoseks telah diumumkan Juni tahun lalu. Apa konsekuensi logisnya? Amerika yang pernah bangga menjadi negara adipura itu sekarang dilanda bencana ekonomi yang terdahsyat dan terhimpit hutang yang paling menyesakkan dada dalam sejarah dunia. Apa sebabnya? Karena meninggalkan Allah, meniadakan hukum-Nya dan memperkosa kaidah-kaidahnya. Hikmat dan kebijaksanaan ilahi beralih dari pemimpin-pemimpin bejat karena mengandalkan kepandaian mereka sendiri dalam memimpin negara, padahal hikmat mereka hanya kesia-siaan. Dan genaplah nas Kitab Suci yang mengatakan, “Karena hikmat dunia ini adalah kebodohan bagi Allah ... Tuhan mengetahui rancangan-rancangan orang (yang mengaku) berhikmat; sesungguhnya semuanya sia-sia belaka” (1 Korintus 3:19, 20).

Sila kelima adalah “Keadilan Sosial bagi Seluruh Rakyat Indonesia.”
Sila ini menghendaki pemerataan kesejahteraan bagi seluruh rakyat, bukan secara statis melainkan secara dinamis dan progresif. Ini berarti semua kekayaan negara dan potensi-potensi nasional harus dimanfaatkan demi kebaikan dan kebahagiaan rakyat sebesar-besarnya. Keadilan sosial menjamin pengayoman terhadap kaum lemah. Akan tetapi proteksi ini tidak membiarkan orang lemah duduk berpangku tangan tanpa bekerja. Sebaliknya mereka harus bekerja menurut kemampuan dan bidang aktivitas mereka. Perlindungan hendaknya mencegah perlakuan sewenang-wenang dari pihak yang kuat dan menjamin norma keadilan.
Sila ini dilambangkan dengan padi dan kapas pada perisai. Apa arti padi dan kapas? Keduanya melambangkan sandang dan pangan yang merupakan kebutuhan primer manusia. Padi sebagai bahan makanan pokok dan kapas sebagai bahan baku tekstil untuk membuat pakaian merupakan kebutuhan pokok setiap insan ciptaan Tuhan. Ini berarti pemerintah hendaknya menciptakan satu kondisi kehidupan kondusif yang dapat menolong rakyat untuk mengentaskan kemiskinan. Program pembangunan hendaknya disusun sebagaimana rupa untuk memperhatikan pemerataan sosial sehingga propinsi-propinsi yang termiskin yang umumnya berada di belahan timur tidak akan merasa termarginalkan secara ekonomi oleh karena kebijakan nasional yang terlalu bias. Itulah sebabnya, sesungguhnya yang pantas duduk di kursi pemerintahan adalah ikon-ikon yang tidak hanya cerdas dan trampil tapi justru yang bertakwa dan berakhlak mulia. Karena hanya pejabat-pejabat yang memiliki citra Tuhan dan karakter Allah yang dapat memperhatikan keadilan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia.
Tanpa prasyarat profil ini, kalangan pemerintah hanya terus mengadakan lobi kotor demi memuaskan cinta diri dan kegelojohan mereka tanpa memperhatikan kesejahteraan rakyat; sebaliknya rakyat terus menuntut hak mereka tanpa menunaikan kewajibannya karena kesejahteraan mereka ditelantarkan. Inilah lingkaran Setan yang terus memicu roh keji untuk melancarkan demo anarkis di mana-mana. Masih adakah Pancasila di bumi Merah-Putih?
Figur-figur pemerintah yang tak ber-Tuhan, tak soal setinggi-tingginya pendidikan yang dicapainya, sebanyak-banyaknya titel doktor yang direbutnya, sepandai-pandainya mereka berbicara di hadapan publik, setenar-tenarnya mereka dikenal sebagai celebrity, segencar-gencarnya mereka dielu-elukan massa di manapun mereka tampil, kalau tanpa kekuatan moral dan kuasa akhlak serta tawakal pada Tuhan, maka pada gilirannya meski berteriak keras pro-demokrasi, kebebasan, HAM, dll. sebetulnya mereka tidak tahu apa semuanya itu dan hanya berdecit dalam lubang tikus, bersembunyi di balik layar melakukan berbagai tindak kriminal mencuri, korupsi, teror moral, membunuh, memeras, dan sederet aksi anarkis dan destruktif lainnya dengan menghisap darah dan menelan sesama warganya. Fenomena dan epidemi sosial ini tidak hanya menjangkiti bumi Pancasila tapi menulari dan menggerogoti planet malang ini.

4. Kesimpulan

Berdasarkan analisis komprehensif ini, dapat ditarik beberapa kesimpulan:
a. Ditinjau dari disiplin ilmunya, pada prinsipnya ilmu politik merupakan cabang ilmu filsafat dengan memadukan nilai epistomologis agama dan kaidah moral (etika dan axiologi) dalam berbagai analisis, sistem, perilaku, praktik dan aktivitas politik sejak zaman kuno sampai zaman pertengahan. Itulah sebabnya substansi dan esensi politik sebetulnya etika itu sendiri dalam perspektif yang lebih luas. Namun kenyataannya, praktik politik sejak zaman Renaissance sampai dewasa ini lebih condong kepada pendekatan pragmatis metafisik dan estetik tanpa banyak mempertimbangkan nilai luhur agama dan norma etika.
b. Semakin berkembangnya zaman dan peradaban manusia, semakin merosot akhlak para pejabat pemerintah dan kaum politisi dengan menerima indoktrinasi pendidikan palsu dari teori evolusi sehingga persepsi dan pandangan hidup semakin sekuler tanpa memperdulikan kebenaran hakiki yang hanya berasal dari Allah, padahal semua ilmu berasal dari Allah yang merupakan Sumber hikmat dan kebijaksanaan (philosophia), cinta akan hikmat kebijaksanaan. Dengan meninggalkan Allah sebagai Sumber hikmat, para pemerintah dan kaum politisi hanya meraba-raba dalam kegelapan pikiran tanpa hikmat dan pengertian ilahi sehingga semua persoalan yang timbul dalam semua aspek kehidupan mustahil dipecahkan, seperti pelacuran, gagalnya kampanye anti merokok dan macam-macam persoalan lain yang sudah sangat mendunia. Inilah ‘globoclerosis’ yang hanya dapat diatasi dengan kembali kepada hukum dan kaidah Allah. Dengan demikian meski semua industri rokok ditutup, Allah telah berjanji memberkati negara yang hidup sesuai dengan hukum-Nya.
c. Nilai-nilai luhur moral Pancasila sebagai dasar negara sekaligus filsafat politik Indonesia telah memudar karena tidak diamalkan dan diintegrasikan dalam semua aktivitas politik dan pemerintahan negara.

5. Saran

a. Substansi dan esensi disiplin ilmu politik hendaknya diformat, diklirkan dan dipulihkan kembali pada posisi yang semula menurut konsep dasarnya yang hakiki, yakni perpaduan nilai etika dan axiologi serta kaidah epistemologi agama dalam praktik politik.
b. Perlu ada upaya konstan dalam regenerasi dan pengembangan SDM untuk seluruh WNI dengan titik beratnya pada aspek ‘afective’ (tanpa mengabaikan komponen ‘cognitive’ dan ‘psychomotor’), yakni transformasi karakter dan pembentukan perangai menurut paradigma ilahi sehingga baik generasi muda sebagai kandidat-kandidat pemegang tampuk kekuasaan negara maupun para pemerintah dan kaum politisi yang sedang berkuasa sekarang dapat tampil sebagai ikon-ikon teladan dan terpercaya sebagai panutan rakyat.
c. Nilai moral Pancasila dan norma agama hendaknya dipulihkan kembali, dihayati dan diamalkan dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan terutama kehidupan sosial politik. Dengan demikian semua persoalan yang timbul di tengah kehidupan bermasyarakat, berbangsa dan bernegara dapat diatasi dengan mudah melalui pertolongan kuasa dan hikmat Allah. Ini bukan agitasi keagamaan melainkan ajakan dan advis patriotis serta proposal solusi semata menurut perspektif Kekristenan. Mengingat komposisi warga dan masyarakat Indonesia yang heterogen, kiranya para pemerintah, kaum politisi dan semua pemuka agama dapat menindaklanjutinya dengan merumuskan satu format dan pendekatan baru terhadap sistem politik dengan berpedoman pada nilai agama-agama yang dianut di Indonesia dan kaidah moral Pancasila itu sendiri.

Referensi :
1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. Encarta Premium 2009

Where Are We Going?

2010-03-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

The ultimate philosophical question worth answering in our precious life God has granted to us is where we are headed for after living on this planet Earth. Is there any certain place God has determined for us? If there is one, where is it, then? And what’s the name of that place? How are we going to get there? Are there any certain requirements we must meet that we may qualify to live in that place?

In the first two preceding topics, I dealt at great length with where we, human beings, came from, and why we were born on this earth. In religious perspective, if we truly believe in the Bible, the only authoritative source we need to refer to, we’ve absolutely found the significant answers that we came into existence through God’s amazing creative power. Through Him, our only Heavenly Father, we found our true genealogy that we are the descendants of God. Besides, we are placed here on this Earth for a noble mission of doing His will, keeping His commandments particularly because those are the whole duties of humankind. We’re also enabled to meet Him, know Him aright, to become better acquainted with Him, and unite with Him in our practical daily life.

In this topic, I’d like to underscore a significant issue as to where we are going to, and how our destiny is like. Those who, in their life, are always led by the true God have their obvious goal set before them. They know where their direction is heading. They do realize that the kind of life lived on this earth is not everything. Living, becoming old and weak, being infected with diseases and ending physical life is not the end of the story. There is a brighter hope of the future. God-fearing people do not regard physical death as a fearful nightmare, but rather a happy rest for an unimaginably short time to enter a joyous future of an incredibly great happiness when our Savior comes again for the second time.

Our Original Homeland and Qualifications to Enter

The Bible is full of the words of promises that eternal bliss will be the great reward for those who live according to God’s will and providence. When Jesus was about to separate from His disciples and departed from this Earth to ascend to Heaven two thousand years ago, He gave them a hope-filled, reliable, firm promise that He would not leave them in trouble or anxiety. He assured them that a temporary separation would not lead to eternal division but would bring about a perpetually touching reunion of God’s universal family. Let’s find that inevitable evidence in John chapter 14 verses 1-3. “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am” (NCV).

Jesus Christ, upon accomplishing His redemptive mission for the lost race on the Earth, made an all-important point of underscoring a spiritual dimension of life not only as we experience on the Earth but in a place He referred to as His Father’s house. Spiritual aspect of life directs us to a right path to achieve our life’s goal. Evolutionists have considerably led people to think that transient life on Earth is everything without involving spiritual consideration in every solution to their life problems. Their principle of life has been so perverted to merely think of physical, temporary things to fulfill their immediate greed and egotism by trampling upon others. People who honor God, however, have a wider perspective, possess a larger heart, and have a far clearer vision to see and decipher things more obviously and nobly. They are capable of comprehending things beyond the transient life. They have more important things to do to achieve their set goal. They know that their goal is not obtained through lawlessness and transgression to God’s law. They understand that an imperishable life beyond this perishable life is far more important. That’s why in all their dealings in this life, they are striving to the best of their ability to do benevolent things by abiding with all the holy precepts of Heavenly law. And this is how they are qualified to live in that place, Heavenly Father’s house, in eternal happiness, peace, and joy.

The place where the redeemed people are bound to is also called a homeland, a country and a city. Let’s see in the Bible how this blissful place is depicted.

“For people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. … But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them” (Heb 11:14, 16).

In verse 13 of the same chapter, we are shown our clear identity while living on this Earth. What and who are we? “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” If we are sojourners on this Earth and are travelling to that heavenly city, the New World, can we possibly practice lawlessness, doing all kinds of wicked, evil, atrocious deeds and hope to be welcome by the heavenly gate keepers? Far from it!

If you are processing some paper to secure a passport and visa to visit a foreign country, can you possibly have an accessible entry without adhering to that country’s immigration law? It’s out of the question. It’s just like a thief who breaks into a house to still things. Those who understand and accept the Bible’s absolute truth will definitely live worthy and holy life without even committing a single sin in their heart or mind. Why? Because we are the offspring of God. Just as God is holy, so are we who are His children.

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous” (1 John 3:9-12).

Evolution theory proponents argue that natural selection enables living beings to strive for supremacy in useless gain and compete with others by employing all kinds of tricks and methods to satisfy their greed. In political arena, for instance, those who are directly engaged in political activities, whose mindset has been long indoctrinated by this false teaching of evolutionary theory, have lived only for personal gain. They continue to oppress the weak for their own benefit. They have no love for others. Why? Their education is wrong. The substance of their education is flawed. They ignore the right principle of truth as found in the Bible which directs people to live heavenly life in order to inherit the eternal life. Before we would become a saint in Heaven, we must first become a saint here on this Earth. But have evolutionists stopped and pondered about spiritual dimension of life which leads to eternity? How can people, whose lives are corrupt with abominable mischiefs wanting to murder and harm others for their personal wellbeing, ever think of eternal things? The only thing that the so-called highly educated people – but in fact the educated fools who deny God, know is that they are the children of apes. Their ancestors are monkeys. That’s why they only do all kinds of stupid and egregious things until they die, and that’s it. However, those who don’t want to be brainstormed with this false education of the evolutionary theory but only receive the true education from God with the Bible as their Textbook, may be able to have sure goal in their life. They know that committing sin in any form will disqualify them for the eternal abode that their Savior has gone to prepare for them.

Evil doers will not inherit the city of God

Who then are disqualified people who will be rejected to enter that heavenly city, the original homeland? Let’s see the Bible to distinguish clearly those outcasts and be encouraged to prepare ourselves most adequately to become the eternal citizens of that country.

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev 22:8).

Those who are afraid to defend the truth and persist in their false teaching of evolutionary theory, those who don’t believe in God and the Bible, who neglect religious principles and moral values in dealing with all problems but use their own foolish wisdom as worldly politicians and government, will in the long run realize that their efforts to tackle the problems are in vain and never find any possible solutions. All diplomatic endeavors of peace talk result in nothing. Israel and Palestine continue to be inveterate enemies. Which god who they believe in taught them to create such devastating chaos and utter turmoil?

Not only that. Those who are abominable murderers, who continue to threaten people through their false ideology of terrorism and cause so many lives to perish together with them through suicidal attacks, thinking that by so doing, their soul will fly directly to the seventh level of heaven? What a foolish, demonic doctrine of destruction!

Moreover, those who are sexually immoral; this not only refers to those who are directly engaged in immoral practices, but also to those who are favor of the idea, who sanction such practices. The obvious fact can be seen through a shocking news released by the White House. Can you believe that US president, Barack Obama, the president of a superpower country does promote sexual perversion? But he does, and he already did it. He declared June 2009 “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month” for the United States. What a perversion! With a pretext of promoting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, he even dared openly appoint those sexually immoral people as candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration. Also, the same sex marriages are sanctioned in several states. To fulfill this perversion, those abominable, demon-possessed Christian pastors openly officiate such abominably perverted matrimonies of the same sex of gays, homosexuals and lesbians. These perversions are found in Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:24-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 and Deuteronomy 22: 5. This is God’s grief over leaders who reject Him and the truth, leading their innocent people astray.

All sorcerers, those who are magicians who practice black magic, witchcraft, voodoo, to harm people are not qualified to enter the heavenly city. Adulterers and liars; those who commit adultery with other man’s wife or other woman’s husband, who commit fornication with unmarried man or woman, who are engaged in extramarital and premarital sexual intercourse are considered abominable dogs that cannot enter that homeland. Those liars; those who exploit and oppress other people to satisfy their own greed and selfishness will find their place in the fire and brimstone.

Blessed hope for the ransomed

Blessed are those who are free from all these abominable practices. For you are prepared by our Heavenly Father and Savior a blessed home, a country and a city where all redeemed ones will find their eternal rest and enjoy living a happy life for eternity.

This joyous event will surely take place in a little while when Christ shall come for the second time to redeem His holy, law-abiding people. Apostle Paul says, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God" (1 Thess 4:16).

And the Savior declares: "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." "For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt 24:30, 27).

He is to be accompanied by all the hosts of heaven. "The Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him" (Matt 25:31). "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect" (Matt 24:31).

At His coming the righteous dead will be raised, and the righteous living will be changed. "We shall not all sleep," says Paul, "but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" 1 Cor 15:51-53).

And in his letter to the Thessalonians, after describing the coming of the Lord, Paul says: "The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess 4:16, 17).

“There the heavenly Shepherd (Christ the Savior) leads His flock (redeemed people) to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God's people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home” (E.G. White; Adventist Home; 542.1).

“We are homeward bound.” We are travelling to that heavenly country, heavenly city, the New World. “He who loved us so much as to die for us has built for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the City of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections, will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer's glory in the kingdom of God” (ibid. 542.3).

Conclusion

We are placed here on this planet Earth to be entrusted with a noble mission of life. In every aspect of life, we are to make our own choice, and make a series of important decision in our life. As we are the free moral agents, no one is compelled to do whatever right or wrong in every step of life. We are completely free to choose to obey God’s law or disobey it, but it must be understood that our choice will determine our own ultimate destiny, whether for eternal salvation or eternal death. All will reap what they have sown. If they sow the seed of salvation, they will automatically reap the fruit of salvation. On the other hand, if they sow the seed of destruction, they will definitely reap the fruit of destruction. Everything will happen according to the natural law of the universe.

As we do know our true genealogy that we are God’s children, then we may be able to know why we are born on this Earth. We know how to behave and live our daily life to please Him as our Heavenly Father who is taking meticulous care for us in our entire life. We know how to please Him, to make Him happy by obeying His commandments and living holy life without committing sins because that is our whole duty as God’s children. And since we adhere to His law of life, as a bonus, He will reward us with an eternal blessing of joy and happiness by giving us heavenly home to which we are bound. Are you, readers, truly happy to know this amazing fact? Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the glory of God? Are you willing to abandon this lawless world and accept this heavenly country of liberty? The choice is yours to make. May God bless and lead you in making a good choice. NM

Why Were We Born?

2009-05-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

This one of the most fundamental questions has both considerably plagued and challenged all human beings from generation to generation. Can we possibly answer this question? Have you ever imagined not being born as a human but an animal like a cow or a pig, and lived a life of an animal, ate animal feeds marred with dirt and filth? Had you been born as an animal, would you have ever been able to enjoy all privileges that human beings are enjoying? Did you ever find yourself being very grateful for the fact that you were born as a human, not an animal? If you did, have you found any meaning in this life? Or is the life just meaningless to end aimlessly through death? Is there any hope in this life? Is there any hope of life after death? And what is that hope? What are you going to do to realize that hope?
The world has drastically been mesmerized and intoxicated by the popular naturalistic theory of evolution that it seems impossible to find any true significance of life on this earth. Those who firmly hold this theory neither find nor have any meaning in their life. Their life is such that is exactly the same with that of an animal. Ironically however, even the animals were created to serve certain purposes. God created them for our benefits. We can ride on horses, and scavengers like birds or pigs can help us do the environmental cleaning. Nevertheless, do the animals have any knowledge of God, salvation or eternal life, and are privileged to ascend to heaven? Far from it. Human beings are God's pinnacle creation formed with capacity to acquire the knowledge of God and are capable of possessing God's image. But can we achieve this without God? Can we live even a single second without depending on God's great mercy and grace? Can we live properly without involving God? Naturalistic evolutionary theory enthusiasts have nothing to do with God and live careless life. Their life has no purpose and hopeless. They just temporarily live on this earth and end up dying without any clear concept of what is taking place after death. That kind of life is such of an animal life.

God's Purposes of Creating Us
Then, why were we born? Why did God place us on this planet earth? Does He have any special purpose of creating us? Why did He not just create plants and animals? What significance does our existence bear as human beings? If we truly believe that the Bible is our mere moral standards of judgment and regard it as the infallible, sacred inspiration from God, then we can easily trace down the answer to where we came from, and why we are here on this earth. The Bible can tell us plainly about the purpose of our existence here.

1. Establish God's family
The Scripture tells us clearly that after God completed creating plants and animals, on the sixth day, He created us.
[So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them] (Gen. 1:27).
His own image or in the image of God simply means that we resemble God not only physically but also with moral aspect quality. We simply partake in His divine nature.
[... that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust] (2 Pet 1:4).
[Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising] (Acts 17:29).
[Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth] (Gen 1:28).
God blessed us and wanted us to be fruitful and multiply. He desires to establish not a mere mortal human family having beast-like character, but an eternal God's family possessing God's image and character instrumental for sharing the blessings of His grace and entrust stewardship to us.

2. Meet God
Another purpose why we were born is to meet our Maker, our heavenly Father. Once an old wise man asked a young university student sitting beside him on a bus while reading a book. The young man is the most brilliant student in his university. He's an agnostic.
"Hi, young man, do you go to university?"
"Yes, I do."
"What are you studying at the university?"
"I'm studying political science."
"What are you gonna be after graduating from university?"
"I'm gonna be a politician, and then be a senator."
"After being a senator, what would you like to be?"
"I'd like to be a president of this country."
"After being a president, what are you gonna do next?"
"Well, I'll just retire and go fishing."
"What are you gonna do after that?"
"Well, I just get old and die."
"So you're spending your precious time and tremendous amount of tuition fee to accomplish your education in this life doing whatever you're pleased to do and then just end up dying?"
The wise man kept on explaining at greater length about the significance of life, and managed to make that young man converted into a Christian.
The wise man here presented, depicts a pious man who lives with sure purpose. He knows why he was born on this earth. We can clearly tell by the questions he probed and the ultimate conclusion he draw during the conversation that made the young brilliant student completely stupefied. The majority of people inhabiting this earth are just like that young university student who live without any clear life objective. They just live wondering around like a ship without a compass tossed away by the waves in the ocean, hanging around like vapor blown by the wind. They just don't have any clear idea why they are here on this earth. Thankfully however, due to the wise man's living testimony, the young man was converted. Who did the young man meet? He met God through the wise man.

What a blessed thing for human beings to meet God who has created them. If we don't meet God while living on this earth, then it would be far better to be born as a chicken whose meat can be eaten by people. Those who neglect God and are indifferent to Him are like animals. Since they don't have God, they live as they please without any purpose committing vicious crimes regardless of age, position, and educational background. They continue to live sinful life until they die without any hope of salvation. On the other hand, those who meet God will know for sure why they were born, they do have hope in their life, and know what to do to realize that hope. They don't consider this life as a mere mortal one to just end aimlessly like what is happening to the animal kingdom. Ours is not a mortal, perishable kingdom but an eternally indestructible family God designed and established for our eternal happiness and joy. In this life, therefore, we must seek to meet God, to know Him, to be acquainted with Him and to become one with Him.
[But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul] (Deut 4:29).
[For the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever] (1 Chr 28:9).
[Blessed are those who ... seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity] (Psa 119:2, 3). [... so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us] (Acts 17:27).

3. Keep God's Commandments
After having met God, we're endowed with new spirit to know Him more, to become friends with Him and be united with Him. If we know God aright, we also know how to please Him. To please Him is to keep His commandments. We know what He wants us to do to please Him and honor and glorify Him. By so doing we will obtain wisdom.
[The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments ... Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments] (Psa 111:10; 112:1).
[The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding] (Pro 9:10).
Keeping God's commandments is the whole duty of mankind toward God who has created us. It's our expression of gratitude for His creative power.
[Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man] (Eccl 12:13 NIV).
We're not keeping God's commandments to receive salvation, because we're all saved by His Son's grace by dying on the cross. We're keeping His commandments simply because we have been saved by His amazing grace. But those who don't keep His commandments are the ones who haven't yet responded to God's invitation of salvation through Jesus' precious sacrificial blood. Those who feel and believe that they have been saved by God's grace will automatically respond to it by obeying His commandments and live forever. That's an obvious evidence that we really love God. [If you love Me, keep My commandments] (John 14:15).
Finally, we can confidently guarantee that our life is worth living as we know where we came from, why we are here on this earth with clear purpose in mind and what we should be doing to achieve that purpose. We will then be guided continuously in our daily path of life to where we should be headed with total dependence on God and absolute submission to His perfect providence. May you, readers, make a wise choice to life worthy life walking together with God as your personal Heavenly Father who is constantly taking meticulous care of us. NM

Where Did We Come From?

2009-04-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stopped to ponder this philosophical sounding question, "Where did we come from?" Many scientists, scholars, philosophers, and theologians, I'm sure, have earnestly attempted to delve into such matter throughout the earth's history to find the answer to one of the most crucial questions facing human beings throughout the ages. But have their endeavors yielded satisfactory results?
There have been many heated debates and controversies in the schools of thought of both the ancient and modern scholars as to the real origin of human beings. It stands to reason that all scientists view things in different perspectives from others. Each has his/her own approach and underlying principle to the question under discussion.
In the beginning, in fact, God has given us direction as to how we perceive things in our unique relation to Him. Through nature as His first-hand, actual handicraft, we may be able to understand that things are brought into existence by a perfect design, not by chance as what evolutionists claim they are. Our existence plainly violates the evolutionary premise that all things emerge by random chance. Rather it is through perfect design by the Great Artist, Master Designer of the colossal universe.
I remember attending a Catholic religion subject lesson at my first year of senior high school in Indonesia. The very first topic introduced to us back then was "The Origin of Man." My subject teacher expounded in great detail concerning our origin viewed from two perspectives: science and the Bible. The two approaches tried to answer the question, "Where did human beings come from?" In the final analysis, as we all know well, scientific approach came up with the answer, "Human beings came from apes," while biblical approach rendered the answer, "Human beings came from God." Two paradoxical ideas indeed. What a stark contrast! Ironically however, the so-called scientists admitted the first principle that human beings descended from apes. But in order to bridge the vast gap between the two principles, an absurd conclusion was drawn that the first, unlike the latter, tended to answer the question, "How did human beings go through the evolutionary process from apes to humans?" It never tried to answer the question of man's origin. What a fabrication that fills the low-quality textbooks!
Recently, a great number of studies have been made by many scientists to unearth this mysterious secret of our genealogy. More and more scientists begin to reject evolutionary theory and have begun to perceive new insight of our existence being the God's pinnacle creation. Those so-called scientists who argue that apes are our ancestors are really degrading their own dignity as God's precious created beings (children). They liken themselves with apes. Yes, they are the descendants of apes, and they are apes indeed. "There is no ground for the supposition that man was evolved by slow degrees of development from the lower forms of animal or vegetable life. Such teaching lowers the great work of the Creator to the level of man's narrow, earthly conceptions. Men are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his origin." (E.G. White; Patriarchs and Prophets p. 44). And what is more shocking is that this subject of evolution is still being taught in all educational institutions around the globe.

What the scientists had to say about evolution and creation

Now, let’s thoroughly examine what the scientists had to say about this long held and taught theory.

Wernher von Braun, NASA director, when asked by California State Board of Education in 1972, responded, “In the world around us, we can behold the obvious manifestations of an ordered, structured plan or design… The better we understand the intricacies of the universe and all it harbors, the more reasons we have found to marvel at the inherent design upon which it is based… To be forced to believe only one conclusion – that everything in the universe happened by chance – would violate the very objectivity of science itself. Certainly there are those who argue that the universe evolved out of the random process, but what random process could produce the brain of a man or the system of the human eye?” (Scott Huse, The Collapse of Evolution, 1997, pp. 159-160).

Even Charles Darwin himself, the originator of evolutionism, was confused with his own idea about evolution and had second thought. In his later years, he reflected on what he has started: “I was a young man with unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them” (William Federer, America’s God and Country, 1996, p. 199).

“For I am well aware that scarcely a single point is discussed in this volume [Origin of Species] on which facts cannot be adduced, often apparently leading to conclusions directly opposite to those at which I arrived” (Charles Darwin : 1809-1882, British naturalist who popularized the theory of evolution through natural selection).

Which is the myth, God or evolution? Louis Bounoure, director of France’s Strasbourg Zoological Museum and professor of biology at the university of Strasbourg, stated: “Evolution is a fairy tale for grown-ups. This theory has helped nothing in the progress of science. It is useless” (Federer, p. 61). Yes, it is fatally useless, and only useful for those who want to reject the idea of God.

“The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Into His tiniest creatures, God has placed extraordinary properties that turn them into agents of destruction of dead matter. A bit of science distances one from God, but much science nears one to Him” (Louis Pasteur: 1822-1895, French scientist).

“Atheists all over the world have…called upon science as their crown witness against the existence of God. But as they try, with arrogant abuse of scientific reasoning, to render proof there is no God, simple and enlightening truth is that their argument boomerang. For one of the most fundamental laws of natural science is that nothing in the physical world ever happens without a cause” (Dr. Wernher von Braun).

“The theory of evolution is impossible. At base, in spite of appearances, no one any longer believes in it…Evolution is a kind of dogma which the priests no longer believe, but which they maintain for their people” (Paul Lemoine: 1878-1940, director of the Paris natural History Museum).

“To postulate the development and survival of the fittest is entirely a consequence of chance mutations seems to me a hypothesis based on no evidence and irreconcilable with the facts. These classical evolutionary theories are a gross over-simplification of an immensely complex and intricate mass of facts, and it amazes me that they are swallowed so uncritically and readily, and for such a long time, by so many scientists without a murmur of protest” (Sir Ernst Chain; 1906-1979, director of Rome’s International Research Center for Chemical Microbiology).

Bethell concludes: “Darwin’s theory, I believe, is on the verge of collapse. In his famous book, [The Origin of Species], Darwin made a mistake sufficiently serious to undermine his theory. And that mistake has only recently been recognized as such . . . I have not been surprised to read . . . that in some of the latest evolutionary theories ‘natural selection plays no role at all.’ Darwin, I suggest, is in the process of being discarded, but perhaps in deference to the venerable old gentleman, . . . it is being done as discreetly and gently as possible, with a minimum of publicity” (pp. 308, 313-314).

Aggressive proponents of evolutionary theory seem to be narrow-minded, hypocritical and tend to be self-righteous. They are too arrogant to be open-minded to accept the truth and constantly cling to their erroneous belief even though they know precisely that their position is weak and wrong. In his book "The Dogma of Evolution" Professor L.T. More candidly acknowledged, "Our faith in the doctrine of Evolution depends upon our reluctance to accept the antagonistic doctrine of specific creation (by God)" (quoted by Francis Hitching, The Neck of the Giraffe, p. 109).

There must be an explanation for the existence of everything. The number, precision and perfection of natural laws cannot be explained away as a lucky accident. Such reasoning is irrational. It simply doesn't add up. Common sense tells us that the existence of an unimaginably magnificent universe structured on and sustained by innumerable laws of physics requires the existence of a Creator of those laws, a Designer of those structures. A structured design does reveal the Designer.

The writers of the Bible recognized in the creation much evidence of a great, allwise Creator. They understood that the wonders we see around us shout the same message: Such astonishing design demands a Master Designer! Whether we are moved by the power of the sea, the grandeur of a mountain range, the delicate beauty of the first spring flowers or the birth of a child, as we look at the world around us we naturally conclude: This is the handiwork of a great Designer. We may behold it in the everlasting hills, in the lofty trees, in the starry night sky. All speak to us of God.

The Effects of Accepting Evolution

One of the reasons why evolutionary theory was widely accepted and has been extensively taught in all educational institutions nowadays is that 19th century during which the theory was introduced was the era of social and religious unrest. Science was riding a crest of popularity. Impressive discoveries and inventions appeared constantly. This climate was conducive to people embracing revolutionary concepts. Furthermore, Darwin himself had an impeccable reputation as a dedicated naturalist. However, what are the underlying principles of this once-favored theory which defies Creator God and what effects has it exerted in human's life as we have seen in our prevailing life's condition?

Supporters of evolution like to point out that acceptance of the idea of a divine Creator requires faith in someone or something we cannot see. Yet they are far from comfortable admitting that all who believe that life evolved from inert matter also have faith in a theory that cannot be proven—and is founded on far more fragile evidence than that which supports the faith of believers in a Creator.

The momentum grew in the 20th century until many Protestants and Catholics turned to theistic evolution. This is the belief that God occasionally intervenes in a largely evolutionary process through such steps as creating the first cell and then permitting the whole process of evolution to take place or by simply waiting for the first man to appear from the gradual chain of life and then providing him with a soul.
“Darwinian evolution to them,” says Dr. Hayward, “is merely the method by which God, keeping discreetly in the background, created every living thing . . . The majority of theistic evolutionists have a somewhat liberal view of the Bible, and often regard the early chapters of Genesis as a collection of Hebrew myths”.

The implications for the trustworthiness of the Bible are enormous. Is it the inspired and infallible Word of God, or are parts of it merely well-intentioned myths? Are sections of it simply inaccurate and unreliable? Were Jesus Christ and the apostles wrong when they affirmed that Adam and Eve were the first man and woman, created directly by God (Matthew 19:4; 1 Corinthians 15:45)?
Was Christ mistaken, and did He mislead others? Is 2 Timothy 3:16 true in stating that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine [teaching] . . .”? Clearly, the implications for Christian faith and teaching are profound ).
Perhaps the effects of his theory on Darwin’s own faith can illustrate the damage it can do to religious convictions. Darwin started as a theology student and a staunch respecter of the Bible. But as he formulated his theories, he lost faith in the Old Testament. Later he could no longer believe in the miracles of the New Testament.
There is great danger in following in Darwin’s footsteps. We should remember the old saying: If you teach a child that he is only an animal, don’t complain when he behaves like one. Can we not lay part of the blame for rampant immorality and crime on society’s prevalent values and beliefs—derived to a great extent from evolutionary theory?

Without the belief in a just God who will judge the actions of men, isn’t it easier for people to do as they please? Aldous Huxley, a fervent advocate of evolution, admitted why many quickly embraced evolution with such fervor: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning . . . The liberation we desired was . . . from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom” (Ends and Means, 1946, p. 70).

Could this kind of thinking have something to do with the immorality rampant in so many schools and universities where God is banned from the classroom and evolutionary theory is taught as fact? It’s time to gain some proper perspective. Is the Bible a reliable guide for understanding?

By accepting the revolutionary theory, people are prone to do away with religion. It results in holding the principle of atheism, arguing that there is no God. Everything happened by random chance and our existence is through lucky accidents.

In relation to natural selection, for instance, a lion which runs the fastest has greatest possibility and opportunity to survive longer, yet this does not change the species, but rather the number. It only preserves existing genetic information (DNA); it doesn't change genetic material that would allow an animal to sprout a new organ, limb or some other anatomical feature. By adopting this principle and put into practice, people are led to lead a selfish and greedy life trying to destroy other people for their own gain. It's completely contrary to the biblical principle of love which seeks to live for others' sake instead of their selfish ambition. [Love ... does not seek its own] (1 Co 13:4, 5).

"Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. " (Leo Tolstoy: 1828-1910).

Furthermore, evolution proponents introduced the unlimited liberalism wanting to do whatever they like to do at the expense of sacrificing other people. It displays animal propensities in their life by practicing immorality, committing various kinds of vicious crimes which do harms and damages to others. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that [love does not behave rudely,... thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth] (1 Co 13: 5, 6). Therefore, evolutionary theory avails nothing but only does evil to global life. It has considerably triggered nations to rise against each other, wage numerous wars that a series of peace talks have never done any good. This is partly a logical consequence of accepting the useless theory of evolution. This is a sure fruit born by this theory.

And another thing that must not be forgotten is Darwin's concept of the "survival of the fittest." It really has had terrible impact on social and political life in real history. This "survival of the fittest outlook has been used considerably to justify genocide against ethnic groups considered inferior. During world war II the Nazis brutally exterminated more than two million people whom Hitler considered to be inferior. Can we not anticipate that genocide will gain scientific justification as long as evolution is accepted and believed? Such genocidal events could possibly happen again when so many people in this world have adopted a belief in moral relativism and survival of the fittest perspective.

Our Real Genealogy

It has been argued that evolutionary approach has failed to answer one of the most fundamental questions of where we came from. All the assertions made by ardent advocates of the evolutionary theory can never be adduced, groundless, deceptive sophistry, and fatally flawed. They can never defend their weak position at the fact that as far as natural laws are concerned, all events have preceding causes. There is no smoke without fire. All effects have causes. Even if they are plainly wrong, they stubbornly insist on their erroneous belief in the abiogenesis, a fatally flawed hypothesis that life can come into being from nonliving materials. They want to say that they were born without their physical parents. They mean to say that they were born of some lifeless stones.

Then, if evolution cannot help us find out the real answer to our real genealogy, what source do we have to turn to in order to find the answer? I have said previously that the Bible held in the hands of millions of Christians all over the world is the only authoritative source, infallible, divine inspiration given directly by God for our true guide. Nothing else. Only on Bible can we rely and upon it alone can we depend. Any science that conflicts the biblical principle is the false science. True science must be based on and in accordance with the Bible as the underlying principle of truth, the moral standards of truth.

Well, let's now come directly to the true science to learn much more about our real genealogy, in order to prove that we human beings are not the descendants of apes, but rather the descendants of God.

First I have to clarify that our universe and all that it harbors is the perfect product of the Great Designer, the Creator God. Therefore, the very first verse of the first chapter of the first book in the Old Testament of the Bible plainly reveals that God created all things. [In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth] (Gen 1:1). It's very clear and an indisputable fact that even little children can easily understand. For six days God performed His wonderful work of creation, and He rested on the seventh day, Sabbath day. Again, David the Psalmist was inspired to proclaim, [By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth; ... You (God) who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever] (Ps 33:6; 104:5).

On the sixth day, as His pinnacle creative work, He made us into being. [Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; ... So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them] (Gen 1:26, 27). ["Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising] (Act 17:29). It clearly says here that we are the offspring of God, not of apes.

In order to prove further, let's look at Jesus' genealogy. [Now Jesus Himself ... being the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son fo Matthat, ... the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God] (Luke 3:23-38). Whose son is Jesus, God's son. Just as Jesus, our eternal paragon, is God's son, we also are God's children, God's sons and daughters.

If we paraphrase the above verses, it goes like this: [Jesus' father is Joseph, whose father is Heli, whose father is Matthat, ... whose father is Seth, whose father is Adam, whose father is God]. Yes, it's clearer here that God is Jesus' father. He is our Father, Heavenly Father. God and human beings share a unique father-son relationship.

Beloved readers, which case do you find more grateful for; the indisputable, candid, plain testimony from the inspired biblical account directly given by God, our Heavenly Parent, that says, we are the offspring of God, or the groundless sophistry, irrational myth, unsupported fairy tale of the theory of evolution devised by imperfect human beings, that says we are the descendants of apes?

Which one do you believe? Which side will you take? Does it really matter what you believe? The choice is yours. It goes without saying that what we believe will undoubtedly shape our behavior; it plays a significant role in molding our character, whether good or evil. Those who believe that they are dogs will automatically act like dogs, but those who believe in the word of God that they are God's children will automatically act like God's children having the quality of love, because God's life is love. It is to the Bible that we should turn for our moral standards, to unearth our only true source of salvation and eternal life. There is none like the Bible. NM.