HeartbreakFear versus Creativity
Heartbreak: Ramblings From a Compassionate Heart - A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

A series of commentaries by Mary T. Hoffman about: humans and animals and the cruelty inflicted upon them; prayer and grace, and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives; and the problems that plague our lives in this corrupted world.


Fear versus Creativity
By Mary T. Hoffman

Why is it that so many people who consider themselves to be conservative (in my experience, many who profess to be Christians) seem to think that it is necessary to squelch creativity?

Isn’t it the Creator who gives us the ability to come up with new ideas, inventions, and explorations? Why are so many Christians so close-minded and afraid to use their God-given brain? In 1 John 4:18 the Bible warns about fear:

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. NKJV

Yet so many Christians that I know seem to suffer from mental paralysis, falling for one after another fear-driven scheme. The Y2K build-up is only one of many promotions that they fell for and paid for in cash as well as in peace of mind. It’s as though they no sooner are taken to the cleaners by their “Christian” leaders, than they allow themselves to be duped again. They seem to be willing patsies addicted to the fear mongering of those who manipulate them in order to maintain their power and comfortable lifestyle.

These followers seem to be religious groupies who are loyal to their human leaders while protesting that they really follow Jesus. Any unprejudiced reading of the Bible reveals the chasm that separates the true teachings of Christ from this “blind following the blind” hypocrisy.

Quite a few of the “conservative Christians” that I know are imprisoned mentally and emotionally by dogma that self-serving religious leaders serve up as “truth.” Their followers talk about their “freedom in Christ” while imprisoning themselves in a man-made model of behavior. From personal experience, the most egregious example of un-Christlike behavior is the promotion of killing (blood sports) by these churches. From personal observation, I believe that some of these churchgoers are addicted to killing and other forms of violence. “Hunting” together and promoting such murder as a group activity seems to be an attempt to gain social acceptance for these perversions. What is perhaps worse is the promotion of killing innocent animals to children. These impressionable young people seek acceptance from their elders. In God’s eyes, how evil this must be! Mark 9:42:

42 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. NKJV

In fear, not love, these people go backwards instead of forwards. They wallow in nostalgia-draped traditions and conveniently forget that many evils are traditional, too. Many of their forbears had to break with tradition in order to embrace Christianity. Cannibalism, human and animal sacrifices, and many other “traditions” had to be wrenched from past cultures. Jesus wants us to go forward. In John 14:12 Jesus says:

12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. NAS

Obviously the “greater works” Jesus speaks of are not old traditions of the sort that those “having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2) cling to. God does not want us to rigidly adhere to the cruelties of past ages. He does not want His followers to “return to their vomit.” Proverbs 26:11:

11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. NKJV

1 Tim 4:2

2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron NKJV

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Watercolor Painting by Mary T. Hoffman