Institutes – part 7

(By: Chad Bennett)

Karl Marx saw religion as an opiate for the masses given by the ruling class to suppress the lower classes and keep them in line. The idea of religion being the invention of a few people who did not believe in God to suppress the many is not new nor was Marx its founder. Calvin dealt with the same arguments in his day and before him some Greek philosophers had proposed the same idea. It must first be admitted that many people have and do misuse religion as a way to control others. Any student of history could come up with many examples to demonstrate the point. This is altogether sad and a far cry from the true Christianity of the Scriptures. Calvin answers arguments like Marx’s by explaining that godlessness is impossible. As the previous article on the Institutes explained that all men believe in a god so here Calvin continues that thought. Those people who have introduced religion to others cannot themselves be atheists for all men believe in god. Calvin states, “Men of sound judgment will always be sure that a sense of divinity which can never be effaced is engraved upon men’s minds” (45). There are many people in the world who constantly strive to live ungodly lives, pursuing whatever sin next approaches their thoughts and blaspheming God openly, yet Calvin perceives that the sense of divinity inwardly confronts theses people. He explains that “the stupid hardness in their minds, which the impious eagerly conjure up to reject God, wastes away, yet the sense of divinity, which they greatly wished to have extinguished, thrives and presently burgeons” (46).

If we accept this, as I believe we should, then our perception of the world around must be affected by this truth. In particular this should impact our view of the ungodly and especially self-proclaimed atheists. We must perceive that the underlying issue is not an issue of understanding, but rather of the heart. Overly technical arguments and fancy apologetic gimmicks may impress some, but they do little to nothing for the heart. The sense of divinity implanted in the hearts of all men cries out that there is a god. We must cry out who this God is, that they may know Him and pray that by God’s grace their hearts will be changed.