Deepity or Just “BS”

I received an e-mail last week that used the term “deepity” that refers to statements that seem profound at first glance, but upon deeper examination, they are only marginally true.

Apparently, the word was first used by Professor Daniel Dennett at a conference of atheists and progressive humanists in 2009. Many atheists have subsequently maintained that Christian Theology is just a bunch of “deepities”, but this is exactly the antithesis of the historical, spiritual and moral realities that are the predicates that serve as a bases of our faith. The assertion it was pointed out in the e-mail is like saying that modern day “junk philosophy” show that all philosophy and Christian moral thought is worthless.

I was with a group of civic and business leaders last week when a presentation was made comparing the activities of Palestinian sympathizers with the demonstrations of the 1960s that centered around civil rights and opposition to the Vietnam War.

It was wisely pointed out by the speaker that the different factions that lined up against each other in the early 60s—by 1968 this had changed as the pro-communist elements of society took over the movements, that Martin Luther King always marched with the American Flag—usually many American Flags, in his crowds. There was always prayer during the marches. The important point was that during those early days, the different sides shared a belief in God and a belief in the goodness of our country. Based on those common moral predicates we could have a “conversation” and we did.

And let us not forget that after the Civil War it was Republicans and not Democrats that were responsible for the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments—freeing the slaves, making them citizens, and allowing them the right to vote. And it was Christian abolitionists and “Radical Republicans” led by Abraham Lincoln and U. S. Grant who confronted “Jim Crow” and the Democratic Party. It was Republicans who were responsible for the passage of Civil Rights Legislation in the 1960’s. The common moral predicate—WE ARE ALL MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE, which informed the various political positions was always grounded in our shared faith in God and Country. We could talk. We could have civil, and rarely uncivil but not violent conversations about our differences.

When the progressive “social justice” causes were taken up by non-believers and atheists—many in academia who found it much easier to have a political philosophy not based on a higher moral standard, but rather on a nominalist standard—making themselves accountable to only themselves, our ability to talk to each other was severely impaired. We shared no moral basis from which we could have a discussion.

Today we are watching Hamas demonstrate in our streets and on college campuses. There is no moral difference between Hamas and a Hamas sympathizer. They shout, “death to Israel” and “death to the USA”. They don’t want to have a conversation. They want to impose their will on our country. I have tried to figure out if the problem is Islam itself or with a faction of Islam that has taken over “the faith”. I have concluded that the difference doesn’t matter, and that in fact just like so many Christian denominations that have cowardly refused to confront evil within our ranks in the name of tolerance and acceptance, when religious movements become politicized by those with evil intentions, they have then become agents of evil themselves.

In fact, those organizing and funding the rebellions throughout the Western World share nothing in common with any religious group. They only seek chaos as a means to establish their own power. Chaos as a political means, for power as a totalitarian end.

Junk theology is ubiquitous in our world today as exposed in the e-mail mentioned above. Here are a couple of examples from Serene Jones a Protestant Minister and the President of Union Theology Seminary:

• “[The] empty tomb symbolizes that the ultimate love in our lives cannot be crucified and killed.”
• “Living a life of love is driven by the simple fact that love is true.”​​​​​​ 
• “The message of Easter is that love is stronger than life or death.”

Can we all say DEEPITY (?) Or as my sons used to say—”I call BS”

Nonsense and more nonsense. In the physical sciences do we say such things? — Gravity is gravity and is driven by the fact that gravity is true” How about “the strong nuclear force is stronger than life itself”.

Yet the historical arguments based on both faith and reason for the validity of the assertions made in both The Old and New Testaments when tested are just as strong as arguments of physics or chemistry—by the way arguments that 99% of us accept based on faith. How many of us have ever seen an electron in orbit or gravity for that matter? How many of us can do the math to prove such assertions?

We are in a spiritual battle for our souls and the souls of our children. Every age and every person who has ever lived has been confronted by evil. In the mid-twentieth century we as a people confronted the evils of atheistic fascism and communism. WE prevailed because of our shared belief in ourselves, our country and our cause, and most of all in our God. Our belief in God and the Christian Enlightenment Natural Law Principles of our Founding are all we need to confront the forces of evil. Do we still believe? I pray we do.

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”