Idealism vs. RealismThere are varying definitions of “idealism” and “realism.” The definitions I will be considering are these:
Here is a sample profile of a pure idealist: Hi, I have a degree in Communal Services, with a minor in Humanities. It’s pretty hard to find a decent job, though. There should be more governmental jobs for people like me, because we can make the world a better place. I also think the government should set up community centers in every neighborhood to help the poor and homeless. Human rights trump everything else.Now, here is a sample profile of a pure realist: Hi, I have a degree in Mathematics, with a minor in Combined Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, & Biology). I went to professional school, got a job immediately thereafter, and stuck with it until I retired early, saving my money and making investments along the way. Small businesses are the foundation of our nation’s economy, and the government should keep its hands out of businesses and the private sector. Government is not “God.” He alone has the authority to direct human affairs, and He alone is worthy to run things as He wishes. It is important to note that not all community organizers are idealists, nor are mathematicians always realists. These vocations have been used merely for the purpose of illustration. Indeed, many community organizers not only have huge hearts but also have very real and practical solutions for the betterment of society at large. On the other hand, many mathematicians with huge intellects, and with gigantic egos to match, have no realistic solutions for the improvement or assistance of anyone outside of their own tiny spheres of existence. Three of the main topics typically addressed by idealists are world hunger, war, and global climate change. They usually have all sorts of ideas and proposals to improve these undesirable conditions and, thereby, change the world into a “better” place. For instance, they suggest that we need to pour more money and food into countries where the people are starving. They also maintain that if we are gracious and congenial to the “troublemakers” of the world, they will respond positively by changing their ways and becoming constructive, rather than destructive, members of the global community. Idealists also insist that humans are primarily to blame for global climate changes, which eventually will cause irreparable harm and damage to the earth and, subsequently, to humankind. In reality, the governments of nations with poor, starving people virtually always are corrupt and self-seeking. More often than not, they will take the majority of money and food for themselves, and for their own friends and families, long before these things reach the hungry masses. This is not to say, of course, that we should not contribute to worthy organizations that are able to take food and other supplies directly to disadvantaged and poverty-stricken people around the world. Those who threaten the peace and stability of the world, through intimidation and/or terrorism, are innately evil. They will have malevolent agendas, often religiously based (such as radical Islam), no matter what overtures of friendship we offer them, nor how much we try to get them to change. In some cases, sanctions—or even military offensives—may be the only effective means of neutralizing them. Global climate changes are cyclical and recurring. There is no concrete, incontrovertible scientific evidence that people’s carbon pollution is the primary cause of global warming, nor of any other type of climate change. Even if this is taking place, it is irrelevant, because there are not decades or centuries remaining until the end of the age; there are but a handful of years. Idealistic ideas sound nice, and they give the people who think about them good feelings about themselves. In short, these ideas often are based on emotion and passion—and even on a desire to dominate others—rather than on rock-solid logic, scientific facts, and common sense. For the most part, such notions are ineffective and impractical, rather than feasible and realistic. Since I am certain that God is the ultimate—and only—truth, then I am convinced that we cannot begin to understand and grasp genuine reality without knowing Him, what He has done in the past, and how He works now and will work in the future. The Bible gives us the best account of how God previously has dealt with humankind. Since God and His Torah/Law are unchanging, we can expect His dealings with humankind not to change. Furthermore, the Bible provides us with the added bonus of telling us how God is going to act and operate in the future, especially at the end of the age. Without having a proper perception of, and a valid perspective on, God, one inevitably has to develop and act on one’s own principles, ethics, and morals. But since everybody thinks and feels differently, depending on a multitude of varying factors, there is a very broad span of opinions about the best means to go about solving problems, especially global ones. Therefore, the plans and programs of any one person, apart from God, are very idealistic, if not unrealistic. I regard Barack Obama as one of the foremost idealists, and idealogues, in the world today. Of course, I question the sincerity and honesty of most of his views, since I am convinced that he secretly harbors ambitions of global leadership, for which being President of the United States merely is a convenient “stepping-stone.” I continue to suspect that he may turn out to be the prophesied False Prophet The fact is, we are nearing the very end of this present age of human history, as we know it. Biblically, we are not far from the appearance of the Lord Jesus in the clouds, to catch away his faithful followers and believers at the Rapture. All those who are left behind Yes, God is love. But that is the only facet of His character that many idealists choose to see, if they believe in God at all. In reality, God is fully capable of anger and wrath, and a study of the Old Testament of the Bible will prove this. The fact is, God would be unfair and unjust if He, ultimately, did not judge the world for its evil and sins. This frightful period, during which time the events of Fortunately, those who have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, as the only blood atonement for their sins, will be spared from the overwhelming wrath of God. They are realists who have not tried to create God in their own image but, rather, know that they are unworthy of God’s grace and mercy. And that is the key to God’s loving and compassionate heart: humility, meekness, and submissiveness, in a world filled with arrogance, egotism, and self-absorption. After Jesus returns to rule and reign during the Millennium, He will make sure that there is abundant food for the world’s inhabitants, except for those who refuse to honor Him as the earth’s King Humankind is nearing the ultimate encounter with its Creator, when He will intervene, suddenly and forcibly, into our world, soon after the opening of the Sixth Seal of the heavenly scroll. For some—mostly the hardened, unrepentent idealists who do not acknowledge God—this inevitable meeting, and the events that follow, will be utterly horrifying and devastating. For others, mostly astute realists who know and love God, this appointed reunion will be joyous and harmonious. If you are an idealist, isn’t it time to start thinking like a realist? |