Ignorance is Deadly
Too many people still hold to the old cliche, “Ignorance is bliss.” The idea is that, if I don’t know something, it can’t hurt me.
Tell that to those who fought the most famous battle of the War of 1812.
Very few have studied that war in depth, but most people still know that the most famous battle of that was was the Battle of New Orleans (thanks in part to Johnny Horton’s 1950s song about it!). In that battle over 430 troops lost their lives and another 1700 were injured. Additionally, as was often the case in battles of long ago, a large number of soldiers went missing (over 650 to be exact).
But here’s the irony of those numbers: not one person should have even fired a shot.
Why? The treaty to end the war, The Treaty of Ghent, had already been signed.
The battle took place in early January of 1815, while the treaty had been signed on Christmas Eve, about 2 weeks earlier. Due to slow travel and communication, though, the warring sides at the southern tip of the Mississippi River didn’t know about the treaty, and fought anyway.
Ignorance is not bliss!
How many Christians may not state “ignorance is bliss,” but still use it as an excuse to avoid Bible study? How many non-Christians do the same? We may find something that we don’t like, so we just don’t study. We may find out that we have to change our lives or lifestyle, so we just claim ignorance.
Throughout history, though, God has required His people to be thinking people. He does not desire for us to be mindless. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). We are to love God with all our minds (Mark 12:30).
If I do not learn what God would have for me to do, will I be lost? Yes! When Christ returns, He will bring vengeance on those who “know not God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
Get to know the Bible. Get to know its Author. I think you’ll find that, not only does that knowledge help to save us, but we’ll find ourselves wanting to know more and more, because God and His Word are wonderful!
But if we fail to learn? Then there will be unnecessary casualties of war.
QUESTION: Why do we sometimes think that ignorance is okay in matters of religion?
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Photo credit: Loco Steve on creative commons
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