1956. Negative Preaching. The Southern Presbyterian Journal. XV (25), Oct. 17, pg. 4.
Negative Preaching
In religious periodicals today there are frequent
recommendations of the power of positive preaching. It is even suggested that our
daily ills and annoyances can be cured if we only think positively. Negativism is
bad and leads to mental disorders.
Undoubtedly positive preaching and thinking are necessary. For
example, when a little boy is fussy because he does not know how to occupy his time,
the wise mother will make a positive admonition to go skating or to play with finger
paints. The little boy needs some definite direction because he does not know what
to do.
But we are not all little children, and many of our daily situations
do not correspond to this example. If to
avoid strain on the heart a man decides to reduce, his physician will tell him not
to eat butter and other fats. Or, in cases of allergy, the physician will direct
him not to eat tomatoes, or not to get in contact with chicken feathers, or not
to do something else. The patient may do pretty much as he pleases, except that
he must not do this one thing.
The same thing is true in religious matters, whether preaching
from the pulpit, or conversing with friends, or private meditation. Of course, positive
statements must be made. Sinners must be told positively that Christ died for their
sins. But it is unwise to avoid negative statements. Sinners also need to be told
negatively that they cannot earn heaven by their own merits. To be sure, we should
positively require the worship of God in spirit and in truth. But we should also
negatively prohibit bowing before images and praying to the Virgin.
Negative preaching and thinking is necessary because it is exemplified
in the Bible. It is God's method, at least a part of God's method of dealing with
us. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not covet. Nor does it take much brilliance to see the wisdom of this
method. Suppose a young man asks himself who he should marry. Well, there are a
lot of girls, and he is free to marry any of them — except a certain few. He must
not commit adultery or incest. A positive command could apply to one person only.
God might tell Hosea precisely whom to marry; but such a command applies to no one
else. A general command for such practical problems must usually be a negative
command. Raise sheep, buy real estate, sell cloth, make money in nearly any way
you wish; but, says the Lord, Thou shalt not steal.
Now, why is the wisdom of negative thinking recognized in medicine,
in child training, in all secular matters, but so vehemently condemned in religious
affairs? Why — unless our popular religious leaders have discarded the Bible and
are blind to God's example? G.H.C.
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