1. Definition:
1. One is not born a heathen, one is not programmed to be a heathen, one chooses to be a heathen.
2. At the point of God-Consciousness, that point in each & every normal human being’s life, where he/she makes a decision on whether or not they believe in the existence of one true God. And the heathen refers to those who say no at God Consciousness.
3. The English word heathen is derived from the word meaning open country –people who did not live in the city. It is the equivalent to Latin word ‘pagan’; or Greek word ethen which is translated either nations or gentiles. All these words are equivalent.
4. Heathenism is defined as anyone of a nation, or race, or people who do not acknowledge the God of the Bible. These people are called heathen or pagan.
5. These words are also synonymous with the Heb. world “goi “ translated gentiles. Referring to those nations or peoples who did not acknowledge Jehovah, the God of the Jews as the true God.
2. The Heathen & the Gospel or what about those who have never heard?
1. This answers the question: What about those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Often people will bring this up, now in truth they do not care about those in some African village, but they like to distract you from their own responsibility of making a decision concerning Jesus Christ.
2. But the doctrine of Heathenism answers the question of what about the heathen? What about those who have never heard the gospel?
3. If one does not believe in the existence of God, then God is not responsible to bring that person the gospel. If they do not even believe in God, & the gospel is about how to be reconciled with God, then the gospel will mean nothing to them.
4. People choose to be heathens or pagans or God-less.
3. Results of Heathenism or results of not believing in one true God.
1. When one suppresses the truth of the being of God, a vacuum is formed and he seeks a substitute. This may be religion are self anarchy. Man seeking to establish his own happiness by man’s ability.
2. Heathenism begins without truth, and if your premise is without truth, then no matter what the conclusion, it too will be without truth.
3. If you start with the premise that there is no God, no one true God, then you develop philosophies, science interpretation, social standards to continue to suppress the being of God.
4. Heathenism exploits the denial of people by appealing to the basic lust and emotional patterns of the make up of man without God. This includes, food, clothing, moral behavior and political ideas.
5. With the suppressing of the existence of God, then there is nothing or no one higher than mankind. Man becomes the center of existence. Good and bad, right and wrong become relative terms. Therefore heathenism, gives birth to liberalism or socialism or communism. They replace God by man trying to be god. Everyone is equal they claim, but they do not have the ability to make everyone equal.
6, They seek a perfect world apart from God. They claim that if the environment is perfect, education is equal then everyone will be equal and happy. They do not have the ability to make this happen.
7. Heathenism rejects the truth of God, and suppresses this truth, and believes falsehood. This will always lead to perversion.
Perversion takes over, perversion about mankind, perversion in morality, perversion socially and politically, a perversion of truth.
8. Heathenism rejects Jesus Christ as Savior. Rejects the being of true God, and of Jesus Christ.
And then Heathenism, seeks to suppress God, and Jesus Christ and the Bible from it’s society. This is what is going on in America today.
A breakdown in morals, to the point of accepted perversion of homosexuality and lesbianism, A strong movement to remove God and Jesus Christ from society.
9. Heathenism sets up a society without God and seeks to replace or fill the vacuum with religion or other gods or no gods.
a. New Age: god and universe are one
b. Polytheism: many gods all acceptable
c. Atheism: no god whatsoever.