A Time feature story (America By the Numbers, Oct 30, 2006), states that “researchers have constructed four religious viewpoints” summarizing how most Americans view God.

• “31% believe in an authoritarian God who is deeply involved in daily life and world events. God is angry at sin and can punish the unfaithful or ungodly.”
• “23% believe in a benevolent God who is deeply involved in daily life and world events but is mainly a positive force reluctant to punish.”
• “16% believe in a critical God who does not really interact with the world but is unhappy with its current state and will exact divine justice.”
• “24% believe in a distant God who does not interact with the world and is not angry. God is more of a cosmic force that set the laws of nature in motion.”

   Men have often had only a partially-accurate view of God:

• God is an authoritarian, and His authority is good for us (Deut. 6:24). Many claim to accept God but take His word lightly (for example, Matt. 23:9; 1 Tim. 2:12-13; Mk. 16:16).
• God is benevolent but not to the neglect of His authority. It is easy for us to be “lulled” into this mindset because we are so richly blessed physically. Thus, many sing “God Bless America” with a tear in their eye, giving no thought to God’s severity upon the disobedient (Rom. 11:22; 2 Cor. 5:11).
• I cannot understand the “critical God” view. If God does not interact with the world, how can we know that He’s unhappy or wants justice? Yet, in the past, those who rejected what God revealed about Himself later simply made God into what they imagined Him to be (Rom. 1:23).
• Zephaniah dealt with people who believed in a distant God. They said “‘The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil’” (1:12). Zephaniah amply answers this view---read it!

   “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9).