The theology of the Apostle Paul emphasizes that mankind possesses the vestiges of an instinctive awareness of God, an innate realization that humanity owes an obligation to Him; an awareness that has been incorporated within man at creation. Moreover, the Apostle writes in chapter one of his letter to the Romans, since earliest times, men were able to discern God's existence and eternal power by the things He created. Though aware of these things, they refused to retain the true knowledge of God in their minds or admit their obligation to Him, preferring instead, to invent ridicules ideas of what God was like and how they should serve Him.

Mankind deliberately refused to acknowledge God as He really is, Paul wrote. They knew the reality about Him, but refused to worship Him in truth. Because they chose to believe lies, God released them to their own corrupt devices. He permitted humanity to reap the results of its own reprobate thinking. Men created and worshiped their own gods; gods made to resemble birds, animals, snakes and humans; the things God has created. As a result, Paul stated, at the Judgment Day, when men stand before God, they will have no valid excuse for not having followed the truth, since they once knew it and deliberately chose not to follow it.

I. Men find it impossible to divest themselves of the need to worship something. The awareness of the spiritual realm is universally innate in humanity; it always has been a part of the human psyche. While some do not recognize its lesser manifestations, the need to worship is a part of us all. In his book, "Primitive Religions," published in 1891, Professor G. T. Bettany recorded that, though some tribes may be without a higher sense of religion, few, if any, do not believe in spiritual beings of some kind.

Charles Darwin in his "Descent of Man," (vol i; p. 143) also noted this tendency in the human race. He wrote, "If . . . we include in the term 'religion' the belief in unseen or spiritual agencies . . . this belief seems to be universal with the less civilized races."

The animist's fear that spiritual beings inhabit natural objects and must be appeased, the dread that the spirits of the dead must be worshiped to prevent them from harming the living, the worship of the spirits in the powers of nature, the belief of totemism that certain animals and plants must be respected to refrain them from injuring humans, the rituals of sorcery, shamanism, witchcraft and numerous other formulas, are religious practices utilized by primitives seeking to control the gods before whom they feel a sense of guilt. These practices bear witness that even remote tribes possess vestiges of an awareness of the existence of God, and sense that mankind has offended Him; and therefore an obligation is due Him. True, this perception of a deity whom men have offended is corrupted, but it is nevertheless real.

The physician Luke dramatically illustrated the deep-rooted, intrinsic fear in the human psyche that the gods are displeased with men and must be appeased, during his travels with the Apostle Paul. While in Athens, he and the Apostle noticed idols everywhere. An altar bearing the plaintive inscription,