Here we go again! Right in the middle of the Christmas
season, the new, more militant, atheists in our land organize attacks against Christmas
displays. Here are two cases from today's news. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/13/atheist-messages-displace-california-park-nativity-scenes/?test=latestnews
& http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/10/atheist-group-seeks-banner-to-join-christmas-display/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz1gDJ9pKir.
I believe it would be fair to say that the new atheists would like to silence
Christmas altogether. The proposed atheists’ banner in Elwood City, PA seems to indicate
this radical agenda: "At this season
of the Winter Solstice, LET REASON PREVAIL. There are no gods, no devils, no
angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but
myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." One who
believes this message would be compelled to remove all children from any
religious influence. If religion truly hardens hearts and enslaves minds, then
adults that teach religion to children are child abusers, even parents.
How should we react to such ardent atheists? First, we
should not try to silence them. When we refuse to listen to another person’s
point of view, that refusal comes from fear that we cannot argue reasonably
with them. Look again at the banner message. There is no reason involved in
their message. They make an unsubstantiated claim that cannot be proven. It takes
as much, or more, faith to BELIEVE there is no god as it takes to BELIEVE that
God exists. Even our Founders, including Thomas Jefferson called the existence
of a Creator self-evident. We have nothing to fear. Let atheists display their
banners and make their arguments. Reasonable men and women will ascertain the
truth. Their banner is also an indirect ad hominem attack—attacking the person
of anyone who practices religion. Reasonable men and women refuse to resort to
ad hominem attacks, because they have sound arguments.
Second, we should not rollover for them. What our
Founders envisioned was all religions—atheistic, Christian, or other—having voice
in the public square. To rollover and play dead in the face of atheistic
pressure is to allow secularism to be the state-advocated religion, which is
unconstitutional. Let’s seek a voice in the public square, not an exclusive
one, as the atheists seek, but an equal voice. Reasonable men and women will
ascertain the truth.
Third, we should grieve for them. The Apostle Paul stated quite well in Philippians 3:18-19 (NIV) For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with
tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their
destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their
shame. Their mind is on earthly things. When the Apostle Paul talked about
the enemies of Christ, he spoke forthrightly but not with hatred or anger.
Rather, he grieved for them. We should too. What is the cause of our grief? We
grieve because the creature has rejected the love and grace of his or her
self-evident Creator. How sad God must be! We grieve because the atheist’s
conclusion that earthly existence is all there is leaves them with such a
meaningless, self-absorbed, existence. Despite their claims to the contrary, if
death is the end of our existence, then death mocks everything that makes life
meaningful. “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” is the only
reasonable approach to life for the atheist. What a sad way to live! Lastly, we
grieve that men and women who claim to be so reasonable ignore the
preponderance of evidence before them. Even children know that the design of
nature points to (not proves) the existence of designer. I have lived over 60
years and have never seen order come from chaos without a designer doing it
(i.e. children mess up, mothers clean up). Have you?
I am not angry with atheists and never will be. What are
they to do? If I were one of them, I would resort to the same tactics. But I
will not rollover for them either, no matter how vitriolic their attacks. I
refuse to rollover for three reasons. First is the glory of God. God deserves the
worship of all human beings. Second, I refuse to rollover for the sake of the
atheist. There is a better way to approach and practice life than the one he or
she self-constructs. Self-construction ultimately leads to self-destruction. The
way of Christ leads to life itself, full, abundant, and free. Third, I refuse
to rollover because I stand on firm ground. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) For I am convinced that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. The poor atheist possesses no such assurance or hope.
6 comments:
Praying for a atheist is like handing a cross to a jewish man or woman. Its insulting! As a atheist let me just say "Don't waste your damn time!"
It seems to me that swearing at and telling a Christ-follower not to pray would be equally insulting! But the truth is, I choose whether I am insulted or not and I am secure enough in my worldview that you can't insult me. But you make my point. How terrible it must be to have a belief system that compels you to be so easily insulted and to respond with such vitriol. I will continue to pray for you with my time that is anything but damned!
Wow.
I am so thankful for my education. I am so thankful for my parents who have enlightened me with virtue and helped to instill great character within me so that my intellectual education didn't go to waste.
In working with children, some economically and socially disadvantaged and some with advantage, studies show what I have observed. Among 40 Developmental Assets that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible is the child's religious community. According to the Search Institute (an organization not affiliated with any kind of religion whatsoever), a child should attend religious programs or services one or more times per week.
I agree with you that all signs point to a designer and that it takes more faith to NOT believe in God. I challenge Mr./Mrs. Anonymous to refute the evidence in my life of how Christ has softened my hard heart. Without Christ my anger would have taken over and murder would be the fruit of this once-hardened heart. But hope now abounds and with it love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.
By the way, someone once handed a Jewish man a cross and that man lovingly took that cross and allowed himself to be nailed to it. He did that knowing that all of us, including myself, would reject and despise him. Furthermore, and more importantly, he knew that his resurrection three days later would allow us all an opportunity to have a relationship with the Creator. God so desperately wants to have that relationship with all mankind. He stands at the door of hard hearts and knocks.
How I miss you Bro. Tom... Your frankness and kind manner are unforgetable.. God has used you in a great and wonderful way.. May HE continue to bless you. As always,,,Yours in Christ,,Charlene (Sheen)...
It doesn't take any faith at all to not believe in god. I simply don't believe anything that doesn't have sufficient scientific evidence to back it up. Science can explain a lot of things but there are some things It cannot yet explain...but that doesn't mean that god did it!
Sure it does friend. It takes a faith to believe in God, right? Well, then, how does it not take faith to BELIEVE there is no God? Since science can prove neither the existence or non-existence of God conclusively, it takes faith either way. You also express a faith in science to eventually and ultimately prove all truth. That has crossed over into scientism, a religion of faith in science. No one can prove that science holds all answers to every facet of reality. To believe that takes faith. So you have just as much faith, and perhaps a lot more, given the evidence, than I do.
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