September 24, 2009

• The Athiestic Issue

  I have a very unique perspective on things — I am a converted Atheist.  I spent 4 years attacking Christianity, verbally, physically and evidentiarily (I fought against the “evidence” in proof for Christianity).  I reasoned in my heart that there could be no God, that science held answers, and where it didn’t they would come.  I did not question my atheism, I questioned the rationality of believing in some fairy tale god and his goody-two-shoes son.  Somewhere along the line though, I started to question my beliefs and started looking at the cold hard facts.  Science didn’t have the answers, they couldn’t even explain some things and others — well, if you questioned their beliefs you were attacked.  Seemed to me that they were not being honest overall.

  From Athiesm I jumped ship to moralism.  That journey led to a dead end after 9 years.  Along the way, though, I started catching glimpses of something real, something true.  Something which explained away the questions and put things in perfect order.  Questions such as “How could an eye / brain evolve to discern color? What purpose would there be to it from an evolutionary perspective?“  or “If things tend towards decay and rapid imperfection (mutation) then how do we say that evolution answers the issues of life based upon UPWARDS improvement?“  Mutations are 96% fatal — to believe that the remaining 4% would breed true and thus soon overtake and re-populate the tundra replacing older models seemed grasping at straws. When one looks at the mathematics alone involved in making evolution work, it staggers the mind we believe in it at all.

  In any case, over this past summer I reviewed a fair number of Athiestic websites here on Xanga, curious about where atheism has gone in the last 30 years.  My time was spent reviewing CelestialTeapot’s site, In_Reason_We_Trust, and GodlessLiberal among others.  It seemed that their time was spent attacking and not really proving anything.  A Slight of hand here, a quick flash of powder and smoke, pay attention to the magician and not to his arguments — it all seemed like a game.  I quickly discerned that the heart of each post was pride, set up as intelligence, and with the aim of gaining praise from their athiestic buddies…. a masturbation of the ego. (yes, I just said that.)

  What profits a man to argue with a fool?  The Atheist would say that of the Christian.  The Christian would apply it to the atheist.  Neither one would listen, and both would walk away claiming victory.  It’s more of that egotistical game we like to play.  The point is, there is no use arguing with either side.  The atheist is not going to convince the Christian he’s wrong, and the Christian is going to be scoffed at for even proposing that there is a God.

  At the heart of the matter is this, though, and it’s the point of my post.  The reason an atheist does not want there to be a God —- fights as hard as he can against it — whether he admits it or not, is because if there is a God (creator) and this all means something, then there is the possibility of our morals meaning something and potential judgment for having stepped over the line exists.  Who among us would like to have EVERY —- mark that E-V-E-R-Y —- Lie you’ve ever told (even in jest) held against you in a court of law?  Every lustful thought.  Every meanspirited joke.  Every cruelty to an animal or person.  Everything.

  Atheism does not want there to be a god because they do not wish their actions to account for anything.  They want to be mean-spirited and hateful.  It is their right.  They want to attack and belittle, they want to tear people down, they want to do as they please when they please to whom they please with no regard to implications.  In short, Atheists do not want a morality.

  Romans 3:9-18 gives some interesting insight into the human heart.

  What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
     ”There is no one righteous, not even one;
      there is no one who understands,
        no one who seeks God.
   All have turned away,
        they have together become worthless;
     there is no one who does good,
        not even one.”
   “Their throats are open graves;
        their tongues practice deceit.”
     ”The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
      “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
   “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
      ruin and misery mark their ways,
   and the way of peace they do not know.”
      “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

  Jeremiah 17:9-10 simplifies it to say

  The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? (Amplified version)

   But I, the Lord, search all hearts
        and examine secret motives.
     I give all people their due rewards,
        according to what their actions deserve.” (New Living Translation)

  I used to openly argue with Atheists.  I had no problem with doing so, and took great amounts of fun in demolishing their arguments.  Over time I realized that this was pride in me working to make me just as sinful as if I had claimed there was no god.  I stopped arguing.  A while later I started realizing that arguments never saved one soul.

  James 1:19-20 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

  How quickly we are to silence others — and how slow we are to learn that arguing leads nowhere.

  There is a contradiction in Scripture — only one.  I admit that because it’s plainly obvious that it is a contradiction, but it is there with a point.

  Proverbs 26:4-5 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
         or you will be like him yourself.

    Answer a fool according to his folly,
         or he will be wise in his own eyes.

  The point is, if you argue with a fool, you lose.  If you don’t argue with a fool, you lose.  There is no winning situation here.  To argue with a fool is to become like him, not arguing with a fool leads him to believe his folly is correct.

  Psalms 14: 1 and 53:1 The fool ^[a] says in his heart,
         “There is no God.”
         They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
         there is no one who does good.

  There is no winning here unless the Spirit Himself intervenes in the heart of the hearer.

  1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (New International Version)

   Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. (NLT)

  My conclusion is not one you want to hear.  There is no winning scenario.  Atheists are the way they are because they don’t want their morals adjusted.  They cling to their hatred, anger, ego, lust, vanity as though these things will make them superior in the end.  The wisest words ever spoken to Christians was this:

  1 Thessalonians 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹²so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

  In the end, people are not won by arguments, they are won by our loving them.  Standing firm in the Truth may lead to arguing — atheists love to debate — but it is love that wins the day.

  ---

  An after thought.  Something missed in all of this, as a marked point, would be to examine yourselves as to why you are arguing in the first place.  What is your personal motive?  Are you looking to make yourself look better than your opponent?  Are you looking to set your self above him?  Are you seeking to demolish his arguments and make him look like a fool?  Those are all false starting points, and make you to be sinning against Christ.  What are your motives? 

  Galatians 6:7  Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

  You may win your argument, but in the end you’ve gained nothing.

  This was just an afterthought.

  • 11:17 pm
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