Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Confessions of a functional atheist

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GraveyardOne of the accusations against Christians is that we have a psychological need to believe a fantasy. In other words, the atheist thinks that we make up a belief in God to provide comfort against the unknown. Our belief in God is like whistling as we pass through the graveyard. It doesn’t provide any real benefit but it makes us feel better.

Honesty (the premise of this blog) requires that I get something out in the open. There are times when I don’t want God to exist. It would be oh so much more convenient if he did not and I could do whatever I want. There are times when I want to be god and I don’t want anyone telling me what to do.

This is the atheist position. The position that does not want God to exist and refuses to see any evidence that would point to God. I see this as more of a will issue than an intellectual one. My intellect tends to go where my will leads it. I often remember a line I heard a long time ago,

“a man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still”

God tells me to forgive, even when I don’t want to forgive. God tells me to love when I would rather hate. God tells me to respect when I feel disdain. God tells me to give when I would rather take. God tells me to value others above myself. All of these commands are difficult and I sometimes do not obey them. In those moments when I refuse obedience, I become a functional atheist; I act as if God does not exist.

Too often we see this in the church. Pastors and elders have to deal with people who write off Scriptural commands with the magic words, “it’s all in the interpretation” or “not everyone agrees with such a literal understanding.” Jesus predicted that some would fall away because of the demands of the Christian life (see Matthew 13:3-9). At one point in Jesus’ ministry his disciples referred to his teaching as a “hard saying” (John 6:60). When you examine Christianity in its entirety, it is sometimes very inconvenient.

We serve a God who does care how we behave. We do not serve a semi-senile grandfather God who always pats us on the head and says, “that’s nice.” We serve a God who demands holiness, a demand so important to him that he sent Jesus to provide for us the means of obtaining holiness.

Every moment of the day, I must choose to live according to my belief or to deny my belief in God. By God’s grace, most of the time I choose correctly and move toward deeper relationship with him. Yet, there are times when in my pride and stupidity I choose badly. When I choose badly, I am then given the opportunity to repent and choose well (1 John 1:9).

I believe in Jesus Christ because he provides the best explanation of the world I see around me. I believe in him because I think that he is indeed the truth (John 14:6). Sometimes, it is a very inconvenient truth and I do not live up to it, yet it remains the truth.

You may choose to disbelieve but please make that choice based on an accurate understanding of Christianity. Too often those who oppose God present a caricature of Christianity, a straw man easily knocked down. The real thing is far more elaborate and far more beautiful than the caricature.

Skepticism – Means or an end?

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SkepticismI seem to recall that in the introduction to at least one of his books, C. S. Lewis offered the caveat that he was not a theologian. In a similar vein, prior to the material below, I must offer the caveat that I am not a philosopher nor the son of a philosopher.

In a post reflecting on the death of Christopher Hitchens, one commentator drew a contrast between skepticism as a pathway to truth and skepticism as a destination. In the former, skepticism is a methodology for seeking truth. In the latter, skepticism makes the statement that there is no truth to find.

It is one thing to be suspicious of truth claims and seek to verify them before believing. It is another thing entirely to reject all truth claims. A piece of lyric from a Rush song comes to mind, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” To maintain skepticism as an end or destination is an attempt to remain as a spectator on the sideline, but ultimately it fails. Skepticism is a choice in itself.

It seems obvious to me that man is born to believe in something. As evidence of this I would point to the various religions that can be found around the world. Pantheistic, polytheistic, or monotheistic, there is quite a variety of beliefs. While the various religions are in fundamental disagreement on the particulars, they all are a function of belief.

But there is evidence that the irreligious also have a need to believe. Politicians, actors and musicians are followed with a devotion that borders on worship. Sports teams also function as a focus of belief. I live near the city of Philadelphia where a loss by the beloved Eagles (a frequent occurrence this year) is mourned like the death of state leader. Whether it is politics, music, sports or hobbies, many are caught up in these things with a religious fervor.

It seems to me that skepticism as a goal is a dead end. But is all skepticism wrong?

If you want to point to some of the foibles of the church throughout history as a reason to distrust religion, you are welcome to do so. The church, like her individual members, is not perfect and we get it wrong some of the time. But as Thomas Gilson points out in his thoughtful post on the death of Christopher Hitchens, it is important to make a distinction between God and religion. In my mind, some level of skepticism about the ability of the church to live out her relationship with God is healthy. We do not have a perfect track record.

I would ask those who are skeptical about the church to judge by the standard and not our inability to live up to it. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) I encourage the skeptic to do the same.

Thoughts prompted by Ed Stetzer on the Death of Christopher Hitchens

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Recently I sat next to a well dressed man on an airplane. I engaged in some small talk with him while everyone was getting seated. I had noticed an Ohio State logo on his cell phone so we discussed his excitement about Urban Meyer taking over the football program.

As he sat down, he  pulled a paperback book out his briefcase and put it in the seat back in front of him. After take-off he pulled the book and read for the remainder of the flight. I did not seek to engage him in any further conversation.

As we were gathering our things at the end of the flight, I happened to notice that the book he was reading was God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens. It was then that I realized that I missed an opportunity. This man, whether he was in sympathy with Hitchens or not, was investing time thinking about God. Even if the man was reading to bolster his own desire to live life without God, he was still engaged in thought about God.

There I was, a child of God who should have taken the opportunity to point him in the right direction, and I missed the opportunity. I had an open shot and I passed the ball.

This morning, I heard the news that Christpher Hitchens is dead. Ed Stetzer wrote a thoughtful post that is worth reading, the following is a link to his post. Ed Stetzer – Reflections on the Death of Christopher Hitchens.

If we, as believers, would follow 1 Peter 3:15 and be prepared to engage the world around us, we could make a difference in some lives. We don’t need to win every argument. We don’t need to force our beliefs on anyone. We do need to lovingly present the truth of who Jesus is and what He came to do.

Some will remain angry at God, some will remain stubbornly resistant to Him, some will not believe in anything they cannot see, but some will indeed come to the place where they are willing to submit to God and seek forgiveness.

Am I willing to risk the anger of some to provide hope for the one who is open to it? I want to be. I choose to be.

God, grant us wisdom as we respond to those around us.

Living Water or Broken Cisterns – A Choice for Western Society

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Broken CisternsNature abhors a vacuum is a proverb that came to me as I contemplated Jeremiah 2:12–13 recently:

12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (ESV)

This prophetic statement was made to the Nation of Israel who had rejected God’s principles for living and had replaced worship of the Living God with the pagan rituals of the surrounding nations.

Anyone who has spent time in an arid climate understands the importance of water. A source of water is the first necessity in choosing a place to live. A spring, creek or river which flows year round would be the first choice. Living (moving) water is fresh and clean, and if it comes from a spring the water is cool.

A cistern, on the other hand, collects the water when it rains and the water becomes stagnant. As the water sits, microbes and insects grow in it and dust collects. It is water, and it will keep you alive, but is not nearly as pleasant as flowing water.

But notice that God makes reference to broken cisterns that can’t even hold water. It is not that the Israelites had chosen a viable alternative source for what they need. They had rejected God and replaced him with empty rituals that provided no benefit.

In 21st Century America, there is a renewed and more vigorous attack on the Judeo/Christian principles upon which this country was founded. The “new” atheists would like to remove thought and speech about God from public discourse. Religion is viewed by them as an old fashioned idea that has outlived its usefulness.

The popularity of books by Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins is evidence of how many in our society have adopted this premise. Yet, have the readers of these books thought through the implications of this choice?

Remember, nature abhors a vacuum. If we reject God and exclude him from our society, something will replace him, but what? Where will we find our guiding principles? Who or what will prevent totalitarianism? What will the “new atheists” give people as a means of determining value?

It is my opinion that if the Western culture continues the rejection of the Judeo/Christian God and his principles, society will succumb to one of two types of totalitarianism.

The first option is an atheistic totalitarianism such as fascism or communism. It is no mystery as to why atheism is the religion of the communist states. The communists build upon the concept of Darwinism; the strong dominate the weak. The “state” becomes the guide by which all decision should be made. Choice and freedom are greatly reduced or eliminated and conformity to the state is enforced.

The second option is a religious totalitarianism such as that of Islam and Sharia law. This is probably the more dangerous and likely option because of the devotion that Islam engenders. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world because of its militaristic foundation and its goal of universal conquest.

How will atheism stand up to Islam? I have never been aware of any atheist that was passionate enough about his atheism to strap a bomb on his body and die a martyr. This is commonplace (if misguided) in Islam.

The third and best option is for us to return to the God upon whom our country was founded. It seems to me that the only places where freedom of expression and freedom of belief have been in operation have been places where Christianity once held a dominant position. That freedom is the living water that we crave. Why reject that freedom when bondage is the alternative?

Do we really want to reject the one system that engendered freedom to pursue systems that take it away? I hope not.

What do you think?

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