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Posted At: 1:55pm by Rachel Engebretson
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In my continued search for an actual constructive or close to supportive answer from atheists as to why be one in the first place, I have found nothing.
I wasn’t surprised.
For awhile, I have struggled and even been angered by them. They constantly badger Christians to prove themselves - But why? What does it prove, exactly? That all of Christianity is stupid if one attacked Christian cannot construct valid, scientific arguments off the top of his head in two seconds? Or, that Christians are persecuting non-Christians in some way by uttering, or even, heaven forbid, displaying Christian symbols or words in public places where the innocent and wandering eye can be crushed psychologically and lose their freedoms instantly by looking upon them?
Oh, the horror!
I attempted one day (And partially because I was really bored) to write to the American Atheists and ask them why in the world I should be an atheist. I mean, after all, if you think it’s THE answer, and everyone else is floating in a dream world of unsupported fairy stories, wouldn’t YOU want to drag every last naïve being out of their damaging stupor?
Either I wasn’t cool enough or they smelled “Christian” a mile away.
“We hope you will read more about atheism,” my reply said.
Whoa. Talk about making a choice to come to the “faith”. Or lack of it.
Even better yet, I never got my answer because I had to find it.
And isn’t that what atheism is all about? I think the atheist who wrote me really did a splendid job of telling me why I should be an atheist. She might have just as well said, “Be an atheist, Rachel, because you know the world hates you, but not the reason for it. And isn’t looking for reasons, yet never finding them, just the way you want to spend your life? Being alone is fun!”
Me, me, me. I can do this. I can do that.
But I can’t. I can’t find salvation by myself any more than an atheist can. We’re all sinful human beings, who have done sinful things. Atheists may seem more sinful, but they’re not. They’re lost and confused, but God never stopped loving them.
This is why it is important to be a Christian. I would never, ever want to be an atheist because it is the emptiest form of life I could possibly imagine. Wallowing in resentment and self-pity is not the way I see myself living until I die. And what happens when I die? What hope is there? As a Christian, my focus is on Christ, and I call out to him in mercy. And he answers. I have assurance that I will go to heaven.
I read Romans 10 in Bible class today and I found it to be a very comforting passage.
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Saved! Yes, saved - Saved from death, the most feared part of life’s journey. Saved from damnation. Saved from the incessant and painful, never-ending desire for answers and reasons, because everything that needed to be said was done from Christ. Saved forever, not just in the short time on earth.
The mind will never be put to rest if you do not have that one and only answer: Christ is God and faith assures life. You don’t speak in truth if you’re an atheist and say that it doesn’t bother you to never know what will happen to you when death comes. Everyone thinks and wonders about it.
Is Christianity a copout? Gospel saves and not the law - Where do I come in? Atheists say Christians are not logical and therefore cannot be taken seriously. Does it really matter if science can’t prove heaven? If there is an infinite amount of knowledge never to be obtained by a single person, how can one truth be so hard to receive without every last proof? Why is atheism the answer, if you only physically get a small fraction of the answers that a percentage of the population thought was true, only to be proven otherwise by another percentage? It’s a grinding cycle of being right and then being wrong again, finding one path and then discovering another, constantly wondering if you’ve found the right recipe of paths which might be the correct course of life, only to find more and more paths. They all lead inwardly into the law, which leads to condemnation. And unless you enjoy the thought of dying eternally, condemnation cannot be a good path.
Christ died and became sin to erase sin. He rose so all can rise. And…as an added bonus…these truths are supported in both history and science. So, am I satisfied with this? Certainly! Worrying and fear are not problems anymore where I can’t find reassurance.
In Christ, I pray that every atheist will cease rejecting this one path from every other path with their “open” minds. No copout. Nothing personal. Christ alone.
Edited on: July 09th, 2006 1:57 pm
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Posted On: July 09th, 2006 at 6:29pm by Stan Lemon [ + ] |
Rachel,
Profound post with profound thoughts. Atheism is the epitome of a self-trust. It's the ultimate rejection of the first commandment, and it is the consequence of someone who can't trust is anything or anyone outside of themselves. As for Christians defending themselves, or the Faith, we need not sweat too much over such. Ultimately on the last day the Lord will give the greatest Apologetic. And, it is not we who defend the Lord, but He, the Lord Himself is His own defense. Thank you for this efficacious post.
Pax Christi,
- Stan
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Posted On: July 10th, 2006 at 1:52pm by Ethan [ + ] |
Rachel,
Great post! Interesting how atheism is ultimately Law, just like all other religions (except Christianity). And since atheists reject the concept of God, they are directly opposed to Christianity.
That last paragraph reminds me of a quote: "The object of an open mind is to eventually close it on something solid." -- GK Chesterton (I think).
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Posted On: July 18th, 2006 at 12:36am by Kelly |
Yep, Ethan-- in that quote, Chesterton was likening an open mind to an open mouth, eating food. :oD
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Posted On: July 25th, 2006 at 11:59am by Johnny |
There is no doubt that the only thing that drives atheists is fear. They confess that they have no fear of death, which may be true, but they have not the peace we do through God.
You're a shining example Rachel, you don't return their hate with hate, instead you give them love.
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Posted On: July 25th, 2006 at 5:09pm by Rachel Engebretson |
Stan - Thank you, and you're right. I always forget that: The last defense will be given at the end of time, and right now by Christ himself.
Ethan - I love that quote! I'm going to have to remember it for later.
Johnny: Thank you! I have also never thought of it from that particular angle - Fear - but that's absolutely right. When you don't live in Christ, you live in a constant world of fear.
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