I'm so intrigued by these kinds of people who turn themselves over wholly to their own rationalism and intellect. I despise such a lifestyle, because I know how dangerous it is, but somehow that just makes it all the more fascinating to me.
I don't mind if TheAmazingAtheist thinks my faith is feebleminded. Grace enables me not to care, or perhaps I'm just resting on the satisfaction of knowing I'm right? Blessed assurance!
I try not to pity him, either. Pity doesn't seem loving, somehow. I wonder how to have compassion without condescension.
I am only frustrated, how to reach out and minister to an atheist. It seems argumentation is the only language many of them speak. Part of me wants to try it, I'm so incensed by these logical fallacies and poor research. But argumentation isn't going to save anyone.
I appreciate that atheists are under no misconceptions about where they stand with God. They reject Him. The end.
And usually, they reject us. It makes me heart-sick, "Dear Lord, have we so misrepresented Your love on earth?" Oh, Church . . . we are a group of those in need of a doctor.
4 comments:
"And usually, they reject us" I don't think that's true. A minority of obnoxious atheists (read: Richard Dawkins) give the rest of them a bad name. There are a lot of kind, personable, nice atheists out there. And as I see it, anyone who calls anyone else small minded is himself small minded (being unable to imagine that he is completely wrong), and maybe that's small minded of me to say. *shrug*
I am very afraid of being this sort of person, the sort of person who turn himself over to my own intellect. The moment I realize just how often my opinion of things changes . . . I realize how unreliable I am to understand anything.
I'm beginning to really appreciate the irrationality of faith. Meaning . . . that Christianity loses something if it's believed by reason . . . I'm not being able to express quite what I mean. Maybe I'll come back and say what I mean when I can remember what that is :)
What I meant by "they reject us" was less, they treat Christians badly, but more, the Christian church leaves them with a bad taste in their mouth. It's not so much the teachings of Jesus that turn people away from theism, as it is seeing people who "believe that stuff" and how it "doesn't work for them". If that makes sense.
Although, I read a book, by one such "nice atheist" who visited all these churches to give them feedback about how to reach atheists, it was interesting, and he was, very nice. Responsive readings really confused him. The church is confusing sometimes. Anyway, bunny trail.
"Meaning . . . that Christianity loses something if it's believed by reason . . ." If you mean what I think you mean, I think I agree. I feel as though, being a believer is such much larger than simply reason. Logic and understanding are just a part of a more glorious and wonderful whole, but it's not something I entirely get in a way that sits solidly yet.
Here's part of what I think I was meaning: That . . . unless there's a real risk that you're totally wrong, faith isn't real. Unless you stake your life on Jesus Christ (without thought to self preservation, which is what reasons thinking would do), then Christianity isn't really real to you. To have faith in God, though he may not even be there, and to cast your life before him . . . put everything you have and are into this, this is what your life is about . . . if you believe it just on reason . . . it is no different then your life being about logic, or any other "philosophy" you might subscribe to for one reason or another. It has no real connection to the Divine unless it is fundamentally different and all encompassing. An atheist's "faith" in reason is NOT comparable to a Christians faith in God, because the Christians faith is a faith . . . with abandon.
mmm. (not a sweet agreement, but, a yes, Hayley.)
As a side note, it made me kind of happy, and kind of, "oh, I miss this" to come to this post and see the discussion you people were having. :)
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