My Runin With An Atheist

It's the first time something like this had happened.  My conversation with the most congenial, delightful, gracious, and hilarious couple, I had ever met, informed me that he was an agnostic and she an outstanding athiest.  What an all to short time we had together.  Then when my pastor alluded to Richard Dawkins on a Sunday morning back in November, I perked up. He mentioned that Dawkins is the hero of the modern day atheist. Having recently enjoyed the encounter with the couple, I was intrigued enough by pastors' reference to download Dawkins book; The God Delusion. I found a number of interesting statements but none more so than: "I'm inclined to suspect that there are very few atheists in prison." He sets forth his staggering estimation that post-Christian secular societies are far more moral than societies that operate from a religious foundation.  He recounts the horrors carried out in the name of God, moving past the monstrosities of the 20th century at the hands of atheist regimes by claiming their atheism had nothing to do with their behavior.  When it comes to behaving ethically, he is insistent that believers are worse than atheists.

On the other hand British statesman Roy Hattersley, himself a fellow atheist, disagreed in an article entitled: "Faith Does Breed Charity," in the Guardian (British newspaper). He was writing about some observations about the kind of people doing disaster work long after the hurricane Katrina hit U.S. shores had been forgotten. He writes: "Notable by their absence are teams from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs and atheists' associations—the sort of people who not only scoff at religion's intellectual absurdity but also regard it as a positive force for evil." His words seem to me as bold, even if strewn with typical condescension. He continued: "Civilized people do not believe that drug addiction and male prostitution offend against divine ordinance.  But those who do are the men and women most willing to change the fetid bandages, replace the sodden sleeping bags and—probably most difficult of all—argue, without a trace of impatience, that the time has come for some serious medical treatment."

Can I believe no less that of myself? But, in fact, are not all who confess the truthfulness of Christianity, and have chosen to embody its message have confounded the world since Jesus' resurrection. Historical fact shows that during the second century there emerged a great number of rumors regarding the curious beliefs and practices of Christians.  It seems reasonable to me that the leader these people claimed to follow was a criminal executed by Roman authorities. So there came a great deal of suspicion surrounding the motives and behavior of Christians.  Back then, would I have followed a man who had been crucified?  Would I have chosen to die rather than renounce my faith?  Would I have treated those who hated me with kindness?

A Greek philosopher and opponent of Christianity named Celsus was particularly convinced that Christians were insane.  The nativity story, the incarnation of God in Christ, among other things, seemed to him completely irrational. I found this quote by Origen in the Apology Against Celsus.  "What could be the purpose of such a visit to earth by God?  To find out what is taking place among humans?  Does He not know everything?  Or is it perhaps that He knows, but is incapable of doing anything about evil unless He does it in person?"

Though buried under insult and ignorance, Celsus seemed to have his finger on the very quality of Christianity that makes Christians as curious as the philosophy we still profess today:  Our God came in person.  In fact, we profess, as Celsus claims, God had to come near; though not because God couldn't speak to us otherwise nor because God was incapable of touching the world from afar.  As a Father who longs to gather His children together, God came near because each child matters.  God came near—God came in person—because one lost, or one hurting, or one in need was that one God has laid down His life to reach.  

Father, God, Thank You for the opportunity to have freinds who are skeptical and/or nonbelievers.  Help me to intentionally enter into each encounter with nonbeliever and believers, this year by remembering Your personal coming to earth. To intentionally reiterate the fact that You came near and reordered the world, calling me to see life and each person in a startling, unique, and new ways.  It is you who stepped into a soiled stable to show me my soiled heart, who touched my unclean soul and claimed my entire being.  I believe You will do the same with each person within my influence as I celebrate my morality, my countenance, my very life wrought by Your coming. Amen