Culture of the Lost

I've been thinking about athiests a lot lately. More specifically, I've been thinking about the nature of atheism, and what causes it. I think I've got an idea or two. I'm writing on-the-fly, so we'll see where this goes.

First of all, let's take a look at our culture. I've wondered more than once why missionaries can go to poverty-stricken countries and see tremendous conversions to Christ. How people in countries where Christianity is illegal (and punishable by imprisonment or death) will meet in standing-room-only rooms, under cover of darkness, just for an opportunity to hear the Scripture. It truly boggles the mind when, in the US, church members will stay home from church when it's raining. And raining plain ol' water, not bullets.

Not to go all Tyler Durden here, but I think consumerism may be part of the cause. In Western countries, we're advertised to CONSTANTLY. We're made to think that our lives are lacking if we don't have the latest gadget, the fastest car, the whitest teeth. What this causes is a society of consumers. And what do consumers do but, well, consume? Everything in our lives is focused on drawing in - on pulling things towards ourselves. We become black holes at the center of our own little universes and, when we are at the center of the universe, it becomes difficult to perceive anything else as being more meaningful than our own existences.

I think that this is where atheism springs from. If we are our own gods, what use have we for any others? Indeed, it becomes galling to even consider our focus wavering from ourselves. When our lives are full of our stuff and our own concerns, where is there room for God? So many of the atheists I know have such scorn for Christians. I know that I hated Christians before I became one. I think this contempt is a product of the perceived weakness of a group of people who would willingly submit to another entity, especially one that you can't see.

"We don't need God. You want me to believe in God? I'm going to need you to put him in this box for me. I'm going to need him to show himself to me, personally."

There is no room for faith in this thinking. Instead, it's a demand for a more self-focused approach. More consuming for the consumers. We want God to come to us. We want God to be a product that we can digest. What we don't want is something to be subservient to. We're far too proud and intelligent and self-gratifying for that.

And most of us Western Christians display these characteristics, too. This explains why the flashiest churches have the highest attendance - they have the best, shiniest product. It's also why, in any given Western church, maybe 20% of the population does all of the work. The rest of us don't want to stop focusing on ourselves - to stop consuming - long enough to truly build a relationship, either with God, or with our supposed brothers and sisters in Christ.

I think it's interesting that - as far as I know - every major society in the span of human existence has believed in and worshipped one or more deities. That being the case, is it completely unreasonable that - maybe, just maybe - there's something to that? That maybe you are NOT the center of the universe?

I'm not bringing all of this up to pick a fight. Truly. Atheists, I used to be where you are. I used to be you. Then, I was broken. I reached a point in my life where my own deity (myself) failed me. I turned to God in desperation and, while my life certainly hasn't been all puppy dogs and ice cream since then, I've been more filled up than I ever was as an atheist. My sincere prayer for you is that you are broken to the point where your own deity is insufficient. Not because I want bad things to happen to you, but because I want to share what I now have with you.

Hope to see you on the other side.

Planks And Specks, Vol. 2

Recently, no fewer than four of my Facebook friends posted a link to this comic (there are some bad words in it, so follow at your own risk) :

How To Suck At Your Religion

I won't copy it into my page because 1.) I don't like it, and 2.) I don't want to get in any kind of legal trouble.  So, you can follow the link.

I take issue with this for a number or reasons but, chief among them is the inherent hypocrisy of it in the first place.  Drawing up a comic, or any other form of expression, couched in the delivery and language that this is, taking (mostly) Christians to task for being hateful and judgmental, is blatantly hypocritical.

Here's the deal, Atheists (or is it "atheists"?  Is it capitalized?) - we all get that you don't believe in God, Allah, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Yoda, etc. ad nauseum.

We believe in something that you don't. We get it. We really do. However, taking every possible opportunity in your lives to lambaste others for their beliefs doesn't really make you right. It just makes you kind of a jerk. If you're going to call theists judgmental and hateful and pushy, maybe you should take a little more care that you don't exhibit these same traits yourself.

That's what gets me. The hate directed towards telling theists how hateful they are. It's a real "fight fire with fire" approach, and I don't think it really accomplishes anything.

Maybe that's what I'm so bothered about: What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to convince theists that you're right? Has a hateful theist won you over? No? I didn't think so. Is it some masturbatory reflex to get other atheists to pat you on the back and tell you how clever you are and how you really stuck it to the Christians? Are you so sad inside that you need that validation?

Tolerance.  Tolerance and diversity.  That's all you scream about.  The Christians are SO hateful because they say that I'll go to Hell if I don't sign on with their Imaginary Sky Daddy.  Yet, you can't have an honest discussion about it without resorting to ridicule.  You want tolerance?  Practice a little.  And that free-thinking you so value?  Why do I have to freely think exactly what you think in order to not be ridiculed?  Guess what?  I used to be a militant atheist, just like you.  Free thinking led me to faith in Jesus Christ.  Um, is it not supposed to work that way?  Did I do it wrong?  Geez.

There's more to say here, but I'm tired and want to close this before it gets way too long.  I'll close with this question:

When did our egos get so fragile that we can't tolerate anyone who doesn't think exactly the way we do?

Planks And Specks

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  --Matthew 7:3-5

I am a Christian.

This is an important preface to today's topic.  I feel that, a lot of time, people like to criticize people with whom they have nothing in common, therefore lack any kind of empathy with them.  Atheists criticize theists.  Republicans criticize Democrats (and OH SO vice versa).  Chocolate criticizes peanut butter.  It's a madhouse, and everyone thinks that their own opinion is the only one in the world that matters, feelings and thoughts of others be damned.  My problem with this - and I'm almost certainly guilty of it myself, and need to try very hard to stop - is that by criticizing groups with which you have no affiliation robs you of perspective necessary to formulate a good argument.  You can very easily, wholeheartedly, nay-say, but I think you lack a decent foundation for debate.

I think our energies would be better spent dealing with our own mess, either personally, or as a collective.  It's very difficult to change others.  Seriously, think of the last time that someone screaming at the top of their lungs really changed your mind.  Take a minute.  It's OK.  I'll wait.  Got one yet?  Were you walking past a Westboro picket line and suddenly exclaimed, "You know what?  You're right.  I bet God really does hate homosexuals!  (yes, I self-censored the f-word.  it's ugly)  Hand me a sign".  Yeah, I didn't think so.

So, where am I going with this?

I've noticed that most non-believers' problems with Christians, completely aside from Christianity, is that many of us come off as judgmental, bigoted, loudmouth idiots who are trying to force their views on others.  Largely, I think that's an unfair stereotype, perpetuated by a minority of loudmouth idiots.  Come to think of it, look at a lot of our stereotypes.  How many of those are based on a minority of loudmouth idiots?  Since I've moved to Germany, I've come to know a number of Muslims.  Guess what - none of them has ever tried to blow me up for being a Christian or an American.  In fact, every single one of them was/is a delight to be around.  Did you know that for every ONE Christian who will bomb an abortion clinic, there are literally thousands who would like nothing more than to see you alongside them in Heaven and, in the meantime, share a table full of Mexican food and a few large glasses of sweet tea with you?  It's true.

However.

The loudmouth idiots DO exist.  Today, they landed in my personal circle of influence.  I'm terribly disappointed that they feel that they need to push their views on others.

In my relationship with Christ, I desire authenticity above all else.  My favorite person in the Bible is the second thief, crucified alongside Christ.  Grab a Bible and read Luke 23:40-43.  That guy is my hero.  He's like the perfect Cliff's Notes version of our salvation story.  He admits his sin, confirms Christ, and is told - by Christ Himself - that he will be with Him in Heaven.  Seriously, it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.

The key part of that is that this thief admits that he is guilty - that he is the broken one.  Certainly not the kind of guy that would try to pretend he was something he was not.  Also not the kind of guy that would compare your life to his and, finding yours lacking, would attempt to force you to emulate his.

To close this already-too-long post, my points are two-fold:

1.  For the Christians: attend to your planks.  You look like a jerk and ruin your witness, and the witness of others, when you don't.

2.  For everyone else: we're not all like that.  Most of us just want to love you and see you sitting with us in Heaven.  If Mexican food and sweet tea is involved, all the better.