"If God really exists then this wouldn't have happen."
Yeah, I've heard that a few times before. I usually don't say anything whenever someone states their reason for being an atheist. I mean, there was a period in my life that I was an atheist I just think that they'll figure it out someday that He does exists.
Here is my response to the first statement:
Gold is tested in fire. God is testing our faith in him.
And the only way to do that is through really bad times to see how strong our faith are. Look at Job, he had a lot of blessings; wealth, family and health. Even after God let all the bad things happen to him, all he did was hold onto Him stronger.
Here's the thing. Our stay here on earth is a pilgrimage. We're not going to stay here forever.
I don't know if any atheist would read this, but if you are, I'd like to apologize on behalf of the theists who attacked you in any sort. I think that they're doing that is because it is "insulting" the way you lay out the "evidence" that you think proves that He doesn't exists and how you mock us by the way we are worshiping him. God is our hero, how would you like it if someone who you holds very dear to your heart and/or your hero insults them?
I don't really get offended, I mean, that's how you feel and how can I stop you from feeling anything?
How would you respond to the atheist's statement? Why do bad things happen? How can we be loving toward our atheist friends and family while still explaining the purpose of God?
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Comments (69)
Stop lumping us together it makes you look ignorant.
Why would God ever need to "test your faith"??? Don't answer, I already know exactly what you will say, heard it a million times. I am a deists but I respect atheists. And you have to admit, if there is a God who created all this then he obviously stepped back and let the world run itself because the rape of a young girl is not going to "bring her closer to God" or "strengthen her faith" or whatever parakeet hodgepodge answer you come up with.
Christianity is dying because Christians can barely spell apologetics let alone practice it!
... yeah, that's kind of twisted. God might as well be the serial killer from the Saw movies.
god is kind of a dick. he is suppose to love us but threatens to send us to hell for eternity. AND now he's testing our faith by potentially killing your family? what a dick.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - lol funny but true!
Atheists worship Satan.
@Pcgecko85@xanga - sounds like you are using logic. We don't go for that around here. :)
@Chibi_Son_Gokou@xanga - You're an idiot.
Atheists usually establish criterion for their heroes. If Richard Dawkins were to suddenly start publishing nonsense that did not stand up to peer review, the atheist community would react accordingly. You, the author of this blog, should research the problem of evil.
"if there is a God who created all this then he obviously stepped back and let the world run itself"
In a way you are right. God gave us the freedom to choose how we live our lives. God doesn't make bad things happen. They happen because we live in a fallen and dying world. And if God did not love us, He would not have given us the freedom of choice.
"he is suppose to love us but threatens to send us to hell for eternity."
Even as a believer, I have questioned the very same thing. But in truth, why wouldn't someone want to love and live forever with the One who gave them life?? The only reason you are alive at this moment, reading these words is because of Him. He didn't have to create man at all, but He did. Why wouldn't someone be thankful for that?
This reminds me of a part in Francis Chan's, Crazy Love.
We are always asking God why this bad thing happens, why so many people are going hungry, why there is so much sadness in the world.In reality, God should be asking us "why?" Why are there so many hungry people? Why is there so much sadness? It is not God's responsibility to swoop down from the heavens and feed every starving person in Africa, especially when Americans have leftovers after every meal. Why is it that there is a people suffering oppression so bad in west Africa that they cannot even gain access to food given by Red Cross, yet America and its allies decide to attack the middle east? The poor condition of the world is not God's fault. Man is evil, war has become big business, and there are more groups dedicated to following celebrities than to feeding the hungry.
@schallerbrandon@xanga - " If Richard Dawkins were to suddenly start
publishing nonsense that did not stand up to peer review, the atheist
community would react accordingly."
I don't think the atheist community matters at all when it comes to Dawkins' publications. It's the scientific community that should react.
Unless you're talking about his books, in which case peer review does not have the same meaning.
@kk_grayfox@xanga - I am appalled to have to clarify. From a standpoint of respect and general reverence, the atheist community's opinion of Dawkins does matter. There is no antithesis of god. Instead, we have scientists who establish themselves as professors, researchers, and men and women of principle.
@Dr_Barber@xanga - In reality, God should be asking us "why?"
Ya I am "sure" Mr "all knowing" needs to ask us why. You should be a politician with your blessed ability to talk out your ass!
Read all of Job, not just the Sunday School class bits. [And perhaps consider whether God's answer to Job and his friends is essentially another statement of quantum mechanics' Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. (I just thought of that possible relationship, though, maybe I'm miles off the mark.)]
Job is a tough slog - if you get discouraged in the middle, skip to the last chapters and understand that his friends are trying to convince him of the theology laid out in the Torah, and then God drops in at the end and blows them all off "I am so far beyond your understanding it's pathetic."
= = = =
In my experience, Fundamentalist Christians insist that the "facts" they they see in Scripture are the only true facts and only true reality.
Fundamentalist atheists insist that the "facts" they they see through science are the only true facts and only true reality.
My experience is that many (most?) people accept and believe that both realities play a role in our lives.
In physics, when we ask "is light a wave phenomenon or a particle phenomenon, the answer we get is "Yes."
I believe that in life, when we ask "is reality understood through science or through scripture, the answer we get is "Yes."
= = = =
As Rev. Dr. John H Polkinghorn (quantum scientist and Church of England priest) said:
If you ask [light] a wave-like question, it gives you a wave-like answer. You ask it a particle-like question, it gives you a particle-like answer. And you can't ask both questions at the same time, which saves you from having, you know, a contradiction.
"We have to allow the way the world is to modify our understanding of the world. And, if you're a Christian theologian, and you're telling that sort of story that I've just told about light being both particle-like and wave-like, we know that the Christian story about Jesus Christ is that he is, of course, a human being but also, in some real sense, needs to be described in terms of divine language. And it's the same sort of dilemma, if you like, and we're not quite so clever, theologically, at finding the precise answer to that. But, again, we don't make progress by denying our experience."
Read or listen to Polkinghorn here: http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/quarks-creation/transcript.shtml
= = = =
I think that if you ask life a scientific question, you'll get a scientific answer. If you ask it a spiritual question, you'll get a spiritual answer.
Beyond that they should have enough philosphical questions that spring from their own ideological position to keep them busy for a lifetime.
I wouldn't give a nonexistent being a second thought. I surely wouldn't wrap my unbelief in such emotional angst.
Obviously, true love must be freely given. The only possible way for God to provide such freedom is to allow those who reject Him their freedom also. Seems fairly simple to me.
@bakersdozen2@xanga - Good points!
@rjw918 - "I believe that in life, when we ask "is reality understood through science or through scripture, the answer we get is "Yes."" I really liked this statement. The thing with science is it will only acknowledge the natural, so it is not equipped to explain the supernatural. And reality goes so far than just only what is measurably always a constant.
Hebrews 11:1 -- Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Romans 1:20 -- For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Also, God is 100% good, so no evil can come from Him. But...."And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who]"="">[a]have been called according to his purpose." ~ Romans 8:28
God uses the bad things (caused by sin, the devil & our own selfish or other's selfish desires) for our good - to make us stronger, to change negative behaviors or responses in us, & to allow us to cling to Him instead of the world when we are troubled.
@schallerbrandon@xanga - I suppose I could be really negative and reject God. I'm the mother of four children, three of whom have special needs, one being profoundly autistic. I guess I could blame God for all of the pain I feel. I did consider suicide at one point. However, I've also had the privilege of having met people such as Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Patrick Kennedy and Temple Grandin due to my work with the special needs community. I've met some wonderful parents over the years and have had overwhelming support by my church community. The way I see it, if I choose to believe in God and in the end I'm wrong, I've at least held myself accountable and have lived a decent life. Worst case scenario there is that I'm wrong and when I die, that's it. I'm not saying atheists don't hold themselves accountable nor that they're immoral. Not at all. Its just that, from my perspective, feeling as though my tragedy is a gift from God, an opportunity to rise above it, gives me a sense of purpose. I'm not stupid because I believe in something bigger than myself. If it is emotional, why would anyone else care? Is it not better to look for the silver lining than become bitter and hateful?
Personally, I tend not to respond to these types of statements from self-proclaimed 'atheists'. I point them to the doctrines of Law and Gospel, if they reject God, then that is to their peril. An atheist who wants to discuss such things is a curiosity, why would one bother if one is so sure of no divinity?
@kk_grayfox@xanga - The empiricist attitude of the scientific community (see: the method of discovery of the scientific method) is paramount in atheist philosophy. It is condescending for you to think that only his criticisms would resonate with me. That is not the purpose of atheism.
@peachy - The silver lining is what those who are not concerned with the truth distract themselves with.
@Chibi_Son_Gokou@xanga - Satanists worship Satan. newsflash: you have to believe that something exists before you can spend your time worshiping it.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - No offense, but for claiming to have been a Christian, you should know better or at least have more respect for who the Bible claims him to be than to make such statements about him. If you truly don't believe that the God of the Bible exists, at least have the decency to respect him for who the Bible claims him to be. Painting him as a psychotic, egotistical freak does no one any good. I believe that you left "Christianity" because you have no idea who God really is as made evident by your comments about him. How could you even claim to have been a Christian when you have no idea who God is? If you don't believe in the Biblical God, fine, but please have enough respect for those who do believe in him (and believes he does care deeply for each individual) not to make such insensitive comments... I've tried to show you respect, but I don't appreciate any such comments about my God...