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An Atheist Actually DEFENDING Religion!

May 4, 2010 at 9:37 AM 1 comment

Sheiman makes some good points.

Not long ago I was in Border’s and came across a book by Bruce Sheiman called An Atheist Defends Religion.  At first I thought it was a dubious title by someone who wanted to make a quick buck by only pretending to favorabe toward religiono, yet was like most atheists who saw no value in religion, and certainly no value in believing in any type of personal deity.

As I flipped through the book however, I soon realized that Sheiman was a sincere atheist who had honest questions, and presented them in a honest fashion.  He had, in fact, arrived at some of the same conclusions I had arrived at regarding religion and God.

One of the more important comments he made to which I completely agree is that atheists and people who believe in God have arrived at a stalemate.  In other words, it cannot be proven one way or the other that God either exists or does not exist, to the satisfaction of both sides.

We all have our own beliefs, yet it seems rare to hear atheists speak in anything but absolutes.  The phrase “There is no god” is said as if it has been a proven, indisputable fact.  If people were completely honest, then we have to say that it has neither been proven that God does, or does not exist.

Sheiman takes the time to ask serious questions like, the purpose of religion, does religion actually cause humanity to be more loving, more helping, more altruistic?  He also wants to keep the conversation going between atheists and religionists.

Having just taken the time to enter into an online debate with atheists and skeptics (something I hate doing and rarely do, but got a bit caught up in this one), I was reminded again how vitriolic and demanding such a debate can become.  In essence, it often seems more like two people measuring the level of their testosterone against one another, than actually dialoguing.

Insults and put downs come fast and furiously, and an absence of real dialogue is obvious.  Atheists are quick to say that God does not exist, nor has ever existed, with Christians responding that God is seen in His handiwork of Creation.  It’s the same old endless debate that has raged for generations.

At the outset, Sheiman makes it clear that he is defending religion, not God.  This is a good point to make, because it separates deity from the systems which often surround the belief in deity.  His point being that systems of religion are not bad in themselves and in fact, have offered quite a number of things that atheists have not.

For instance, whether true or not, religion offers people hope, even if that hope turns out to be a futile hope.  As for me, someone who is a Christian, I can attest to the fact that my hope in Christ is great.  I do not for one moment believe it to be hoping in vain.  Of course, the proof will be in my death.  Will my hope be crushed?  Will I have learned that what I believed and how I lived was simply for this life and nothing more?  Will I discover that there is no God at all, but just a big emptiness?  Worse, will I cease to exist after my death?  If that’s the case, then I would not know that my questions have been answered.

In any case, Sheiman’s book is good.  It’s not great, but it’s good.  I believe if there were more honest dialogue between atheists and religionists, there would be far less anger, frustration and vitriol because there would be far less decarative statements from both sides.

I am not saying that I cannot believe (to the point that I believe I know) that God exists and that Christianity is the correct religion.  I can also understand how a devout atheist can also come to the point of believing (to the point of knowing) that God does not exist.  The first chapter of Romans explains how this can be so.

The real difficulty is that once both sides understand that a stalemate has been reached, then instead of simply repeating the same quotations, comments, and charges that have been stated and restated, ad nauseum, it is time to go beyond the stalemate and recognize that atheists and religionists have something in common:  faith.

Atheists I realize do not like hearing that they use faith to come to the understanding that God does not exist.  This is a true statement though since no one has been able to prove beyond doubt that God does not exist.  It is a faith that it not unlike what I use to come to the conclusion that God does exist, in spite of the fact that I cannot prove God’s existence.

Most atheists assume God’s lack of existence and that they have arrived at that point through the benefits of sheer intellect.  Having arrived there, they believe this position is far superior to that of the lowly religionist.  This position – no matter how they couch it – offends because it presents their position as having an aire of superiority, though they have in fact proven nothing, except to themselves.

What needs to happen is for atheists to understand that the position they have arrived at is not one in which they have been elevated far above the religionsist.  This is so because they are using faith as a means to understand and come to grips with their own belief system.

For the religionist who dogmatically asserts that God does exists (and I firmly believe that God exists), making declarative statements is just as bad, because it is offputting.  I am not God, though I firmly believe in Him.  Because I am not God, I cannot approach a conversation with an atheist as if I am God.

What I must make clear in my presentation is that these are my beliefs, based on my understanding of God’s’ Word.  Atheists need to learn to respect that, instead of immediately attempting to trounce me roundly with their caustic rejoinders and expletive-laden responses.

For those interested in dialoguing with atheists and skeptics, a good place to start is with a book like this one, by Bruce Sheiman.  The reality is that while Christians believe God’s Word to be authoritatve and inerrant, the atheist sees no difference in the Bible from any other work of antiquity.  To them, it is written by man, for man.  Insisting to them that it is written by God does nothing (though it may in fact, be written by God).

One thing that I was again reminded of as I read through Sheiman’s book is that if I ere on the side of grace, it is far better than erring on the side of frustration and anger when relating to atheists.  In truth, both groups are extremely dogmatic and vehement in their respective positions.  Bringing that vehemence and dogmatism to the fore in conversations really does nothing but stoke the fires so that vehemence increases.  It is not long before it then becomes either a shouting match or a put down contest, or both.

The one thing I believe is that though 150,000 people die daily throughout the world, God saves some.  What I need to do is learn (again!) to look past the decarative statements, the defenses and the sometimes obnoxious behavior from atheists, and see the person.  If I take things personally, the conversation is lost already.  If it is lost, the door closes and no dialogue takes place.  What is gained then?

Entry filed under: Atheism and religion, Demonic, Eastern Mysticism, emergent church, Life in America, new age movement, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation. Tags: an atheist defends religion, an atheist defends religiono, atheism vs. religion, bruce sheiman, stalemate of religion and atheism.