A recent atheist commenter wrote:
so i stumbled upon… “No, it’s not impossible to maintain, and I’m of the opinion that no amount of skepticism is enough.”
Absolute skepticism is arrogance, or at least an utter lack of trust in the experiences and knowledge of others.
You hear something from a friend, but you’re skeptical, so you go look it up. You find ten other people that agree with what your friend said, but you’re skeptical of them. Where does it end?
When people say absolute skepticism is impossible to maintain, they’re not lying; it is impossible. Eventually you have to give in to trust.”I recently turned atheist. You are right i didn’t have a good relationship with my father. but arrogantly i think i am an absolute skeptic. It hurts my brain, but i think i’m closer to the truth. I would like to be a theist again, when i was happy. now being a atheist, i am depressed. but none the less, I can’t justify believing in Christianity. I wish i could but i can’t. I see so many errors in it. How do you rationally believe in Christianity, [if even possible]?
I’m responding here, not as a shrink, but as a Christian and fellow human being.
I appreciate your comment very much. I can tell from what you wrote that you are distressed by both your skepticism and your atheism. You want to believe, but you have deep doubts. You see all kinds of “errors” with Christianity.
Believe it or not, I at one time, was in a similar position. You have a lot of questions about Christianity. So did I. And we are not alone. All believers have doubts at times. In fact, I think doubt is a necessary part of faith. It wouldn’t be called faith, if there was no doubt. What I would ask you to do is to sincerely pray to God. Say something like, “God, here is what keeps me from believing in you. I want to believe, but I have trouble believing because… Please lead me to the answers of my questions.” And, start to listen for the answers. Do even more than that. Start to seek out the answers. God will accept you with all of your flaws. He accepts me, and I am as flawed as anybody. Don’t seek the answers to your questions because it will make you happy, because believers may have even more challenges. Seek the truth.
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (1)
You ask the question:
How do you rationally believe in Christianity, [if even possible]?
I answer you unequivocally, Yes. You can rationally believe in Christianity. There have been many atheists who have rationally examined the evidence and came to believe. (2,3,4,5,6) God can help you with your skepticism if you let Him.
(1). John 8:31-32 (NASB)
(2). Jesus Among Other Gods, Ravi Zacharias
(3). The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
(4). The Case for Faith, Lee Strobel
(5). Who Moved the Stone, Frank Morrison
(6). Testimony of the Evangelists, Simon Greenleaf (Full Text Available Online)
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November 11, 2008 at 7:37 pm
dwilli58
Jesus, said,
“I am the way, truth and life…”
“I came that they may have life and that abundantly.”
“Come to me all who are heavily burdened and I will give you rest, for my burden is easy and my yoke is light.”
A long time ago, I, too, couldn’t believe and was miserable in that state! It would take the knowledge of my own failures, as a human being, to drive me back into the waiting arms of God. I wasn’t a pretty picture, believe me, and if God was waiting for me with open arms, then He most assuredly is waiting for you! Just turn, as the Shrink suggested, and he will be there for you. God, loves you! Believe it!!
November 12, 2008 at 11:44 pm
nick
I’m honored i got a whole blog post. so thanks. I will never put God out of the question. so im not going to go into a debate online but from where i stand i can’t believe. I badly want to throw the towel in, and believe again. but i can’t accept the unmerciful side of God.
November 13, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Alex Fear
For me, doubt has been an essential component of my faith. It has been doubt that has steered me to believe.
Each time I question the bible, God, events or my experience, I find simple reasons to walk away from it all.. which is a problem for me, it’s too simple. Christianity is complex and causes a serious enquirer such as myself to think. On the other hand, as an atheist (11 years ago) I never really had much to consider.
There are places in the bible where God intervenes which makes him appear unmerciful, angry even. Once again this indicates that God is a rational being, not just a one-dimensional character-piece in a made up religion.
Nick, I can see you are wrestling with some deep-seated theological questions. May I suggest you read CS Lewis – The Problem of Pain. Also I find the bible itself lends a hand when it comes to understanding Gods mercy – Romans 9:22.
In the UK here we have just had a horrific case of child abuse that has hit the headlines. If we accept that God can see the future and destinies of all people, would it be fair for God to intervene before the abuse happened (eg. prevented the child from being born in order to spare it). For God to then strike down the adults involved before the child was born, punish them before society was even aware of their evil nature?
Perhaps, and we can’t say for certain whether this is already happening since we only have the benefit of hindsight and not the ability to predict destinies.
However, the very existence of evil in this world is an indication of Gods patience and mercy. If one examines the old testament, one sees that when God planned to wipe out a city or a tribe, he always revealed his plans to his prophets first, or he would make his people agents in the destruction. Since God is God, and can destroy as easily as bring to life, why would he approach his people beforehand, or even request they carry out these actions?
Perhaps it is easier to frame it in terms of modern law. Say I was caught speeding, but when I was pulled over the officer can see I have my pregnant wife in the car who is in labour and needs to get to the hospital. What police officer will hold me up, read out my rights and issue me with a ticket whilst my wifes contractions get shorter and shorter in the seat next to me.
I have broken traffic law by speeding, for sure, but any reasonable police officer is going to make a decision to allow the law-break in this instance. Even if some jobsworth officer still decides to issue a ticket.. it’s likely a judge would cancel it on appeal – despite the law, as set by government, being broken.
Laws make society work, but they are never meant to be nor should be used to totalitarian effect. A government that becomes totalitarian in application of its laws will lose the support of its people and risk uprising or rebellion.
In the same way, God made laws for his people, and offered them the choice to live by them or not. When they chose to live by them, and signed the contract, then the law had to be obeyed. But God, rather than simply enforce the law with impunity, instead entrusted the enforcement to his people, continually involving them in his plans to carry out the actions and punishment related to the laws being broken.
So again we must ask, why would God approach prophets before carrying out punishment; Why does the government employ judges to effect it’s laws (considering where the concept of ‘judges’ was taken from)?
My belief is this: God was not looking for people to carry out his wrath, he was looking for intercessors, perhaps even people to debate with him and refuse to carry out wrath.
How would we know mercy, if there were no laws, no righteousness or ultimate authority to ensure they were carried out.
And how would God reveal his mercy without giving power to judge and carry out punishment, to his creation?
November 13, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Abandon All Fear » [Comment Sharing] The Wrath of God
[...] at The County Shrink, a heartfelt response to a reluctant atheist: Believe it or not, I at one time, was in a similar [...]
November 14, 2008 at 1:11 pm
nick
i have no problem with God dealing out justice, if any one should do it, it should him. but punishing finite sins with infinite punishment. i know its not based on what you do but what you believe. which is odd. a person that is born and dies before she hears the good news in India, would be condemned for believing in Shiva and not your God, right? i don’t see the justice in that.
November 14, 2008 at 4:49 pm
dwilli58
Nick, absolutely not! I think it may be legalism, which is of man’s religious dogma, that is holding you back from God and His truth and love. Jesus, the Christ, died for all humanity, not just a few! The Word tells us that, in the end, “God, will draw all men to Himself.” God, is sovereign and just and loving, that is why He allowed His Son to be condemned, “once and for all” of us! If most of humanity is going to be condemned to a living-torturous place called, “Hell,” then God is not sovereign and Christ died in vain! This is a great manipulation and lie, which was perpetrated by the organization of Christendom when the bible was canonized. Our belief in God must be founded on the Word, but we will be led into all truth through the Spirit of God, not a priest, minister, bishop or pope. as the Word tells us!
For God so loved the world (His creation)…” Man has taken much of the grace and love, which Jesus died to give us, out of the Word of God and replaced it with a manipulative and legalistic doctrine to keep