Why do you confess you are an atheist?

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The other day you wrote that you were an atheist-that has bothered me. It has bothered me since I am one who loves and knows God. I was wondering why you believe there is no God?

-- Jonny Ray Keen (jonny@freenet.macatawa.org), November 25, 1999

Answers

Hi Jonny :)

I appreciate that you know and love God. I wish I could sometimes, too.

I have struggled with this my entire life - going through phases where I thought that I could, indeed, believe - and at other times knowing for certain that I could not.

IF I can't believe - and I don't know that I can - then I can at least be respectful of the belief that others have - which I am.

I don't have any better answer for you, sorry.

Catherine

-- Catherine (catherine@cmjcom.com), November 25, 1999.


Why do you believe there is a god? It may seem Eastern-Philosphic to answer your question with a question but I am concerned with your statement, "knows God." How could you know God? God has become a commidity that we have invented and continue to market to the searching masses. How do you know God? Because you've read the bible? koran? torah? More importantly, why believe? A need for hope? We use God to escape from our responsibility as human beings. We invented God because we are so fearful to accept that we are all alone. The only change that we can create is the change that we make for ourselves. God is an excuse, a scapegoat. A leper we choose not to heal. Why believe? That is the question that blind faith cannot satisfy.

-- Robert Brownlee (robntheresa@earthlink.net), November 27, 1999.

Robert Brownie asked me "Why do you believe there is a god?" In answering this confession I must state I can never recall not believing there was a God. The problem I was faced with when I was 16 years old was "Who is this God?" As a young teenager I enjoyed being outdoors-nature. I recall one time especially camping on the side of Highway 1 on the Calif. coast watching the sun going down over the edge of the ocean-it was a breathtaking sight-I recall sensing there had to be a God to create such beauty. When I was 17 I got into several different religious traditions while in High School. There came a time when I realized the only way to come to the truth-a knowledge of God was for God to make Himself known to me. So one day when I was alone hiking I prayed for God to make Himself known to me- show me the Truth. To make a long story short three weeks later I came into contact with a group of Jesus People-that was 30 years ago- from that time till now I have been a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over these years I have been enlightened by God the Holy Spirit to SEE that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only way to God is through Him.

-- Jonny Ray Keen (jonny@freenet.macatawa.org), November 27, 1999.

Normally when we discuss concepts, we've mutually agreed as to their definitions. What is 'God'? There's the question, really.

If 'God' is that warm and fuzzy feeling one gets upon viewing a particularly lovely sunset, then we all know 'God'. If 'God' is the glue that binds all living things together, then we probably have a concept most would agree to, since it's so wonderfully vague.

Yet the more we define the concept, fewer are those who will agree, seems to me. Probably as it should be. Once the 'Concept' begins to wear yellow sox with red stripes, it could be time to add goodies and come-ons to the application form.

Perhaps 'God' is what each person wants and/or believes it to be. Should they find like-minded people with similar views, they could form a religion, or the new branch of one.

When I'm asked if I believe in God, my answer is usually a touch offended (too strong a word - perplexed is closer) because the question is so shockingly vague. I might politely ask them to defne what they mean, at which point the question is often quickly forgotten.

I don't like being put into a good/bad category. If somebody wishes to discuss 'God' - fine. If they wish to put me into a very simple, very small box, no thank you - I'm not jumping-in with a smile.

Sometimes the question is genuine of course, as it is in this thread (I hasten to add - cough). Nex

-- Alan Pollock (nexus@king.cts.com), December 27, 2000.


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