It would be a lie, and condescending for me to say that I don't understand it in any way, shape, or form. Part of being a Christian is understanding that there is a part of us that longs for God, and a part of us that wants be god. So, it isn't that I have no emotional understanding. I do. I have believed many things about God. I have believed myself better than God at times. I have judged Him in my foolish anger. I have elevated myself time and again.
So, I ask this question not to be snarky or condescending. I ask it to simply have us think about it, because it is a very eye opening question on many levels.
By the way, I am not simply generalizing here for rhetorical sake, and just going off what I see. Time and again, actually at a growing rate, studies have shown that more and more atheists are not just angry at Christianity or Islam, but angry at God! Every time I see this it breaks my heart, because I remember being tempted by those same lies that so many people have given into. The lie that you will be happier if you control your own life, that getting rid of God will let you do what you want (usually this revolves around sex mostly). When I think about it logically it hurts worse. Here is a fact that should be eye opening. You cannot coherently be mad at something you don't believe exists. I don't get angry at Santa Clause when he doesn't bring me presents, because I don't believe he is real.
What atheists are doing in this case is saying, "I don't believe in that stupid Santa Clause." Then bursting in anger, "Why would I believe in Santa?! Huh?! What he has ever done for me?! NOTHING! I asked for a pony when I was a little kid, and I got a water pistol instead. A WATER PISTOL!!! So NO! I don't believe in Santa Clause. Santa Clause is evil."
Do you see how ridiculous that is? What hurts me is how many times in my youth this nearly trapped me. It teased me. My foolish heart wanted so badly to believe it in some ways. I thought I knew what was best for me too, that God was simply a road black to happiness. He was out to make me miserable. Especially as young teen, with all my hormones firing. I have to admit that it angered me that I was being told to control what was going on with my body. In that moment, my logic was willing to be bent. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit had a firm grip on me, and kept me from falling. Instead, I grew. It was painful, but I grew. By grace, I submitted, and rejected such twisted, self-serving logic.
The most amazing thing we as Christians can take away from this is just how much it falls into what we know to be true. The reason atheists are mad at a God they don't believe in is because they (on at least some level) wish he was real. Every human heart longs for God. It is just whether or not God gives us the grace of humility to relinquish our own desire to BE god.
Let us not be condescending, or act like we are better. I look back and I know that without God's very heavy hand in my life, I could have been an atheist too. Let's pray today that God would bring down those lies that have ensnared so many, that they would take a hard look at their lives and ask the hard questions. Are they really happier? Are they really better off? Let's pray that God would extend His mercy to whomever He sees fit. All glory be to God.
So, I ask this question not to be snarky or condescending. I ask it to simply have us think about it, because it is a very eye opening question on many levels.
By the way, I am not simply generalizing here for rhetorical sake, and just going off what I see. Time and again, actually at a growing rate, studies have shown that more and more atheists are not just angry at Christianity or Islam, but angry at God! Every time I see this it breaks my heart, because I remember being tempted by those same lies that so many people have given into. The lie that you will be happier if you control your own life, that getting rid of God will let you do what you want (usually this revolves around sex mostly). When I think about it logically it hurts worse. Here is a fact that should be eye opening. You cannot coherently be mad at something you don't believe exists. I don't get angry at Santa Clause when he doesn't bring me presents, because I don't believe he is real.
What atheists are doing in this case is saying, "I don't believe in that stupid Santa Clause." Then bursting in anger, "Why would I believe in Santa?! Huh?! What he has ever done for me?! NOTHING! I asked for a pony when I was a little kid, and I got a water pistol instead. A WATER PISTOL!!! So NO! I don't believe in Santa Clause. Santa Clause is evil."
Do you see how ridiculous that is? What hurts me is how many times in my youth this nearly trapped me. It teased me. My foolish heart wanted so badly to believe it in some ways. I thought I knew what was best for me too, that God was simply a road black to happiness. He was out to make me miserable. Especially as young teen, with all my hormones firing. I have to admit that it angered me that I was being told to control what was going on with my body. In that moment, my logic was willing to be bent. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit had a firm grip on me, and kept me from falling. Instead, I grew. It was painful, but I grew. By grace, I submitted, and rejected such twisted, self-serving logic.
The most amazing thing we as Christians can take away from this is just how much it falls into what we know to be true. The reason atheists are mad at a God they don't believe in is because they (on at least some level) wish he was real. Every human heart longs for God. It is just whether or not God gives us the grace of humility to relinquish our own desire to BE god.
Let us not be condescending, or act like we are better. I look back and I know that without God's very heavy hand in my life, I could have been an atheist too. Let's pray today that God would bring down those lies that have ensnared so many, that they would take a hard look at their lives and ask the hard questions. Are they really happier? Are they really better off? Let's pray that God would extend His mercy to whomever He sees fit. All glory be to God.
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