I’m fascinated by the underlying points being made by this meme. Maybe you’ve noticed them too:
- Authority, revelation or faith are absolutely useless when it comes to beliefs.
- evidence will always destroy beliefs.
That’s what Dawkins, the author and controversial atheist, is really saying here. As a person of faith, I don’t agree with him, but having beliefs with zero evidence to back them up is a sad way to live. That said, I can’t imagine there are many people walking around with beliefs for which they can’t provide at least a crumb of evidence.
In my case, I believe in and follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. I’m not going to get into the evidence for His life, miracles, death and resurrection here (there are many, many books and websites that explore the evidence in great detail), but I will write that without that evidence, I would not have become a Jesus follower.
Still, evidence AND faith are needed to become a Jesus follower and I have no problem with that. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all live with this mix. One quick example: getting on an airplane means placing your faith in the pilots, the maintenance crews and the manufacturer that this metal tube is gonna get you to your destination in one piece. (Wikipedia lists more than 200 examples of where that faith was misplaced, each time killing at least 100 people.)
So let’s get to my main point and that is: atheism is a belief. Atheists believe there is nothing behind all we see and experience. Atheists believe we have no soul and, when we die, all that we are becomes nothing more than rancid worm food (sorry to be so blunt, but it’s necessary).
What is the evidence for these beliefs? I imagine they would point to this horribly messed up world and declare no god would ever allow wars, ethnic cleansing, dementia, poverty or hurricanes. All of that is good evidence. But for millions and millions and millions of people like me, it’s nowhere near enough.
Without exploring this in detail (that would require entire blogs), suffice it to say that much of this evidence can be explained by the gift of freewill. For example, poverty happens because:
- Economic systems keep rich countries rich and poor countries poor.
- governments spend billions of dollars on military instead of education, social programs and providing clean water.
- Corruption prevents resources from getting to people in need.
As a Jesus follower, I know that the creator and master of time, space and the universe is working to change that, while still respecting His gift of freewill. Jesus-following organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, LifeWater, Compassion Canada and Christian Blind Mission are among the tools He’s using.
So, what kind of beliefs do you want? Atheism strikes me as being utterly hope-less and I don’t think anyone wants to live without hope. So check out Jesus. Learn why He’s God’s gift to anyone willing to follow Him. And how accepting the gift of Jesus provides you with credible, meaningful hope for this life and the life to come.
I feel so sorry for folks who don’t believe in God and Jesus, Frank. How do they cope when everything crumbles around them? I may not be able to hold faith in my hands, but I can hold it in my heart. I can’t even begin to relate the myriad of times that my faith in the Lord has saved me in times of trouble.
Blessings!
Nailed it! Thanks, as always, for reading and commenting, Martha. So appreciate my “fan”. 🙂
You are just one in a neverending string of Christians who claim their beliefs are based on evidence while making excuses to avoid presenting any evidence for their beliefs.
“without that evidence, I would not have become a Jesus follower.”
So you have convincing evidence that Jesus was the Son Of God, but you will not share it? They does not sound very Christian of you. Or maybe it does….
“getting on an airplane means placing your faith in the pilots”
No it doesn’t. It requires confidence in the reliability of our societal instutions. Confidence which is demonstrated and justified on a daily basis. No faith required.
“atheism is a belief.”
Nope. Atheism is the rejection of a belief. You have been told this many times, yet you persist in repeating this lie.
“As a Jesus follower, I know that the creator and master of time, space and the universe is working to change that”
No you don’t. You may believe that, but it is quite arrogant to claim you know it.
“Atheism strikes me as being utterly hope-less and I don’t think anyone wants to live without hope.”
Atheists don’t live without hope. What a silly and naïve thing to say.
Thanks for your comment. For those wondering, I’ve had many, many interactions with atheist people over the years. The viewpoints and positions outlined in this blog are absolutely based on those interactions, so I have full confidence in what I wrote and wouldn’t change a word.
I always appreciate those atheists who are thoughtful in their positions; they help me to fully explore and understand what I believe in and why. 🙂
(PS: this blog best explains the evidence that convinced me for the reality of Jesus and for my decision to make Him my Lord and Saviour: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-g3)
marthajaneorlando: I went through a very difficult time in my life. I coped through the help of my friends and my family, and through my own strength of character.
I never needed to call out to an imaginary friend for comfort. I feel sorry for those that do.
Fair enough. I can accept this. What evidence can you offer to support your beliefs? Just one or two examples will suffice.
As you are a follower of Jesus what exactly is it you are hoping for?
Thanks for your comment. This blog probably best explains my beliefs when it comes to Jesus of Nazareth: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-g3.
As a follower of Jesus, I’m hoping:
1. to be shaped by Him to become more of the person God created me to be – kinder, less self-centred, more confident, less concerned about what others might be thinking about me;
2. to be a winsome Jesus ambassador to a world that even the most optimistic person will admit isn’t doing very well – my hope is that through me, God might bring others into His Kingdom and transform them from His creations to His children. When this life is finished, I’m confident I’ll find out what life or lives He touched through me;
3. to spend eternity in His presence in Heaven. Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father [i.e. Heaven] is through me.” One of the original-source Jesus biographies says “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not be lost, but have eternal life [in Heaven].”