Did you know Internet Explorer is out of fashion? I didn’t, but then again, I’m a Mac person and Internet Explorer hasn’t bothered with us for years.
But what about the points that people of faith apparently have in common with Internet Explorer? According to this graphic, posted on an Atheism Internet community, people like me are dumb, frightened and unwilling to question anything they grew up with.
Let me present you with a very different point of view:
This dude went to church as a child, but at the age of 16, his parents told him and his two brothers they were free to continue with faith, or drop it.
The decision was unanimous. The entire family walked away from even the shallowest pretense of faith.
For this one dude, it never came to a point of becoming an atheist, but he did get very angry at God and figured people who followed Jesus Christ (whom serious Christians believe is God’s Son) were either naive children or frightened seniors.
That kind of attitude made him unpleasant to be around. And he knew it.
Then the day came, at age 42, when he became willing to change, willing to download something new, willing to seriously investigate what was there when he started.
After much discussion with mature, respectful Christians, much reading of a wide variety of books from several very different points of view and after much thoughtful consideration, he decided to become a Christ follower.
That person is ME.
Do I have all my questions answered? Nope. Do I understand everything in the Bible? Hardly. In the end, when I’m finished with this life, will either of these points matter? Not even a bit.
Because I accepted God’s gift to humanity (Jesus), I also accepted that He sacrificed His life for all the bad things I’ve done and all the good things I’ve failed to do. My slate is wiped clean. And as a result, I’ll spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
Does that mean I can just walk away and do whatever I want? Not unless I’m seriously deluded. If I take God’s gift seriously, then I’m overwhelmingly grateful for what Jesus has done.
That gratefulness opens the door for me to welcome Him into my heart and soul. Now He’s working to make me a better person – to myself, to my wife and stepchildren, to my parents and to everyone who doesn’t share my trust and faith in Him.
That gift is waiting for you, too. No matter what you’ve done (or not done), no matter how much you struggle with life. Interested? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 