"So," they say, "nobody's perfect!"
But the Vinedresser won't buy that.
Given the opportunity, He will trim the unproductive suckers and shape the branches so each one will bask in Sonlight.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Quote From An Atheist

“When you open your mind to the impossible, sometimes you find the truth.”
Dr. Walter Bishop

Okay, I’ll admit; Dr. Bishop is a character on the TV series, Fringe. Nevertheless, he’s an atheist in the series, and wastes no opportunity to malign belief in God. Which is odd, considering one would think the writers would spot inconsistencies in their scripts. I mean, I do, and they’re at least as smart as I am.

So, back to the impossibility at hand: Theoretical physicists deal with the “impossible” every day; that’s why they qualify their title with the word, “theoretical.” They can’t prove their postulates, but they must come up with something, regardless how impossible-sounding, as an alternative to God’s existence. Even if God’s existence is more plausible than their unsubstantiated, “scientific” theories, it is entirely unacceptable, as to them such thinking is “closed-minded” and “irrational,” while their attempts at debunking theistic belief is obviously “open-minded” and “rational.” Obvious to them, anyway.

Perhaps I’m not the first to admit that many who call themselves Christian are, in fact, closed-minded and irrational, but I’m not too far from the head of the line. The problem with Popular Christianity is its, dare I say it, superstitious and mythological historic and social ties. Where Christian teaching aligns with God’s Word, that’s not the case, but most, if not all, of the denominations and movements within Christendom carry with them remnants of Romanism, which was the first, and greatest, apostasy of Christ’s church.

Honestly, I’m not even sure how much of what I believe is God’s Truth, as I’ve picked it up along my way from generations of similarly indoctrinated teachers. That’s why I question everything but the fact that God is, eternal, self-existent, and personal. And Jesus the Christ fulfills at least dozens, and possibly hundreds of Hebrew prophesies, which leaves me no choice but to believe Jesus is exactly who he said he is.

That’s why I’m a Christ-follower, and not a “Christian,” even though the two terms are supposed to be synonymous. I love, especially him, because he first loved me, sinner that I was, from the moment he spoke the universe into existence. I don’t understand much of God’s revealed Word, but as Sam Clements once said, “It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” And by “bother,” I mean convict. My life’s quest is to learn as much as possible about God in this life, so I won’t be all that surprised by what I find out in the next. That, and I want to share God’s love and goodness with as many as I can, so they can experience the unspeakable and glorious joy I have now, and is just the beginning of my eternal joy.

That atheists are determined to escape God’s eternal glory grieves me, but I can only influence those who are willing to be influenced. What grieves me far more, however, is all the “good” folks who believe in, “the Man upstairs,” and refuse to know him personally, through the Son he gave just for that purpose.

No comments: