Daily Archives: November 27, 2010
Money Quote
I was reading an article from ABC News that profiled two anonymous ministers that, despite their atheism, continue in their positions as senior pastors. That really makes me mad. They are doing their congregations a great disservice, and are being major hypocrites. Atheists talk constantly about the hypocrisy of believers, but it looks as if many of them fare no better with major issues of integrity. But that’s not really the point.
The point is that there is a single money quote from Adam, one of the ministers-turned-atheist, that sums up two things very nicely. First, why he was able to wholly change his worldview so readily. And second, what is wrong with American Christianity and why it is in serious decline:
As I lost my faith … I realized that really had no bearing on who I am and my character and my actions. I live no differently than I did when I was a fervent believer.
Contrast that with the proper attitude of the believer toward his faith, summed up nicely by C.S. Lewis: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Adam’s problem is that he isn’t living any differently as an atheist than he did as a Christian.
The reverse is true as well. Christian converts live no differently than they did when they were unbelievers.
If the atheists are right, and there is no God, then a quick look at human history ought to be pretty disturbing. Wars, violence, greed, corruption, and horrible human rights violations permeate history like a cancer. We’ve always been violent and savage, and there’s no hope that we can change ourselves. We’ve tried and it doesn’t work.
But, if the Christian is correct, then God exists and he will recreate civilization so as all the war, violence, greed, corruption, and human rights violations are a thing of the past. That means we have hope. And, both Paul and James exhorted us to live as though we have it.
The problem is that even our ministers don’t seem to be living as if this hope is real, and the proof is this article. They readily abandon a dearly held worldview because, as Adam put it, there’s no difference in how he lives!
That’s really sad.
Blog for God is REAL! Moved Right Here
I’ve merged the blog I was keeping contra Why Won’t God Heal Amputees and God is Imaginary to this one.
Earlier this week, I did the same to the Answering Loftus blog. This means that all the blogs I keep are now merged into one, this one.
All of the Loftus entries will appear under the category Christian Delusion. All of the entries just merged will be under the category WWGHA.
Within the next 90 days, both blogs will be deleted. This is part of following the three keys to life: “Simplify, Simplify, and Simplify.” I’ll be able to keep up with work a lot more efficiently. Perhaps I’ll even accomplish more than I’ve been lately.
Yes, part of this has to do with criticism received on the WWGHA forums, specifically in this thread. I’m also tired of starting projects that I never finish.
In the coming days, I’m going to announce (and stick to) a schedule for completing all of my open projects–of which there are many. What I’m going to do is pick a theme for a given month, beginning in December. Then, I will pay special focus on apologetics for that specific theme. Each theme is going to be something that I wish to learn more about. I will read books and articles on both sides of issues for each month’s theme and post regular blog updates on each.
I’m also going to watch the blogosphere for topics on my subject. Mostly I figure I’ll answer stuff contrary to the given topic.
December should be a no-brainer: Christmas! But surprisingly, no. I’m going to actually make December’s theme prayer. I have a two books on prayer that I haven’t read, and I requested a review copy of a new book on prayer that I’ll be reviewing once I get it. Hopefully I get it; there’s no guarantee that you get review copies once you request them. It depends on how many others request copies and how quickly you got your request in.
Weekends will be devoted exclusively to long term projects that I’ve announced but never got around to. That means the promised updates of my refutations to WWGHA and GII, as well as my review of John Loftus’s The Christian Delusion. Those two are first. I already know what’s next, and I’m actually hoping to get the next one down by the first of the year.
So we shall see if this makes me more productive in apologetics. Let’s face it, something needed to change real quick.
That said, happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! Hope everyone enjoyed Black Friday! After working a few in my brief stint in retail, I won’t go near a store the day after Thanksgiving, so good luck to those of you that did!
Josiah Concept Ministries 