Facebook is sadly one of my favorite pastimes. It's wonderful to reconnect with old friends whom you haven't seen or heard from in years. It can also be a great way to learn a lot about new friends from browsing their page. Sometimes you even learn things about others that you would have preferred not knowing. In my case, I like to stay connected with friends and family back home in Buffalo, New York. My point is, you often see peoples true colors through their social networking sites. What the majority of their status' are about, how they interact with friends... oh and yes, pictures of course... the can often times speak for themselves. Social Networking. It's fabulous!
Now I myself have learned some lessons about posting things I shouldn't. The way I see it, you either learn quickly or you simply don't learn at all. But this isn't really what my blog is about... so back on track here.
Lately I have been somewhat disconcerted and even saddened over what I learn about people. I cannot tell you how many friends I have on facebook who used to or even still do claim to be Christians. Yet, if I had never met them before, judging by what I see and read, I would be shocked to learn such a thing.
Friends who used to possess such a passion for the Lord who have completely lost sight of the precious hope we hold so dear. It truly breaks my heart. I grapple with trying to understand how one can simply dismiss or walk away from truth, from life, from hope. How do you consciously let go of all you once held dear.
I know as Christians this could happen to anyone of us and that is why scripture is so clear about guarding your heart and not looking to the left or the right. Take Peter for example... here He is in the presence of Christ... walking on water... and even in seeing Christ and walking out in faith and literally WALKING ON WATER ... he still takes his eyes off Christ and begins to sink. So I am not standing here saying I am exempt from being disillusioned or led astray by the enemy of our souls. I understand this has happened to even some the greatest of Christians. But as long as I am continually seeking and pressing into the Lord and guarding my heart... I trust the Lord will keep me... even in my stumbling.
Revelation 3 states: "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
It goes on to say...."These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
What a horrible thought.
Matthew 6 states: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
At the end it states you cannot serve both God and money. Money represents worldly gain. Serving of self, greed, to gratify the desires of the flesh. This is something even Christians struggle with from time to time. Sometimes even in the simplest form as tithing. Giving God what is already His. Why is this so hard for us at times? That is another topic for another night.
Needless to say I am grieved for the friends who have chosen the easy path; the broad path. Matthew 7:13- “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
I long to shake them and say.... "WAKE UP!! Don't you see what you have chosen???? Don't you know where this path leads????" I pray for them with a heavy heart. For I know I am not the only one grieved, but oh how it breaks the heart of the Father to see His precious children astray.
We are called to be set apart. We are not to blend in with those who have no hope. Lord wake us all up! Time is short, eternity could be one breath away. Let our every waking moment bring glory to our King.
**Lord guard my heart. Help me to keep my eyes on you. May I not look to the left or the right, but keep my foot steadfast in Your truth. Wake my own heart up to area's that are lukewarm in my life. Convict me and help me to live a life wholly set apart for You. Draw back the ones you love. Bring them back to their first love. Captivate their hearts and minds once again. Let not the Holy Spirit leave them, but continually convict and draw them to You. Let me not be lax in my prayers for them. Let time not slip away, let not eternity greet them before they have again chosen You Lord. In your Holy and Mighty Name.**
(Part 1)
ReplyDelete"The easy path" an interesting way to look at it. I'd argue the same about most religions. Life after death is probably the biggest comfort religions offer. It's hardwired into our DNA to live as long as we can (to procreate as much as we can), so pretty much all healthy human beings are attracted to the idea of eternal life. It speaks to us on a level of pure instinct.
There has been nothing so hard for me as realizing there is probably nothing after death. Sure my atoms will break apart and form new things, and there's something poetic in that, but my consciousness is a unique formation of atoms that is fleeting and finite. A very intense and scary thought for a former Catholic, but it also keeps my attention rapt on life, so I can enjoy and learn from it as much as possible. As far as I know there are no second chances, so I better appreciate what I get!
So philosophically I find atheism much more difficult to live by than Christianity (how easy things seem when you have a book that tells you everything you need to know! All you have to do is glue yourself to it for the rest of your life!), because there is no direction beyond instinct and what you figure out for yourself.
I know many a Christian who thinks that means I just live willy nilly, but that's not so. Instinct is actually not the worst point to start from. Humans are social animals, and we have built in codes of conduct so we can play well together. For example, altruism, which is exhibited not only by humans but by bats and apes and monkeys and elephants as well, creates a mutually beneficial group bond. And it's no accident that the most successful human cultures agree that murder is bad. It's hard to build trust in a group if anyone in the group was allowed to kill you at any moment. And lastly, the willingness to die to protect your group, which is more likely if you already have children in that group and are therefore helping to protect your offspring, is an extremely powerful group bond and that's why it's regarded so highly in many cultures as the ultimate act of good. Groups like these have gotten the furthest in evolution, which is why we exhibit these traits today.
So sure, I realize now many of my morals are actually based on instinct, and that makes me happy because it makes sense. I can point at them and understand my actions by reading about human nature and studying people around me. I have concrete evidence. This has been the biggest plus atheism has ever given me. I've never looked around and thought life more beautiful than when I became atheist, and I began to understand it. To delve into why branches split and why language fractures and how galaxies form and die, never had I been so humbled and so filled with awe.
(Part 2)
ReplyDeleteIt was easy to point to some god and say, "Oh yeah it's awesome, cause He did it," but to understand that no one did it, that is truly magnificent. Did you know scientists like Stephen Hawking are discovering that the Big Bang could have been created solely by the nature of quantum physics? That even I, with the most basic understanding of quantum physics, can appreciate that electrons can be in many places simultaneously, and they can just randomly come into being, and this is how the big bang might have started - by an electron randomly popping into existence - do you understand how exciting that is? That each day humans are understanding more and more because of our hyperactive curious nature that originally helped us make fire and find food, but has now helped us build telescopes that LOOK BACK IN TIME practically to its beginning of time itself?! To say a god did it makes everything look so mundane and easy in comparison.
Just one more thing, since I've written quite a bit already, I accept the fact that it's possible there is such an entity as a god, but if it is truly the Christian god, then I happily turn my back to it because I would hate to give my allegiance to a god so petty that it wouldn't love me if I didn't see enough evidence to believe in it. I feel like a much more moral person as an atheist because I'll forgive people left and right, I love humans, whereas this god can't get over it if one spec of dust doesn't give him it's approval? How catty, can't He be the bigger being?
I know you study scripture a lot, and while we can agree studying is good, doesn't it seem the least bit suspicious that the scriptures beat you over the head with not looking at anything else? You would think something that is true would always be true, and you could test it against anything and it would always be right. But perhaps that's the difference between us, that I want to know for sure what it true, and you're happy to gamble that you've already found it. But those pious blinders sound more like fear to me than sure-footedness.
Good luck in your studies, I hope they lead you well.
Love,
Haley
Hey Haley! According to what you have written above, you are now saying you are an atheist, which in my understanding denies the existence of God. I was wondering what your thoughts are about who Jesus was? Or do you also think He never existed? Or what?
ReplyDeleteHey Laura :)
ReplyDeleteSure, no problem. My thoughts on Jesus are yes of course he could have existed, and I would not be surprised if there are secular historical documents that are really good evidence for it; however I don't think he performed anything we'd call a miracle. I think he would probably have been a wise, kind man who became a legend. Humans have a history of blowing things out of proportion ;)
The story of Jesus has a lot of popular myth elements: a virgin impregnated by a god, the demigod is a great and popular hero (but perhaps denounced by rulers of the old tradition, especially if this is the myth from a cult that broke away from a larger religion), and confronts and defeats death itself. The stories of Dionysus, Buddha, Horus, and Mirtha have especially strong parallels, and are far older stories. It's quite possible the Jesus stories borrowed from these classic tales which were from lands very close to their own (as for Buddhism, Buddhist missionaries were already traveling their lands and spreading the Buddhist word).
It's amazing to me how and atheist has so much interest in what I have to say, when according to them I am gambling on truth, and led by pious blinders that one assumes is fear. And what amazes me more... is how a family member could be so heartless when it comes to another family members faith. Obviously some are only out to cause family drama (ie. long emails that had family talking for months) and constant digs whenever possible on anything I have to say, whether its facebook or my blog. Haley, I love you. But I am not out to fight with you. So please keep your remarks to yourself. I am not interested in starting another family circus act challenging our faith vs. your faith, or lack thereof. Any more comments will be deleted. Again I love you and I feel very sorry for your hardened heart. Obviously you always feel the need to prove your side even when issues aren't directed towards you. Your not convincing anyone, and frankly, I'm tired of being targeted by you. Know that you will always be in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(Posted with the wrong account, whoops =P)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, Courtney, I'm really sorry I made you feel that way. I did not intend to be "heartless," I actually care a great deal, and this is why I write in the first place. I only commented on this post because it was about atheists or others who had lost their faith, and I felt it would be good to explain the other side of it. After all, in this post it seemed to me you kept asking over and over how could someone do such a thing, so I thought I could do my best to explain it.
I would definitely like to apologize for 2 or 3 years ago for my harshness in my emails with you, aunt cathy, uncle tom, and whoever else. I was still pretty emotional about it all, it was all still very fresh, and that came through in an ugly way in my writing. I still slip sometimes, and that left a slightly acidic tone in my final paragraph where I referred to the "blinders." I do apologize for the way I worded it.
However I do not apologize for writing. My words and concerns still stand, and I write because I'd like to hear a response to my concerns. I write assuming you as a Christian are very sure in your faith and will have a good, well thought out reply. I respect you as a studied Christian, so I brought those concepts up and was honest with you. I wouldn't have wasted my time writing if I didn't think you'd have something of merit to answer with. Again, I'm sorry for my reply being rough around the edges, but I am not yet the diplomat I'd like to be - so please, read it with a grain of salt.
As for the times I've snapped at you, that was only 2 or even 3 times that I can recall, but unfortunately we don't talk that much so those have been most of our interactions in the past few years on Facebook. That really saddened me, so I was trying to pay attention to make more friendly comments, but it seems they weren't enough. I'm sorry and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
Hey Haley,
ReplyDeleteI hope you have had a good week! I was wondering if I could email you my response. It is a little longer than I thought it would be and won't all fit on here. If you don't want to post your email on here, you could send it in a message on facebook.
~Laura