Posted on 03/10/2009 12:31:41 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
Imay be the most prayed-for atheist in America.
Since my memoir, “Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America — and Found Unexpected Peace,” was released last week, I’ve received scores of emails and phone calls assuring me that God hasn’t given up on me and that I’ve been put on various prayer lists around the world. So far, it’s not working.
“Losing My Religion” details my journey from a gung-ho evangelical Christian who became a religion reporter for the Los Angeles Times (I thought God had answered my prayers) to a reluctant atheist because of what I saw in eight years on the faith beat. Because the book isn’t a rant against religion — it’s more a story of a love found and lost — I’m seen by many as re-convertable. And if I returned to the fold, my testimony would be a valuable commodity within the evangelical community. Several Christians boldly predict that my next book will be “Finding My Religion Again,” or something along those lines. To that end, I’ve been sent a small mountain of Christian books, pamphlets, DVDs, CDs and workbooks that the senders promise will hook me back up with God.
To save everyone time and effort, let me tell you what absolutely won’t work.
Sending me scripture verses
This super-popular approach is problematic. First, I’ve studied the Bible quite a bit, so it’s not like there’s a passage I haven’t read that will instantly restore my belief in God. And more to the point, I no longer believe the Bible is the Word of God, so passages of scripture no longer hold supreme meaning for me; they’re fascinating from a sociological or literary perspective, but they’re not history. Sending me a Bible passage would be like a Latter-Day Saint sending you — an evangelical Christian — a passage from the Book of Mormon to prove Mormonism is true. It just doesn’t work.
Handing me a book by a believer
As a Christian, I’ve spent two decades reading the best Christian works throughout history. Like you, I hope, I’ve read Augustine, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, G.K. Chesterton, St. Theresa of Lisieux and others. If those giants can’t convince me God is real, no other author will.
Threatening an eternity in hell
This is another standard tactic, filled with Christian love. The emailers are usually succinct, writing something along these lines: “I hope you’re prepared for an eternity in hell.” I’m not sure whether I’m headed for hell, but do know that someone can’t magically believe in Jesus just because they are threatened.
Giving me a Christian movie
“Left Behind.” “Facing the Giants.” “One Night with the King.” Do you understand how awful popular Christian movies are? Any film in that genre would tend to reinforce my atheism. Stop sending them to me.
Asking me to have lunch or to attend a specific church It took me four years of investigation, study and internal struggle before I could finally admit to myself that I had lost my faith. Ninety minutes over a cheeseburger with your pastor isn’t going to bring it back.
Debating the truth about Christianity with me
Look, Christian apologists (defenders of the faith) can be very intelligent. So can Christian critics. Generally, debate in this area changes no one’s mind. Having read the arguments on both sides, I put in with the critics. For me, there’s no point in rehashing it all — unless someone comes armed with a new argument or evidence.
Perhaps you can sense a double standard here. An army of Christians is trying to pry me away from atheism by any argument necessary, with no invitation or apologies. (An email just landed in my in-box with the subject line: “I have all the answers to your questions.”) But you wouldn’t expect to see a high-profile Christian bombarded by atheists trying to ruin his faith. Unless provoked (conservative Christians’ influence on politics and society sparked the recent New Atheist movement), atheists have a live and let live mentality. Christians can learn from them.
But wait, my Christian friends say. We believe Jesus has commanded us to bring lost sheep back into the fold. It’s our duty. If that’s the case, I’d suggest you follow the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
In other words, make Christianity attractive to outsiders through your actions. And retire the rest of your conversion material.
The only thing that can save him is an infusion of the Holy Spirit. And, if his heart is not open to it, I doubt it will happen.
Still, prayer is always good for anyone on earth. I do hope he returns to Jesus Christ.
It depends on how they measure success. Maybe you were never intended to go to Heaven. Maybe God has a section of people that belong to Him and there’s another section that does not. The Bible refers to His people as the Elect.
If God wants you to be Saved, you will get Saved and it will be by His timing.
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5 and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 and who have fallen away; it is impossible, I say, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify the Son of God afresh to themselves and put Him to an open shame.
LOL! Well said!
You better hope it works before you pass on, fella.
Well, yeah, that and the fact that they used really bad actors.
I remember seeing a film done on the tribulation over 30 years ago that was much better done. It used real actors and was about 20 minutes long. I wish I could remember the name.
He looks gay to me.
Unless God draws them, they can't be convinced. But we are called to share God's word anyway.
He may be, but he does have a wife and four children.
“Left Behind.” “Facing the Giants.” “One Night with the King.” Do you understand how awful popular Christian movies are? Any film in that genre would tend to reinforce my atheism.
Yes, as a Christian, I understand exactly how awful those movies usually are.
(And, < ahem>, "Walmart sermons" (premade, "ready to eat") about Christian movies. They're preaching through that particular series at our church right now. Just, wow.)
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
The always say that when they don't want to hear the words. The gospel is a message, news about "that Jesus guy" and what he did.
I do understand what probably happened to him. A lot of American Christian "stuff" is surface level, cheezy, schlocky, trivial. As a religion reporter, he got hit with it all. A steady diet of that did him in.
Where is that verse that says, “Man has free will, unaided, unmanaged by God.”?
Abandon HOPE? But, but, Hopey Changey is in the White House. If I abandon HOPE do I have to give up Change? If I give up Hope, will I have to vote Republican?
/Sarcasm or Satire? I get confused.
It must be sarcasm, because satire has officially been retired as a literary genre. It is no longer possible to write about a “satirical” scenario that has not literally occurred or been seriously proposed as legislation.
The former reflects the affect of the gospel on his hard heart. The latter reflects the intent of his hard heart.
“I’ve never understood how Christians hoped to convince people with verses from a book that non-believers don’t hold as the word of God.”
Because they (and I) would insist that the Bible is different from any other book in that it has the power to transform the lives of any who are even slightly open to it’s message.
“Where is that verse that says, “Man has free will...”?
Matthew 5:29
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Just an observation ... for a self-described "gung-ho evangelical," it's interesting that there was not a single evangelical or Bible-believing Protestant on his "giants" reading list.
That's not a criticism of those he mentioned, it's just interesting that there is no Luther, no Calvin, no Spurgeon, no Owen, no Ryle, no Schaeffer, no Charnock, no Benny Hinn (just kiddin') ... just great Catholic authors and one great hybrid (C. S. Lewis).
Not sure the significance of that, but it calls into question the neatly-packaged narrative of "gung-ho evangelical" who saw bad stuff in churches and lost his faith.
Just saying ....
Without having read his book, we can’t say exactly how he presents his transition from faith to faithlessness. I don’t recall ever reading such a story without finding it intellectually shallow, though.
So, let me get this straight...that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you believe? Perfect obedience or damnation? Interesting.
The Bible I read locates this in the time when Jesus was teaching the weight of the Law, culminating in the caution that if the Jewish audience did not keep the entire Law of Moses, they faced the ultimate of punishment. When the rich young ruler left after a similar lecture and the remaining disciples complained, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus gave them the Gospel you have overlooked...What is impossible with man is possible with God. Check your hermeneutics.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.