Do you wish you would have finished school, majored in another discipline, or pursued another vocation? Do you think you married the wrong person? Do you kick yourself because you once or maybe more than once failed to respond to the obvious interests of an attractive person who you might have lived with happy ever after? Would you be interested in coming to the end of your days full of regret because of opportunities you passed up or for a life not well-lived? Would you like to die dejected and disillusioned?
Well, I have the perfect solution and you don’t even have to stop taking your anti-depressants. You can be an atheist. Being an atheist is a perfect way to reach the end of life bitter and miserable.
Occasionally I read about atheists who come to the end of their days telling us that they have no regrets and believe they will just vanish from existence. Moreover, some contend they know absolutely for sure that they don’t need to worry or even have to think about the possibility that there might be life after death.
I suppose there are some folks like that here and there, but for the most part I don’t believe them. I’d bet most are a little nervous about taking that last breath. That, simply because they know that they are dying limited in understanding, limited in knowledge, limited in lifespan, and limited in capability to form absolute and concrete conclusions about God and eternity. In other words, deep down, they realize they are going to enter eternity based solely on an act of faith.
Is being an atheist rationale and objective? Not really. It’s nothing but a rolling of the dice betting that there is nothing after death. You cannot and will not find a guarantee anywhere that there is no God. Or life after death. If you really do believe these things you have incredible faith. An absolutely amazing faith actually.
Atheists can only look backwards at their woulda, coulda, and shouldas as they reach the end. Christians? We look forward.
But, you the atheist say, I can prove there is no God. Okay, let us assume that you are also one of very few of us who has a genius IQ. True, you might learn and know much more than the rest of us. You might even have a photographic memory to go along with your genius. Consequently, what you know and understand may be orders of magnitude more than the average human being.
Would that mean then that you would know so much that your conclusion that God is non-existent would not be an act of faith? Of course not. Even with gifts of intellect like that, you still have a limited life span and you cannot and will not understand everything. You have limitations. And certainly you won’t and can’t know enough to conclude, except by an act of faith, that there is no God. Your hubris and misplaced self-regard may not let you admit that. But that is fact.
Atheists usually get a little excited when they are accused of having faith that is as strong or stronger than the average Christian. Shakes them up a little and they don’t like that. The last time I wrote something about this, one fellow absolutely insisted that he could prove there is no God. Went on and on about it as a matter of fact. Then I found he was lifelong Catholic. Have it both ways Catholic doctrine? I don’t think so.
Of course, he could be one of those people who would argue with anything and everything that I might contend. There are a few people like that. I guess I’ll just have to pray for him.
But if you really are an atheist, maybe you ought to take another look at your faith. You also might want to compare your situation with those of Christians. Ask yourself why they are happier and more content than you are. Maybe they know something you don’t. Know what? They do.
All you have to do is trade in a faith worth nothing for one that really is worth something. It’s easy. Really.
Aaron Swartzentruber says
My previous reply is to Thomas E H. by the way.
Aaron Swartzentruber says
You think you’re so smart! Do you know what God said about people like you? “Professing yourself to be wise you become a fool”. The thing that makes you a fool is denying that God exists. “The fool sayeth in his heart there is no God”. I know that you know that there is a God to whom you are accountable to because God says so in His Word. The thing is, you’ve chosen to reject Him, most likely because God reminded you of your sinful condition. Dear friend, that’s why Christ had to die on the cross, to pay the penalty for your sin and my sin. He’s in the business of saving sinners. Would you rather enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season and be lost eternally or come to Him in faith and repentance and receive eternal life. “This life is but a vapor, it appeareth for a little time than vanisheth”. It’s not just humans that testify to Gods’ existence. The whole creation testifies to it. This whole complex universe, and life itself, is more evidence than could ever be put in words that God exists. Now if you don’t believe in creation, which I doubt that you do because you’re trying to eliminate God, than I’m just going to call you a monkey because that’s what you believe, isn’t it? That you, your intelligence and everything, just evolved from monkeys, and ultimately evolved from nothing, right? You know, in the beginning was nothing and from nothing everything evolved into what we see today. May I say, that’s as foolish as they come. No! you were intelligently made by an intelligent Creator…..that you say does not exist. A clay pot could claim anything it wanted to but the fact is that somebody created it. It is no different for us humans. Your denial of God doesn’t null His existence one bit. I believe and trust in Jesus Christ for my salvation, now if I come to the other side of death and find that there is no God, what could I possibly loose? If you reject Jesus Christ and say there is no God and you come to the other side of death and find that there is a God to whom you are accountable to, what will you loose? My friend, God is calling you to Himself, right now. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He didn’t come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” ” All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. I pray that God opens your eyes.
Thomas E. H. says
//Do you wish you would have finished school, majored in another discipline, or pursued another vocation?//
No, no, not particularly.
//Do you think you married the wrong person?//
I certainly didn’t make that mistake.
//Do you kick yourself because you once or maybe more than once failed to respond to the obvious interests of an attractive person who you might have lived with happy ever after?//
No, and after reading your whole post I still don’t know where you’re coming from here. Do you kick yourself for that reason?
//Would you be interested in coming to the end of your days full of regret because of opportunities you passed up or for a life not well-lived?//
It will be interesting, regardless.
//Would you like to die dejected and disillusioned?//
Not particularly.
//Well, I have the perfect solution and you don’t even have to stop taking your anti-depressants.//
Wait… Wait. Solution for what problem? Well, let’s hear it. (I don’t take anti-depressants)
// You can be an atheist.//
Well, I am an atheist. How about that!
//Being an atheist is a perfect way to reach the end of life bitter and miserable.//
Well, not particularly. You know there are many atheists who *are* in need of help, just as there are many theists who are in need of help. Being an atheist, or a theist, doesn’t necessarily solve any of the problems you’ve presented. And I still don’t get the questions about finding a better partner…. How does that tie in?
//Occasionally I read about atheists who come to the end of their days telling us that they have no regrets and believe they will just vanish from existence. Moreover, some contend they know absolutely for sure that they don’t need to worry or even have to think about the possibility that there might be life after death.//
Okay. So, from your own statement, you can see that there is a difference in opinion among atheists on the subject. I’m glad you see that.
//I suppose there are some folks like that here and there, but for the most part I don’t believe them.//
That’s fine. You are entitled to your beliefs.
//I’d bet most are a little nervous about taking that last breath.//
I’m not a betting man, but I’d say it’s likely most people are “a little nervous about taking that last breath” regardless of faith or lack of such.
//That, simply because they know that they are dying limited in understanding, limited in knowledge, limited in lifespan, and limited in capability to form absolute and concrete conclusions about God and eternity.//
As is everyone.
//In other words, deep down, they realize they are going to enter eternity based solely on an act of faith.//
That’s not “in other words”. You seem to have reached a conclusion that is not supported by the premises you have presented. An *act* of faith is an *act*. There are people who do not believe in God for various reasons, many of which are because there is a lack of an act of faith in God. Not an act of faith there is no God. Humans are taught about God from other humans. This means if someone lives and dies without hearing about God, they may be an atheist. Not because they believed there was no God, but because they lacked a belief in God. The difference is “believe not” vs “not believe”. I hope you recognize that serious flaw in your argument. Moving on….
//Is being an atheist rationale and objective?//
I suppose you meant “rational and objective”? Is it rational? Well… see no God, hear no God, smell no God, taste no God, feel no God. I’d say it’s not irrational because in order for something to be rational, there must be some evidence to support the soundness of an argument. I’m not sure where you’re coming from. Please expound.
//Not really. It’s nothing but a rolling of the dice betting that there is nothing after death.//
Any statement about what happens after death is a guess as we, the living, have no experienced death. At least there is no convincing evidence that people have returned from the dead. NDE are interesting don’t get me wrong, but the brain is still (mal)functioning.
//You cannot and will not find a guarantee anywhere that there is no God.//
Flip that around. You cannot and will not find a guarantee (other than from sources from living people, of course) that there *is* a God.
//Or life after death. If you really do believe these things you have incredible faith. An absolutely amazing faith actually.//
Again, be careful with “believe not” and “not believe”. One is an assertion, the other is not.
//Atheists can only look backwards at their woulda, coulda, and shouldas as they reach the end. Christians? We look forward.//
On the contrary, atheists simply don’t assert the existence of deities. There is no dogma about what we have to believe in terms of an afterlife. So, some atheists may believe in an afterlife, just with no God or gods.
//But, you the atheist say, I can prove there is no God.//
No… generally we don’t. The burden isn’t on those of us who don’t assert any claim. The burden of evidence lies on those who make claims of assertion. I do not believe there is a God. I don’t have to provide evidence there is no God as I am not making an assertion that there is no God. Do you follow?
//Okay, let us assume that you are also one of very few of us who has a genius IQ. True, you might learn and know much more than the rest of us. You might even have a photographic memory to go along with your genius. Consequently, what you know and understand may be orders of magnitude more than the average human being.//
Okay…. I like how you added yourself with that “genius IQ” bit, but you may… it doesn’t mean much though.
//Would that mean then that you would know so much that your conclusion that God is non-existent would not be an act of faith? Of course not. Even with gifts of intellect like that, you still have a limited life span and you cannot and will not understand everything. You have limitations. And certainly you won’t and can’t know enough to conclude, except by an act of faith, that there is no God. Your hubris and misplaced self-regard may not let you admit that. But that is fact.//
Do you know what a strawperson argument is? ^That is a very good example of setting up an argument claiming it’s from “the other side” and then tear it down (like a strawperson) all the while not realizing (or do you?) that the argument you presented is not an accurate depiction of what we may think.
//Atheists usually get a little excited when they are accused of having faith that is as strong or stronger than the average Christian. Shakes them up a little and they don’t like that. The last time I wrote something about this, one fellow absolutely insisted that he could prove there is no God. Went on and on about it as a matter of fact. Then I found he was lifelong Catholic. Have it both ways Catholic doctrine? I don’t think so.//
Irrelevant. The only thing that connects all atheists together is our lack of a belief in any deity. We don’t have to agree on life after death, politics, or economics any more than theists have to agree on a favorite sports team.
//Of course, he could be one of those people who would argue with anything and everything that I might contend. There are a few people like that. I guess I’ll just have to pray for him.//
He or she. There are female atheists.
//But if you really are an atheist, maybe you ought to take another look at your faith.//
Already addressed. Believe not vs not belief. One is an assertion (faith), the other is not (lack of faith).
You also might want to compare your situation with those of Christians. Ask yourself why they are happier and more content than you are. Maybe they know something you don’t. Know what? They do.//
Are you all though? I think everyone has needs and sometimes those needs are not met. Christians don’t have a monopoly on happiness.
//All you have to do is trade in a faith worth nothing for one that really is worth something. It’s easy. Really//
Nah. Now you’re just pulling my leg.
Good day, sir. I look forward to your reply.