Atheist, or Just God-Challenged?

Spirituality Column #74
April 8, 2008
Current in Carmel (IN) newspaper

Atheist, or Just God-Challenged?
By Bob Walters
Author of  Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

It is one thing to say, “I don’t believe in God.”

It is another to say, “God doesn’t exist.”

Statistics always show only a tiny portion of the population – typically less than 5 percent – actually denies the existence of God. The rest of us – Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists, agnostics, seekers, curmudgeons, contrarians, philosophers, you name it – have some level of spiritual life that includes acceptance that a deity/spirit exists.

Our individual awareness or expectation that God exists – our faith – provides working material for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to as much truth as we are willing to comprehend. In some of us that opens our minds; in others, it closes our minds.

What we do with our faith – be it a spark or a flicker or brilliant beam of light – is completely and uniquely between the individual and God.

This is on my mind because I was in a high school classroom setting recently where atheist, objectivist philosopher/author Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” was being taught. It is a 1984-ish book where individual free identity is erased in favor of collectivist (read – Communist, Socialist) central planning.

I have read Rand’s seminal novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged more than once, and am familiar with her personal biography. In her novels she gets the free will of the human spirit just right, and absolutely nails the evils of socialism. Yet in her interviews she very openly, personally and bitterly denies the existence of God.

I am a person who believes all truth comes from God, that Christ presents (and is) all truth, and that the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to understand it. Truth is a God thing; lies are a Satan thing.

I see in Rand someone of brilliance who was bitterly disappointed in God, yet nonetheless presented a truth we must carefully abide: society and individuals become the worst versions of themselves when society systematically denies personal individuality and creativity.

God loves each of us intensely and gives each of us a lot of room to work out our faith. Don’t be too quick to judge … or to deny that God exists. He can use any of us.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) reminds all that “agnostic” from Greek quickly becomes “ignoramus” from Latin.  Just sayin' ...

For Bob's latest posts, go back to www.commonchristianity.blogspot.com.