Kyle Gebhart

I’ve been reading two books that have me thinking about atheism, Sam Harris’, “The End of Faith,” and a book called “The Reason for God,” by Timothy Keller. Both have been on the NYT Bestsellers list over the last few years. Keller is probably worth your time, Harris is probably not - in my opinion Harris is dishonest (and NOT in the category of a ’sincere’ atheist.)

The people to whom Keller writes, and whom I’ve met, fall into the category of sincere. I truly appreciate them.

A sincere atheist is someone who cannot reconcile the lack of compassion, power, or holiness within various faiths (including Christianity) and is left with the conclusion: If these people define what God looks like, He must not exist. I’m sure none of us have ever had that thought.

The reason I apppreciate the questions of atheists is because they test the depth and sincerity of my faith and my compassion. Unfortunately, I’ve met many Christians who are intimidated or angered by atheists. I believe an atheist is more likely to find the truths of the Gospel than a ‘lazy agnostic,’ however, at least the atheist is asking questions that Jesus answers. The agnostic is usually only asking, “What’s on TV tonight?” The atheist in one sense chooses not to isolate themselves from the difficult circumstances of existance. The agnostic says, “I don’t care.”

I look for the day when Christians are equipped to answer the atheists’ valid questions. I’m not referring here to that nebulous category of discourse called ‘apologetics’. I’m referring to servants of God who pray and unselfishly listen to those that are struggling to survive on a darkened planet, with no light to guide them. I know that ‘most people’ will reject the truth in the end. I understand human depravity, after all, I am human. My point is we should be quick to listen and slow to speak, even when an atheist is doing the speaking.

We have more to gain from a love that is patient and kind and a wisdom that is full of mercy - and we have much to lose from a habit of making rote pronouncements about God assuming we understand the struggles of an atheist, without having listened to them. Presumption is a far cry from evangelism. If we make an assumption about an atheist, perhaps it should be this: let us assume they need to see love in action with a passion that is inspired by Jesus. As a matter of fact, I think there’s a Bible verse somewhere on that…