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ATHEISM AND THE MATURE BELIEVER

Chapter 2

Atheists and believers seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum of life and worldview. However, I have discovered that the fundamental tenets of atheism are not as divergent from those of a mature believer as one might think. To illustrate, I found this quote on the American Atheist website:

Since 1963, American Atheists has been the premier organization fighting for the civil liberties of atheists and the total, absolute separation of government and religion. American Atheists was born out of a court case begun in 1959 by the Murray family which challenged prayer recitation in the public schools.

That case, Murray v. Curlett, was a landmark in American jurisprudence on behalf of our First Amendment rights. It began:

Your petitioners are atheists, and they define their lifestyle as follows. An atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god. An atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now—here on earth—for all men together to enjoy. An atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it, and to enjoy it. An atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help lead to a life of fulfillment.

I found that description very interesting, especially when I compared the description of an atheist by American Atheists (AA) with the description of a mature believer (MB):

AA: An atheist loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god.

MB: A believer loves himself, his fellow man, and God.

AA: An atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now—here on earth—for all men together to enjoy.

MB: A believer accepts that we should work now, while here on earth, for the will of God to be done "on earth as it is in heaven" for all men to enjoy together.

AA: An atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer, but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it, and to enjoy it.

MB: A believer finds in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it, and to enjoy it and also accepts help by means of the power of prayer.

AA: An atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help lead to a life of fulfillment.

MB: A believer accepts that by having knowledge of himself, knowledge of his fellow man, and knowledge of God, he can find the understanding that will help lead to a life of fulfillment and an eternal future in the vast heavenly country.

This comparison reveals that the atheist and the mature believer have the same basic ideals, but the believer is open to additional help to achieve those ideals—help from God. If the atheist and the believer are both pursuing the same ideals, but the believer is motivated by an inner conviction that a higher source is also supporting the ideals, why must there be animosity? Imagine how much more could be accomplished by the atheist and the believer working together toward their shared ideals for the benefit of all for as long as we all reside together on earth.

The comparison further shows that the mature believer is more open and more expansive in his worldview in that he has a universe view. A mature believer is open to possibilities that the atheist has closed the door to.

In this way, the true atheist is unlike the true scientist who follows the facts wherever they may lead.

The fact is, the atheist cannot prove that God does not exist; neither can the believer prove that God does exist. Each can present circumstantial evidence and interpretations of that evidence, but neither can present conclusive evidence that proves or disproves the existence of God. So, it boils down to a matter of belief—the conclusions reached based on the circumstantial evidence.

Of course, we are presenting the views of what we describe as a "mature believer:"

  • one who is able to think critically, to reason soundly, and to honestly assess the facts;

  • one who has an open mind, a love of all other people, and a love of truth, wherever that truth may be found;

  • one who has faith that a fair and open examination of God's creative works, by means of science, physics, astronomy, archeology, sociology, philosophy, and any other educational undertaking, will only serve to further glorify its Maker;

  • one who knows that God cannot be discredited or extinguished by an intelligent examination of God's own creative works; and

  • one who believes that a God who can create the vast universe and all the things in it must have provided enough evidence for everyone to know Him, to know that He exists and "that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

For the most part, atheism has unfairly challenged immature and primitive believers who hold on to superstitions and ancient stories—religionists who try to call modern people to spiritual battle with the trumpet blasts of ages long past.

The future of religion depends on mature believers whose faith and belief can withstand all challenges and controversies. It is the purpose of this book to uplift the spiritual conversation in order to develop such mature believers. And as more and more appear on the scene, more thinking people, including atheists and agnostics, will discover the reasonableness of believing in God and the probability that life does have an intelligent purpose.