Friday 5 October 2012

What does being Agnostic mean?

 The easiest way to answer that is this: A person who is an Agnostic believes that the existence of God is unknowable. That doesn’t mean they aren’t open to the idea that there is a God, it’s just that they are unsure because it hasn’t been proven to them.

An Atheist, on the other hand, completely lacks a belief in God and they believe that they can prove that there are no god(s) both empirically and logically.

The Atheist says there is no God and the Agnostic says, “Well, there might be, but we just don’t know.”

Monday 1 October 2012

Is Atheism a religion? What do Atheists worship?

Great questions! The easiest way to answer that is this: Atheism is not a religion, it is a belief system. Basically, Atheists completely lack a belief in God and they also believe that they can prove that there are no god(s) both empirically and logically.

Since they do not believe in God or any other deities, they don’t worship anything. It’s all about self-awareness and believing in the potential for humanity, the power of reason, the comfort of love, the value of truth, the beauty and joy of the human experience and the nearly unlimited power of the human will to endure almost any hardship or solve almost any problem. (I got those qualities from an avowed atheist, Richard Carrier)

What I find somewhat sad is that, even in Mr. Carrier’s description of what he believes as an atheist, he does not allow for absolutes. According to him, the “nearly unlimited power of the human will” can endure almost any hardship or solve almost any problem. So, in reality, what he’s telling me is that the “unlimited power of the human will” actually has limits!

I actually agree with him in this way: human will is limited. In fact the Holy Bible tells us that, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Whenever you are afraid, whenever you are sad, whenever you have doubts…remember this, “I (you) can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who gives me (you) strength.” (Philippians 4:13) The atheist has no one to turn to other than himself/herself or another atheist! Where does he/she turn when things get so bad they become unbearable? What does the atheist cling to that would give them hope???

The truth is we are all spiritually bankrupt and we NEED a Savior! Matthew 5:3 says it the best in the first line of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” And even more reassuring is what Jesus, himself, told us: “In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)