Can't forgive Atheist Left

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Wow, when I pray about this issue, I get nothing back. I’ve felt God answering me on lots of things, but not this.

Don’t worry, keep praying and be patient. It is difficult to understand how prayer works. In my experience, sometimes I pray for A and I get that answered. Great. Sometimes I don’t get A, but B, C and D happen in a way that they ‘fix’ A. If this makes sense It is not always a linear thing. So maybe you will learn to deal with this problem through a series of other things that happen in your life (helping others in their faith journey, your own growth, charity work…whatever).

Another thing that really helps me whenever I start raving against atheism/secularims is this: I remember that ultimately they can’t hurt us because Christ has won. It’s a done thing. They can surely ruin this world but mercifully, that is not the worst that can happen. we don’t end here. God lets these things happen for a reason and we have to accept that, as hard as it is.

I’m always amazed when atheists convert and become passionate defenders of the faith. I admit your post made my eyes water a bit God bless you.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

mathematoons, I want to offer you a piece of my life experience, which might help you. I came out of Protestantism into Catholicism, and as I moved toward Catholicism, I learned a lot of things about the Reformation and in particular the life and beliefs of Martin Luther that horrified me, but which had been covered up by most Protestant scholars who knew about these facts. I learned about his Anti-Semitism, his sexual immorality, and about how he removed books from the canon of the Bible and supported bigamy on occasion. I read some of his writings and found profound hatred pouring out of his words, not only for Catholics, but for Jews and for Protestants who disagreed with him about certain points of theology, and he mocked them and laughed in his writings as he pictured their coming damnation.

Reading about his life, and seeing the extreme beauty of Catholicism, and seeing all that Luther and others like him had stolen from me and so many other Protestants, filled me with intense anger. Possibly even hatred.

I went to Confession about this, and my priest gave me helpful advice. He told me to pray for Martin Luther’s soul, because this will help me to forgive. Doing good for a person helps.

I tried this, and it did help. Though I still have a ways to go, and I need to follow my priest’s advice more, it was helpful.

So I recommend praying for the atheist left frequently, the advice my priest gave me for overcoming intense anger. Pray for blessings for them, for many different kinds of good to come to them, and as you seek good for them, I believe your anger will begin to turn into love.

 

[WesleyF]

Yes, there are cases where endlessly forgiving someone in such a way that they believe you to be condoning their actions is a bad idea. This is not one of those few cases.

Agreed.