I’m always curious about this kind of statement. I’ve never believed in a god, but my life has plenty of meaning. Also, the idea that atheists “choose darkness” is interesting to me, because I never really made a choice. As I said, I’ve never believed in anything, which surely must be a precursor to reject it.
Also a good point we would all do well to keep in mind as the number of never churched increases with every generation. To reject faith in religion, in God, etc… you had to have had it in the first place. Many atheists never had such faith in higher powers as they were not raised to believe. And as they raise their own kids, etc… that generation will be even further removed from religion.
Isn’t meaning somewhat overrated anyhow? Something can have a meaning and be of no value, like graffiti on a wall; whereas something that doesn’t “mean” anything per se can be beyond price, like a bodyful of breath, or a ray of light on the eyes.
Because a life lived without Christ is meaningless.
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” John 3: 18-19
Ah, but that’s not what you said in the post I asked the question based on. You implied that Atheists believe life is random and meaningless (which I’ve never found to be true even among the most fervent atheists I know)… not that some Christians believe that Atheists lives are meaningless. Not that I agree with your more recent assertion, nor does your own Catechism or pope if I’m not mistaken.
You appear to be arguing that all atheists make a conscious decision to not believe in a god, and that all make the decision to reject one. However, as I have said, I never believed in a god in the first place. I’ve never made a choice, I’ve never rejected anything. Despite this, my life isn’t meaningless at all. And surely, rejection of a god implies that the person believed in one, once upon a time?
Since this is an evangelization subforum, may I suggest that this rhetoric doesn’t inspire one to join your faith.
Well, there is that saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. Don’t know if that is taken way out of context, but one will always see it touted as reason to believe in God. Maybe it just means people take the Lord’s name in vain anytime they are in a dire life and death circumstance… I dunno!
I have a good friend (we grew up together) who is an atheist and she's said to me that she wishes sometimes that she could believe in God but that she just doesn't, that she suspects it must be a good thing that sometimes she wishes she had. And funny enough (because spiritual life is not always easy) I said to her that I sometimes envy her position.Scripture tells us that God draws those He wants to save. However, there’s no schedule, no timeline as to when in one’s life this happens. Some are earlier, some later. So perhaps your good friend will be drawn, and it’s great that you’re there for her when and if that happens. And if it doesn’t happen, it certainly won’t be your fault. It’s in God’s hands. If He wants her, He will have her.
Could you explain how that works?
Book by psychologist Paul Vitz: Faith of the Fatherless.
No atheist you know has given a thought to what will happen after death?
UOTE]
Yes. Everything that exists is matter, natural laws, physical forces - just physical nature. There is no supernature. There is nothing that did not come from molecules.
Ok, yes - but where did this spirit world come from? Are there spirits living there? Where are they? how many? What do they do? What powers do they have? How did they get there? What causes them to survive and live? Why are they there? How do they interact with humans on earth?
I was going to write something but I actually searched the book and got a clip - just for you.
Ok but the point by Mary E is avoidance of holding oneself accountable to the Lord.
That quote doesn’t surprise me. To be a Christian requres total surrender to God. The ultimate authority.I was going to write something but I actually searched the book and got a clip - just for you.