kevinapex's blog

why i'm not an atheist

 abuse

I want to start this blog entry by saying this is not attempt to trump or belittle Lightfoot3 for his well written and thought provoking blog on why he is an atheist. In general I tend to stay away from religious based conversations while outside religious circles but when I read Lightfoot3’s blog I was intrigued at how his experience appeared to be the reverse of mine. For that reason I will offer this as a different perspective, not as a debate.  I respect his right to believe as he does and I do not believe in trying to impose my religious views on anyone.

I am a Christian but I will not be doing any a proselytizing about my Christian faith or telling how I ended up believing in something I once denounced. I am always willing to share with those who are interested but I do not believe that GOLO is the forum for such things.

Lightfoot3 mentioned he grew up in a Christian home, in my case the opposite is true. My parents were and are not religious people and so I had a completely secular upbringing. I never gave much thought to whether there was a God or not except that what little religion I was aware of, mainly my grandparents strict and intolerant brand of Catholicism made we believe I would be better off if there was no God.

In the opposite direction of Lightfoot3 I trended from Agnostic/Atheism into a kind of Theism where I was searching, perhaps with a bit of artificial help for something greater than myself. By college I had settled on a kind of Universalism where I had a disdain for Christianity based on what are in some case well earned stereotypes but had an “open mind” to other ideas. I’ll add that my own experience of being preached to taught me that quoting Bible passages or using religious jargon with people who do not believe in it does little more than agitate them.

For me my study of science inspired my belief in God rather than turned me away from it. I could not reconcile in my mind that the amazing and diverse world we live in with all of its checks and balances is the result of some random event that happened countless years ago.   That we humans are just an evolved collection of cells that have reached the point that we can even ponder such questions as whether there is a God or not is beyond my ability to comprehend.  In my view science has answered many questions but has hardly scratched the surface in understanding how this all came to be. I believe that for everything science can explain there are many more it cannot. 

I cannot prove on paper or on a computer that God exists anymore than someone who does not believe can prove that God does not exist. While I concede that there is horrible suffering, some of it in the name of religion in this world I don’t blame God for that I blame mankind. I see the proof of God in the beautiful and amazing natural world that is around us combined with my personal life experiences.  Ultimately I think belief in God or lack thereof is a question of what a person has faith in.

Lightfoot3 also raised some very good questions on why so many cultures have their own god or gods. I can honestly say I don’t have the answer to that question; perhaps the need to worship God or at least something greater is inherent to all men.  

Finally, some call it coincidence or even the power of positive thinking but I believe that prayer has worked for me.  Perhaps like Lightfoot3 having been on both sides of this issue has led me to a greater understanding of those on the other side.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend.