Are Atheists Open Minded?

"Faith does not imply a closed but an open mind. Quite the opposite of blindness, faith appreciates the vast spiritual realities that materialists overlook by getting trapped in the purely physical." -Sir John Templeton

I think it is fair to say that as a whole Christians viewed by the world are closed minded, un-accepting, and ignorant people. I have gathered these thoughts while reading Case for a Creator and reflecting on some of the MySpace forums, namely one of the more dysfunctional forums I have visited, Hardcore Christians Living Hardcore. I think it is important to point-out this is directed to the stereotype of Christians and to those who do not believe what we believe.

I know that there are Christians who are closed minded, un-accepting, and ignorant but there are many who are not. I find in modern society it seems so important to be “Open Minded” and it is often with new social agenda that Christians are seen as the closed minded group of them all. I base the combined experiences not on any one person that I have talked to but common thought processes that have been made apparent to me through my interactions with people that don't think like me. As I think of one of the most interesting situations to me are the people that insist that everyone should be accepting. I believe this has to do with the definition of “judging”.

A common thing I noticed in the pursuit that everyone must be accepting is that those who are not accepting are seen as racists, bigots, or hate mongers. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the mindset that everyone must accept everyone rather un-accepting? To many people it seems to be a good idea to accept everyone, but is that entirely healthy. I have certainly come to appreciate far more are the freedoms I have because I am an American, and the freedoms I defend as a soldier of the US Army. If we are to have a well rounded society we must have conservatives and liberals and some extremists on both sides can be needed to not lose focus on what is really important from time to time. I just wanted to have these premises.

I found that between talking to atheists and the stance of some promising atheists mentioned in the Case for a Creator there are some interesting aspects to what Atheism actually is and how much faith it really requires. I find this even a little more relevant due to I think there is somewhat of a big issue throughout the nation about Intelligent Design vs. Evolution in public schools. Back to the title question are “Atheists open minded?” I believe it to be not as much as they think they are. In the debate of Intelligent Design the most important thing was "What does the evidence suggest?" Are features of the physical and natural world suggest that the universe, galaxy, solar system, planet and successively smaller echelons of development going down to the chemical level suggest there is intelligence in all of this? There are those of us that are willing to allow more possibilities, such as intelligence in the natural world and such a crazy idea like creation when current evidence seems to agree with this theory the best?

I remember on one of the first days of our studies in the evolutionary process in high school the teacher stated that intelligent design/creation studies did not follow the scientific method so they did not count as real scientific arguments/issues. I honestly think my teacher through that tidbit out there because there was enough of the class that would at the very least approach the subject of evolution with a raised eyebrow. After reading Case For a Creator I can now confidently say that the theory of Intelligent Design is a valid theory according to the scientific method. I think Werner Von Braun, seen by many as the father of space science, said it quiet well, "the vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator. I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science."

I find it interesting that in the world of the highly educated atheists, they have faith that the evidence for a self sufficient naturalistic theory will come. Yet their hope is called science because it concerns a scientific theory at hand. I cannot remember what periodical that I read, commenting on the ID debate going on in Pennsylvania, but it opened with such a statement somewhere along the lines of "all scientists agree that evolution is fact." Something that rivaled such a claim as a PBS documentary that had a response of 100 renowned scientists stating that the theory of evolution is far from settled and is not in the best of condition. To me maybe it is just the media's assumption similar to that of Lee Strobel in his own search or lack of search until he was really challenged those years ago to investigate Christianity, Faith and his most recent book Creation. To have a basis that something I took as fact actually being recognized by more than the Christian science organization I find empowering. In addition to requiring some serious faith in evidence that will prove a theory, it breaks the line between science and faith that is supposed to be present in the search for truth.

Remember faith is a hope in what is unseen and untouched? Be it an immaterial being like a spirit or empirical evidence. If I started to get into the discussion of consciousness that would drive atheists into another hard spot. Atheism implies the materialist point of view; Christianity implies a form of the dualist point of view. Correct me if I am wrong but if one is limited to a certain point of view such as the materialist limited to that of the physical world then isn't it only natural that a mindset that allows for something beyond the physical is more open minded? After all isn't that the goal of society to be open minded? And yet Christians are criticized because we are so closed minded.

In the midst of the popular secular idea that evolution is the adequate explanation about human origins, I asked myself why that might be. Then it hit me, it makes perfect sense why so much of American society would adhere to such a naturalistic approach? I had to get to college “Intro to Philosophy” before the idea that there is more to the world than the measurable was introduced to me in the realm of public education? Yet, since I can remember we were taught in Sunday school, sermons, and other church lessons, there has been more to life than the measurable from the beginning. I think this issue might give reason to why many people that I have encountered today refuse to believe that there are empirical evidences that support the faith I already had.

Think about this, to a person that had not grown up the possibility of there being more than the empirical world in formal education, is it shocking that so many people would cling to something as improbable as evolution to explain so much of their purpose? The funny thing is that although public education does not touch the subject until our latest stages of education it is something that all of us have pondered on our own just wondering the more basic and puzzling questions of our existence at some time or another. Maybe that could turn into a movement to include philosophy in more high schools, then again I have heard that it is a subject in many high schools, just not at the one I attended. These months that I have been actively seeking out the materials and arguments of many people I have heard about I honestly believe that there is enough information that if enough Christians would present it to the world I think we can change the course our country has been taking for years.

As I mentioned in Why Don’t I, I recently watched a sermon series about the reliability of the Gospels. I heard similar information that I read about when I attended the Alpha course about what history books use as valid history for the Roman empire. For instance, the ancient histories we have about the first century are based off of the Gallic Wars and the writings of Tacitus. Of the 10 copies known the earliest copy of the Gallic Wars is dated 900 AD. Tacitus wrote 30 volumes, we have 2 copies of half of what he wrote and his copies are dated at 900 and 1100AD. Historians do not dispute the information and history in those ancient texts. Why do so many people dismiss the historical value that the Gospels contain when there are thousands of copies that have been dated to be 50-70AD? Even better, there are copies of Paul's letters that are dated up to 2 years after Christ's death. Why do intelligent people toss those documents aside because they are "religious"? It is because they report supernatural things, namely Christ's miracles? People will use their bias and experience that miracles can't happen and that in turn makes the miracles in scripture unbelievable. Why else would logically thinking people disregard ancient texts about a Jewish carpenter that are in greater number and detail than the cumulative history of the Roman Empire in the first century?

Wanting to Belong?

I think a lot of this became much clearer to me in the last week or two. The Saturday before last I went to play poker with some friends. Something to get out and heck, it was only a few bucks so why not. I suppose that could refer to James 4:17 as something that for me was not wrong and wasn't sinful, I don't doubt if a couple people might raise an eyebrow about the whole poker thing. The thing that really stuck out to me was how our ministry could be hindered.

I think a one of the couples there are Christians, I don't get to work with him very much but I did notice for the most part he doesn't curse and I know his wife definitely was raised to be Christian and she holds onto some of that. We had some good theological conversations and discussions about Christian music that also would persuade me to believe they are Christians. At the same time on of the things discussed at this last week’s bible study was concerning people who have said the prayer of salvation but do not or have not produced fruit, that topic might be a blog on its own. Anyways, they both got drunk that night, it was rather entertaining and made winning from them much easier in the course of the night, but in retrospect, it hit me how they didn't differentiate themselves from the other couple. I think it was clear that the other couple are not Christians.

A couple Friday night's ago there was a Unit Ball, it was as a whole deathly boring even for a formal event, I thought I had high tolerance to formals but wow, that was almost painful. One of the couples I know from church were there they were having some drinks, hey no big deal why not? They have their own reasons for wanting to drink. I feel like much of my experiences I view a step back from everyone else around me, like I am watching them all and not actually taking part in the events with them. I wondered, “How many Christians reduce aspects of ministry by taking part in the social norms?” I think drinking is definitely one of those social norms. By us taking part in the normal activities that the world takes part in, how many opportunities do we lose to show people our difference? I honestly think sometimes the more different my life is from everyone else the more enjoyable it will be. There are so many unhappy people around me, and I believe their lack of fulfillment is because of how they live their lives. It is like two manuals to life; the easily popular one is the way the world goes about things, and then there is the way the Bible instructs us.

There are several black and white guidelines that clearly tell us the do's and don'ts, but as I have gone about my life seeking to know God, I came to realize many if not all the guidelines in scripture are there for a good reason. These are principals that make sense without needing to have a relationship with God, knowing God just makes it that much better! As we go further in our lives we can expand to live more differently than just the do's and don'ts of scripture.

I think that is what gets these ideas to abstain from certain lifestyles and activities than the rest of the world seems crazy and extreme while we are enjoying life so much more. Through not experiencing things we are getting more out of life. This is completely against the most common attempt to persuade me to do something, “just try it once, how will you know it is not for you when you haven’t experienced it for yourself?” How many times have we all heard that one? For some reason people have this need to experience something to know if it is good or bad in order to learn something. I don't know if I stuck a fork in an outlet when I was little to figure it was a bad thing, but I think this is a perfect example to show this part of us starts early. There are some things we don't need to try that we are willing to take on faith, I don't know many people that will attempt to be poisoned to know that it really is poisonous. Where is the line society has drawn on what is it okay to take by faith and what is okay to take by experience?

Does this have to do with a need to belong? By experiencing some of the more painful aspects of life is that how we can greater connect with people? I remember hearing something like this in a sermon some years ago, that Christians should take things by faith and as we have become more faithful to more things we understand why we are to live such ways. I think the speaker said that was God simply checking to see if we can obey and then revealing the "why" is a reward for being faithful.

What Did I Get Myself Into?

Written 11 November 05

            It was sometime in Advanced Individual Training (AIT) when I decided not drink after I found out I was going to spend two years in Germany, for now it is not while I am in the Army. It is likely to expand to probably the greater portion of my life in not it all. Something I am certainly learning though is this is going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. In AIT it was a new experience, just hanging out in an atmosphere where alcohol was synonymous with leisure, I figured people would go a little crazy since it had been about three months without being able to drink or smoke for everyone in my platoon. I figured, “Ehh they just wanted to make up for lost time.” But as the freedom increased, the drinking did not decrease. Many of my peers spent every morsel of their weekend at hotel parties. Is this what everyone is talking about when they refer to the college scene? After all, the demographics are about the same, except we will always get paid on time. It was definitely easier in AIT. I was under age, not that this was a deal breaker but it was an acceptable reason to abstain. I suppose at the time that was my reason for not wanting to drink. Trying to have a social life within my bounds of behavior is proving to be difficult. I have yet to find a group of Christians or another practicing single Christian with which to hang. As I get to know the people in my unit I don't think there are any single male Christians in my company. It seems the majority of the people I would be inclined to hang out with (more mature and see things closer to how I see them) happen to be married.

            Last night I went to the Irish Pub, it was my first bar experience. There was nothing terrible about it, no raging alcoholics; a rather uneventful experience. I am getting used to being in an environment with alcohol and not partaking but for some reason there is a little part of me that wants to try some. I faced similar feelings at Chi-Chi's on Tuesday night also, the margaritas looked tasty. There are a range of people that surround me at these events, almost always someone asks me if I want one and most people make no big deal about not drinking, but others do press on that I take “just a taste”. I’m sure many have started with “just a taste.” I know I am not going to get drunk off of a sip, but that is not the point. My goal is to get through the Army without drinking; to take a sip in my mind would ruin it.

I am feeling the pressure, I have thought “hey, maybe if I just take a sip then they'd stop bugging me and that would be that.” However, that is not how sin always knocks on our doors. I doubt there are many alcoholics who seek out to let it ruin their life. Now don't get confused that I am claiming it is a sin to drink, far from it. After all Christ's first public miracle was creating wine from water, and it was the good stuff. There are even references that note the health benefits to take a drink. At the same time we are instructed not to get drunk. For me I am speaking of James 4:17 in this situation. Sin is not a line dictated exactly through scripture. Because sin is a separation between us and God and our connection to God is a personal one, then the separation is also at the personal level. That is how some things can be sin for some people and some things are not sin for others, at the same time I need to be honest with myself of my daily battles.

Over the last 3 months while people have been offering me and at sometimes nearly forcing alcohol down my throat I have done some thinking as to make a more meaningful reason to why I don't drink and to stay committed to that decision. I think this is one of the best ways of describing how Christians might fit into this world. We are to live our lives differently than those around us. How we live our lives differently is to our own deciding. I think one of the most effective ways of living differently is not taking part in activities that we have every right to take part in. I see my decision of not drinking as something that greatly separates me from the vast majority of those around me. By sacrificing this small and unused area in my life to God, that it will become much more than I see it as now.

I am of legal age both in Germany and in the US, there are no cultural qualms against the use of alcohol as something unusual or odd, in fact it is rather norm. In the US we have hotdogs and burgers, Germany has beer and bratwurst, it is a very normal thing to drink. So with every right to take part in this aspect of life and even a way to better fit in to the culture, I should take part in drinking, but I think it is just those same reasons that makes my sacrifice all the more useful for God to use. I suppose in the scheme of things there are also such reasons as it is not healthy, it is expensive, and it doesn't taste good, I know I have used those at some time or another but to treat this as a spiritual act of worship, puts its importance to stay faithful so much higher than any secular reason. Since I have laid this down before God, to me, if I do take a drink it would be a sin. I felt compelled to write this for two reasons, because it is getting harder to continue to say "no" and I am asking for your prayers to keep me strong and true to my decisions. It is also something of value to let you all know how I am really doing.

Epilogue: I took my first drink as a promise to a good friend in Germany, that if we encountered one another after the Army I would have my first drink with him. God did reunite us in the most evident ways, that should probably be a blog for its own time.