The Atheist and the Train

I was telling my friend the atheist a story. As it turns out he didn't like my story and I don't know why. Maybe you can help me figure it out. The story I told my friend the atheist went like this.

Once upon a time there was a good politician who got a great idea at the train platform on his way to work. Every day he would talk to a homeless man that would come to the platform to beg for change. He would give the man money and after finding out that the man was dying from a incurable liver disease caused from drinking and drug use he felt he had to do something for the people in the city who were homeless and suffering. He would call it the Phoenix Initiative.

On this particular day the good politician was in the midst of crises. It had taken him five years to bring together, politicians, business men, educators, community leaders and public opinion to bring about the Phoenix Initiative. Tens of thousands of people would be helped and the entire city would be uplifted not just in the short term but for generations. Many times his dream to help the city looked like it would die but the good politician was always able to save the day with his skill as an negotiator and his ability to make people believe that we can help one another and create a better world to live in.

This time it looked like even the skills of the good politician could not save the day. The good politician would not give up though. After a week and a half of phone calls and impromptu meetings it looked like he might yet pull it out. One last person had to be brought back on board so he changed into his suit on a Saturday afternoon and with his phone to his ear and raced out the door. He was not able to convince this last person over the phone but he knew if he met with them in person he could convince them to do the right thing. The good politician tied his tie as he ran the two blocks to the train which was the only way he could make it to this person before they left for Europe on business.

The good politician got to the train platform just in time. The train would be there in two or three minutes. He could already see it in the distance. Then a horrible revelation invaded his brain. He had rushed out so quickly that when he changed clothes he didn't change his wallet into his suit pocket. It was at home in his jeans. He had no way of paying for the train. He would miss the last meeting and the Phoenix Initiative would be dead. All he could think was that tens of thousands of people would suffer because he was absent minded.

Just then he saw the homeless man passed out in the gutter just off the platform and the sight of him sharpened the pain of his impending failure. Then an idea that gave him a sliver of hope came to him. He shook the homeless man to ask him for his wine money. Not only did the homeless man say no but he said he would be dead in a month or so and he didn't care what happened after he was gone. He also told the good politician to shut up and go away or he would cut him with his knife. The homeless man then rolled over in the gutter and passed out once more.

The good politician was undaunted. He took a large stone that was lying nearby and lifted it high above his head. The good politician paused for a second and then smashed the stone down on the homeless man's head. While the homeless man's legs where still twitching he took his wine money from his pocket and it was just enough to pay for his train. The good business man made his train and his meeting. The Phoenix Initiative was resurrected and tens of thousands of people where helped and the city was uplifted for generations to come.

The End.

My atheist Friend thought that It was a horrible story. Apparently he thought that the actions of the good politician were less than admirable to say the least.

Our conversation went something like this.

My atheist friend: It is wrong to murder someone for any reason let alone train fair.

Confused me: But many more lives would be saved because of his actions.

My atheist Friend: You can’t arbitrarily take a human life just because you think it serves the greater good.

Confused me: Why not, if there is no God.

My atheist friend: Don't be ridicules. If we do not hold to a human standard of goodness we are doomed. We don't need a creator God to believe that.

Confused me. This is exactly my point. As humans we must choose for the greater good. If you believe life is an accidental combination of inert materials from a primordial soup then the only value it has is what we assign to it. The homeless man was not ever going to contribute to the greater good. The homeless man had been chosen by evolution to perish because of his illness. There was no way to assign value to his life outside of every life being sacred because it is a gift from God. So if there is no God then the greater good was for him to die and for thousands of others to be helped.

My atheist friend: You are confused and obviously unable to understand the most basic tenants of a secular humanistic philosophy as it pertains to the good of mankind.

Confused me: That's strange, your last statement sounded like what is said by many people throughout history that destroyed human life for the greater good. Are you sure you don't like my story?

My atheist friend then stormed off. He still couldn't explain to me why he didn't like my story but I think I may have figured it out. I think it is simply this: "What we sometimes believe in theory is very different when we see it in practice". What is scary to me is that we don't usually discover this until it is too late.

Poet Ntwadumela
From the book: "Christian Poems and Other Radical Explorations"

A Rabbi, A Priest And A Minister Walk Into A Bar...

A rabbi, a priest and a minister walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, " Whats this, some kind of joke." Rim shot, cymbal crash!

Maybe it is some kind of joke, but should it be? The idea that a Christian leader has things, situations and places that he or she is above only serves to make such leadership irrelevant to the society that he or she should be serving. The perception that a bartender would be someone better to talk to about real life issues than a Christian leader is only possible when that leader feels above the people. Christian leadership disconnected from the people is Christian leadership disconnected from God.

Jesus was in so called inappropriate settings and with inappropriate people so often he was called a drunkard and a friend of sinners. In fact you would be hard pressed to find where Jesus spoke a harsh word to any sinner except religious leaders. Jesus got involved in the lives of people in a positive way no matter what they had done or where they were. Its unfortunate but there are very many people who mistakenly feel that if Jesus met them he would never associate with them and he certainly would never do it in a bar.

Throughout history when Christian leadership is more devoted to their religious status within a society than to serving the people through Christ we find the most horrible crimes against people committed in the name of Christ. The seed for the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition where planted with the fertilizer of notions of superiority. If we are honest we will agree that there has always been two churches. One in agreement with the world and living according to the principals of the world, and the other following Jesus through the Bible. Everything from Cain slaying his brother Abel to any present day christian violence and oppression is due to the worldly church. The self sacrifice, charity and unwillingness to see themselves above others is given to us from the Christ following church. There have been times in history where the worldly church has oppressed the Godly church and there have been times when the lines have blurred between them. The important question for all of us is - which church has given us our perception of God and therefore shaped how we live our lives?

If Jesus walked into a bar would the bartender think that it was the start of a joke or would he know that a bar would be one of Jesus's hangouts? Would the people in that bar know that Jesus was not there to look down on them but to hang out and offer them life?

Poet Ntwadumela

P.S. No bartenders were injured during the writing of this piece.

Short Observations on the Nature of Light

He is the King eternal, immortal, invisible.

Light is invisible. We cannot see light. We can only see what light touches and illuminates. The evidence that light is present is always and only the things light touches and illuminates. Outer space between our planet and the sun is full of sunlight but it is dark. We cannot see this light. If we see our planet or a space craft or any object in space then we see the evidence of the light that is always present as the light illuminates the object that we see. Outer space is dark because it is a vacuum. It is a vast emptiness and there is nothing in this vacuum or emptiness for light to touch and illuminate. If light cannot find anything to touch and illuminate then there is darkness. Light will never cease to be light but if there is nothing it can touch then we will live in darkness and not perceive the light that is everywhere.


You are the light of the world.

Pure light contains all colors. These colors are in harmony and are not separate in pure light. Pure light can be fractured into a rainbow. This is the separation and deformity of the nature of pure light. Rainbow light is fractured and is very poor at touching and illuminating. Rainbow light does not reveal the true nature of things because each part of the rainbow is lacking every other part of itself. When a particular part of rainbow light touches something the illumination is tainted by its own color. A particular part of a rainbow colors everything after the nature of its own color therefore it does not reveal the true nature of the thing it touches. This is the difference between unified light and fractured light. Unified light reveals what is true, fractured light shows us only after its own color.


In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Light is necessary for life. If the world had no light every living thing would die and nothing new would be born. Light gives life to every living thing and every living thing receives its life from light. If the world no longer had light every plant then every animal would die. Even animals that live in total darkness and our blind ignoring and living as if there was no light would die because everything that sustains them, everything they depend on, even though they are unaware of it, is sustained by light.


For I am the Lord, I do not change.

Light is not relative. Light does not change according to your perspective or from what place you observe it. Light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum and is observed at that speed from every perspective. If you travel in a car at 100 miles per hour and you travel next to that car at 75 miles per hour that car you are beside will only appear to pass you at 25 miles per hour. The car is traveling 25 miles per hour faster than you so its relative speed to you as is 25 miles per hour. For light this is not so. If you travel very fast, even approaching the speed of light itself light will still appear to you to be traveling at 299,792’458 meters per second. Time and space will change around you to allow light to appear to you this way. Light does not change; it does not matter from where you observe it.


Light overcomes darkness.

Darkness cannot exist of its own but only in the absence of light. When light touches anything then darkness disappears. Darkness cannot overcome light and darken what light touches. Darkness can only cover something in the absence of light. Darkness cannot be measured. There is no speed of darkness. Darkness does not travel in waves or particles. Darkness does not have mass or energy. Darkness only exists and moves in the absence of something for light to touch. Light and darkness are not equally powerful. They do not compete with one another. Lights mere existence moves the darkness into non existence. Light has no competition. Darkness is only the absence of light.


And the light shines in the darkness but the darkness did not comprehend it.

Light takes every opportunity to have access. Great pains have to be taken to exclude light and cultivate darkness. Light will take every opportunity, move through every crack or seem, to touch and illuminate. Light is also gentle. It will not force its way. If darkness is sought it can always be found. Dark places can be found or created away from the light because light will not force its way but if light is carried into the dark place it will cease to be a dark place. That place will have light. To stay in darkness you must actively seek or create dark places and flee when light is brought to that dark place. It takes decisive action to stay in darkness. Light takes every given opportunity to touch and illuminate. Light constantly seeks to eliminate darkness but light is gentle it will not force its way.


God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

Yes God is light. As we understand the nature of physical light we can begin to understand the nature of God who is spiritual light. God touches and illuminates. God unifies us as the light of the world and God’s heart is broken when we are fractured from one another. God provides life and without God all flesh would die together. God does not change. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God overcomes darkness. Darkness has no power over God. Darkness exists in man because of God’s mercy. God is always seeking to touch and illuminate the human heart. God will use even the smallest opportunity to touch us but God will not force his way.

Poet Ntwadumela

Introduction to "The Myth of Intellectual Atheism"

Introduction

   

              The humor and general content contained in “The Myth of Intellectual Atheism” is not intended as an insult to the scientific abilities or personal intelligence of atheists; rather, they are tools to establish that atheistic views originate from somewhere other than science or personal intelligence. Yes, it is true that a certain amount of intellectual gymnastics, along with the commensurate back flips and flourishes, are attached to the doctrines championed by atheists; however, if these intellectual gymnastics were an Olympic sport, they would not score above a 4.5, except of course for the Soviet judge.

            I am Poet Ntwadumela (In-twy-do-may-la), a Christian writer and minister, but this book is not, strictly speaking, a Christian work. This work will challenge atheism’s basic assumptions, not by defending the Christian faith, but by focusing on and separating atheism’s own Intellectual gymnastics from its attacks on religion.

            Atheism is much like an alternate on a great intellectual gymnastics team—not good enough to appear on the mat based on its own merit. Instead, this alternate must cause the star of the team to fail, and only then, by default, can it enter the arena of human ideas. The star of the team is religious faith, and atheistic arguments are always only negative arguments against religion’s ability to perform. This book will search for and examine the nature of atheism’s own performance as an intellectual alternative.

            In “The Myth of Intellectual Atheism,” the Ideas of “The Jordan Doctrine,” “The Cool Table Atheist,” “The Atheist Buffet,” and more will be explored in order to take atheism through its paces and judge its performance. Atheism’s performance will not be judged as the default alternate to religion but as a stand-alone performer in the intellectual gymnastics of philosophical worldviews.

            I challenge you to explore with me the questions that arise from discussing the atheistic narrative and arrive at your own answers and conclusions in a clear-eyed reasonable way.

     

Poet Ntwadumela, 2013

The Myth of Intellectual Atheism

Harry Potter vs. the Ku Klux Klan

Some Christians are offended by Harry Potter. These Christians say that because Harry practices witchcraft they cannot help but be offended. It would be something different, these Christians say, if there was no such thing as real witchcraft, but since there are real witches trying to war against Christians, a witch who is a hero is offensive. I haven't had time to think about it much myself because I have been working on my own idea...

I am creating a character called Parry Hotter who is in training to be a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that this character would be offensive, and people would not want to see him because being a Klansman can never be seen in a positive light. Well, that's where you’re wrong. My young Klansman is not one of the bigoted bad Klansman, but my Klansman uses his skills for good. Parry does not burn crosses on the lawns of minority's, he burns his crosses on the lawns of the bad bigoted Klansman. He puts on his white sheet and hood to terrorize these bad Klansman and drive them away to keep the minority's safe. When these bad Klansman refuse to leave, and minorities remain in danger, then Parry has to go to the next level, and he and his friends show up in the middle of the night at the bad Klansman's home and spirit them off, and these bad Klansman will never be seen or heard of again. We must keep in mind that Parry was forced to take this drastic action because the bad Klansman are so evil and bad that they left poor young Parry with no other choice. You should also keep in mind that young Parry is really harmless, to the general public anyway, and is also so cute and innocent looking that no one could possibility be offended by him.

My character Parry Hotter should be no more offensive to the general public than Harry Potter is to Christians because when you are fighting evil, and very cute, whatever you are and whatever techniques you use can never be offensive.

Right?...Right?

Poet Ntwadumela 
From the book Christian Poems and Other Radical Explorations.

Thoughts and Ruminations

                                                                                                                             
1

A Mother is angry. This mother’s son is attending a church of another denomination. Her son and a boy from this other church met at school and became friends. Her son enjoys the other church more than the one he grew up in. She does not trust that other church. If she fails her son may become a passionate witness for Christ at that other church. If she fails her son will not necessarily be shot.
Another mother is angry. Her son refuses to attend any church, anywhere, at any time. If she fails her son may be shot in a drive by shooting.

In this way their worlds are different.


2

God is not a good fortune teller. He does not look into the future. He does not look into the past. God sees and abides in all time at the same time. God lives in the infinite present, which is eternity, as well as every part of the linear progression known as time. Therefore God sees all of time and everything that has and will happen much like we look at a map of the world. God sees the beginning and end of great roads of history, boarders of change, intersections of conflict and more.
The most important to him are small, short side streets.

Your life is a small short side street.


3

Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law have taught us many lessons. One of the most important lessons is that religion and or religious culture can live separate from, antagonistic to or even the enemy of the life of Christ.

Many churches continue this lesson today.


4

When we first come to God he follows us and is with us always. No matter where we go or what we do he loves us and ever desires to be closer to us and bless us. In all things he was crucified for us.
Then things may change.
When our love for God becomes deep enough we follow him and are with him always. No matter where he goes or what he does we love him and are ever desiring to be a blessing to him. In all things we are crucified with him.

The second way is more excellent than the first I think.


5

A pastor must grow his church. He recruits Christians from other churches. He recruits people from the world he is familiar with. He studies the latest business models. He drives past the crack house every day.
They are not good recruits neither are they mentioned in his business model. They have not been invited. They are in very good company. The spirit of God has also not been invited.


6

I once owned a dog that was known as a fear biter. Fear biters are dogs that are insecure and therefore always intimidated by people and other dogs. This makes them unnecessarily dangerous and destructive because they will attack innocent people and dogs based on their own unwarranted fears. These dogs always feel vulnerable and threatened even when no threats exist. They are especially dangerous when facing the unfamiliar or something they do not understand. A fear biter that perceives a nonexistent threat will attack viciously to protect itself and its territory.

Note to self: I must always and in every way endeavor to be better than a frightened dog.


7

Christians, the really good ones, know better than and therefore take great care not to be associated with, be seen in the company of, or risk their reputation with the sexually immoral, drunkards, thieves or anyone else of ill repute. In this way Christians, the really good ones, know better than Jesus who had the unfortunate circumstance of being called the friend of tax collectors and sinners.


8

Augustine is intelligent. Augustine has studied many books for many years and has many answers. One of Augustine’s answers is that if there is a God at best he can only be understood through a complicated philosophical journey and at worst is unknowable. Augustine is not aware that he and his books have found many answers but that none of these answers spring from the correct questions. Many years later Augustine has become St Augustine and he says, “Understanding is the reward of faith so seek not to understand that you may believe but believe that you may understand.” In this statement we see that St Augustine has learned the most important question and its answer.


9

The enemy of all souls works hard to shape this world in his image. The enemy of all souls also works very hard to disguise his hand in this shaping. This world provides more food than is needed but people go hungry. This world provides more land than is needed but we have war. This world kills adults and children with preventable diseases. This world provides humans with opportunities and training to perform limitless forms of wickedness and cruelty from our early life to our death bed. In all the history of humanity we have never been able to slow, much less stop, this systematic degradation.
The world as OZ…

Please pay attention to the mind behind the curtain.


10

See our God. He is laughing loudly. He is laughing in heaven and he is also here on earth.
The nations are very angry. They are so angry that they point their water guns at God and squeeze the trigger. He laughs even more. The nations go into a rage. They call our God rude. They say that to laugh while someone is trying to disbelieve you is extremely impolite. They threaten to disbelieve him more and also to shoot him again. This makes God hysterical. He almost doubles over with laughter. The nations have imagined a vain thing. They have imagined that to disbelieve God is to make him not exist. So they wave their water guns violently and disbelieve harder. This makes God slap his knee and vibrate laughing. Our God is laughing. Our God who longs to be their God is laughing.
Our God is laughing to keep from crying.

Poet Ntwadumela
From the book: "Christian Poems and Other Radical Explorations"

Christ or karma

Definitions of karma

The above link takes you to the actual definitions of karma most people do not mean any of these definitions when they invoke the name of karma in their or another’s circumstance. Especially in the United States, karma has come to mean getting what you deserve. This and other pop culture definitions have become popular because we feel less of a need to have any idea of what we are talking about. Do not get me wrong, the world society in general and the U.S. in specific, have increased knowledge exponentially. With the internet going mobile and global it is possible for people who do not have running water to have access to quantities of information only dreamed of a short time ago. The speed with which we are bombarded with information every minute of our lives has led to a kind of informational malaise. We take much of the information given to us at face value and usually do not dig past a superficial understanding. If what we think we know is incorrect it is of little importance to many of us, as long as that incorrect knowledge will fit into the standard popular cultural interpretation of life events.

The current popular idea of what karma is and what it means is a perfect example. It is hard to engage a group of people in a conversation for long without someone essentially telling us that everything will work out in the end because karma will pay everybody back for what they have done. This has become especially annoying because the praises of karma seem to be expressed just as much by your average Christian as anybody else.  To be a Christian is to, by definition, live your life by the revealed Word of God. Even a very basic understanding of the Bible would lead one to disbelieve any of the definitions of karma, even the made up pop culture one. I am a Christian and can say that there are very few people as annoying as a Christian who has no idea what they are talking about. It is one thing to not bind yourself to a belief system and surf through the minute by minute tsunami of available information without of clue, but to have a specific all-inclusive knowledge base, the Word of God, and be clueless to what it says, but pretend to have many of the answers to life’s questions is excruciating. Encountering someone who is that clueless but pretends not to be is at once like hearing your fingernails on a chalkboard and having those fingernails pulled out one at a time. 

We do not have enough room here to explain in depth how the Bible contradicts any of the ideas of karma but take heart. If you read the New Testament for, on average, twenty minutes you will come to understand how the Bible disagrees with Karma - the differences are just that basic.

No, I am not saying that Christians have to be all knowing representatives of the theological and philosophical Christian world view but we should have at least a basic understanding of the Bible which will filter out anything that is blatantly contrary to the Christian idea.                     

Please my brothers and sisters, just in case someone expects you to say things that are true, and actually assesses what you say, have an idea of the meaning of the concepts you proclaim. It is hard enough with people attacking the Christian life when it is accurately represented. We cannot afford to add any pop culture concepts to the Word of God. Its Christ or karma it cannot be both.

Poet Ntwadumela                    

A Christian Reply to the Reasonable Atheist: Introduction

One day a young African maiden from an important river village approached the village elders with a question. “We all know you are wise, and your guidance of our village is above reproach. What is the source of your mighty wisdom?”

                  The elders replied, “We get our wisdom from all around us; we are surrounded by it every day.”

The maiden then asked, “We know that you use this wisdom in giving names to all the new maidens born in our village. How does your wisdom know what to call us? How do you arrive at our names?”

                 The elders replied, “When we rise in the morning when the day is still new and the scent of the African violet permeates the air around us and a maiden is born, we name her ‘Beautiful Flower.’ Or when we rise in morning when the day is still new and the scent of the River Congo is in the air all around us and a maiden is born, we name her ‘Fertile River.’ But tell me ‘Very Fresh Hippo Droppings,’ why do you ask?”

                  This book seeks to change how the Christian faith is given its name among the atheist community.

                 Many atheists feel a deep, passionate, visceral rejection of the Christian faith, and a surprising number who do so were formerly Christians. Why would so many people, including a great many former Christians, reject the Christian idea and take up atheism in a world where access to Christianity is everywhere? The explanation is simple, inoculation.

               Medical inoculation is “the exposure to a dead or weakened version of a virus to create a strong resistance to said virus.” In our society, people have suffered a religious inoculation as a result of their exposure to dead and weak versions of Christianity. Dead or weak does not mean “inactive or limited,” so this exposure is far-reaching and varied. From un-biblical fanaticism, like the burning of a Koran, to tepid pseudo-psychological preaching made available every day, people are constantly exposed to dead or weak versions of the Christian faith.

               What makes these versions of Christianity dead or weak is not a lack of fervor or commitment; these versions seem to have no shortage of that. Instead these versions lack an authentic ministry of God’s Word in the experience. A Christian faith without a vibrant, consistent and credible Bible foundation is not a Christian faith at all.

                In light of this, I am fearful that many atheists have developed their passionate resistance to all things Christian-based on something other than a living, Biblical Christian faith. Most atheists have questions that can easily be answered for them from an authentic Christian perspective.

In A Christian Reply to the Reasonable Atheist, an authentic Christian narrative will be explored, using the first three chapters of Genesis as a launching point. The question of evil, Hell, the origin of religion, and more will be explored as this treatise seeks to change how the Christian church is named among atheist.

                This book is not a theological treatment of the Bible; there is no shortage of such books. Rather, this book is designed as a Biblical framing of an authentic personal faith—a framing that will convey the Biblical heart of Christian beliefs in a personal, intimate way.

                 It is my prayer and belief that many of my Christian brothers and sisters will benefit from the Biblical explanations contained within the pages. This book, however, is not designed as a Christian self-help book; there is no shortage of those books either. This book is designed to provide an alternative to religious inoculation to any reasonable person, but more than all, it is intended as a Christian reply to the rational, reasonable atheist.

–Poet Ntwadumela 2013

http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Reply-Reasonable-Atheist-ebook/dp/B00FIXF8PQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380809830&sr=8-2&keywords=poet+ntwadumela

The Religion of Straw Men

Straw man

noun.

    1  a mass of straw formed to resemble a man, as for a doll or scarecrow.

    2  a person whose importance or function is only nominal, as to cover another’s activities; front.

    3 a fabricated or conveniently week or innocuous person, object, matter, etc., used as a seeming adversary or argument: The issue she railed about was no more than a straw man.

Origin: 1585-95                            Dictionary.com

  

I am reading Sam Harris's book Letter to a Christian Nation and have discovered that the straw men are so frequently placed in his writings that if they were all planted in the ground the skies would be dark with crows who were too frightened to find a place to land.

I have to admit to being disappointed. As a Christian I welcome spirited discussion about the existence of God with atheist and others. I, unfortunately, meet a great deal of atheist, and Christians for that matter, who have little working knowledge of the authentic Christian faith which is Biblical Christianity. This leads to the unfortunate circumstance of many of the people who attack as well as defend the Christian faith are attacking and defending the same old straw men, and fail to contribute anything of value to the discourse. Do not misunderstand me. It is not a crime to be unfamiliar with aspects of another person's views on God but the crime that is being perpetrated on both sides of the discussion is intellectual laziness. If you are a Christian or an atheist and are not doing your basic homework before spouting off at the mouth and yelling at each other with your hands over your ears you are doing a disservice to yourself and those who believe your point of view. 

I do not believe Sam Harris has his hands over his ears but I do believe that he has fallen victim to the religious bait and switch that permeates the world of Christianity. What is this bait and switch? The fact is that what is portrayed as the Christian faith throughout much of popular culture is not Biblical Christianity. We are all shown this pop culture knock off of the Christian faith and many of us, including a surprising number of Christians, take it for the genuine article. Trust me; Biblical Christianity is not being represented in your Facebook timeline.

If you are not sure you believe that there is authentic Christianity and a cheap knockoff both being presented to the culture, let’s looks at an example that we can all identify with. Whether you are an atheist or a Christian you are probably familiar with the nativity story of the Christian faith. We have all heard how Jesus was born, laid in a manger, visited by three wise men there, and given gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts from these wise men. It has appeared in any number of children's books, videos, holiday TV shows, etc. There is only one problem, it’s mostly fiction. If we actually read the story in the Bible we find that the wise men were not at the birth of Jesus but arrived in Jerusalem one to two years later. They then proceeded to the royal palace in Jerusalem to look for "he who was born king of the Jews." Not finding Jesus in the royal palace they followed the star to the house were the young child, not the new born, lived. You can find the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-12.

The facts concerning the birth of Jesus are some of the most plainly spoken, easily understood scriptures in the Bible. If our popular culture version of the birth of Jesus can be so far off from the easily understood Biblical version, how much more can the subtle nuanced Bible concepts like, the love of God, the nature of humanity, the age of the earth, etc., be misrepresented. What is disappointing is how many author's, speakers and public figures do not do the simple diligence of Biblical study before they make sweeping statements about the truth of the Bible.

If you are going to attack or defend the validity of Christian scripture at least consult the basic biblical scholarship through a commentary, or knowledgeable Christian. Yes, whether you are a Christian or an Atheist I am sure you have opinions and questions about the nature of God. Do not be lazy. Consult the plentiful scholarship that is all around you or you might find yourself singing the same words as the most famous straw man of all time – “if I only had a brain!”

A reasonable Question to the Reasonable Atheist

A Short Introduction to the Question

The belief that God does not exist, which is what defines an atheist, is a belief that needs defending. For those of you who would say that the burden of proof is on religion I would say I agree with you fifty percent. Much of atheism is based on its attacks on religion but not, ironically, on attacks on the existence of God. Atheist can play an offensive game, no pun intended, by attacking various religious doctrinal beliefs because the burden of proof is on religion to defend those beliefs.  But atheist must switch to defense when they change their arguments from those of attacking religious doctrine to those of declaring their own doctrinal belief that God does not exist.

Let me further explain my position with a concession. Let’s say for the sake of argument, and just for the length of this piece, I concede those atheists are right about religion. Yes, I am conceding, for the sake of argument, that every religious belief is false. The statement that all religion is false will not definitively prove that God does not exist but it will only prove that every religion has got it wrong.

I will pause here for those few of you who will tell me that you cannot prove a negative,  and use that statement as an argument that atheist do not have a burden of proof for the doctrine that God does not exist. Of course you can prove a negative. I can prove I am NOT a German shepherd. I can prove my water glass is NOT filled with crude oil. I can prove that I am NOT a resident of Mars, although it is true my Martian citizenship has been proposed as a theory for my personality my entire life.

Any dictionary will tell us that atheism is the belief that God does not exist. Saying that God does not exist is a declarative statement that goes far beyond the belief that religion is false.  

The Question

If atheism is not just the faith based shadow of religious belief, 
then what are its reasoned intellectual foundations for the notion that God does not exist?

I look forward to your comments.