Friday, August 13, 2010

I Shall Name Him George

As you can imagine, the title Why Atheists Look Up to Christians caught my eye. While there are Christians I look up to (Hi, Fred!*), no, I don't look up to Christians as a whole, and neither do any other atheists, to my knowledge.

Many people operate under the naive assumption that atheists base their views on reason while Christians base their views on faith. In reality, it is just the opposite. Atheists place their faith in their limited human understanding while believers have by God's grace reached a higher level of knowledge regarding God and spirituality. Christians base their confidence upon knowledge and facts. I will call this higher level of knowledge "sanctified reason."

And I can call my coffee cup an otter, but it's not going to run down to the river and do cute little tricks with its little people hands.

Think of apologetics and human reason and evangelism as taking place at the base of a mountain as logic and human reason and the Gospel get presented to unbelievers. Think of Christian faith as being that thing which brings a person halfway up the mountain through Christian conversion when the Gospel is accepted. At that level, the mystery of the cross becomes clear and the new Christian now has sanctified reason. This sanctified reason cannot be understood at the base of the mountain because "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:14) Think of the top of the mountain as being heaven where we as believers will have our highest level of reason which I will call "heavenly reason." "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Cor. 13:12)

Think of this post as a turtle. Now the words are the shell that protects the turtle and the pictures are his legs, propelling him along his way, slowly but surely. The links are his eyes, which allow him to see. Yeah, I don't know where I'm going with that, but it made exactly as much sense as that random spewing of words up there.

As atheists look up the mountain to Christians, it is impossible for them to know what Christians know unless they first believe in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

My socks are the source of mass in the universe. It's not the god particle, or some obscure interaction between forces, it's my socks. But that's ridiculous! you protest. No, it's true. Fine, prove it, you say. Once you believe that my socks are the source of mass, you'll see how true it is. O_o, you say. *.*, you continue >.<, and then you walk away.

It is dangerous to suggest to a believer that doubt and skepticism are a God-ordained aspect of faith. Those believers who are weak in faith can be pulled even further from any assurance of their salvation if they accept that premise. That is one step closer to having no faith in Christ.

Once you've admitted that thinking is something people shouldn't be doing, just accept the fact that it's a freakin' lie.

As believers look down the mountain at atheists and unbelievers, we are never to "look down on them" in terms of viewing ourselves as being superior. What is superior is the sanctified reason that God gives us in His Word.

We're not superior, but, yeah, we so totally are.




*If I ever actually got to meet Fred, I would probably squee.

14 comments:

  1. That's a nice way to take apart that kind of thinking. I especially liked the turtle/blog post claim.

    I would also add that once the reader believes your socks are the source of mass in the universe, all the other bizarre claims you make in this post will start to make sense. Because as I've read from Christian apologists, once you believe the major component of the belief system, the other "minor" insurmountable problems will not seem to be so critical.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isn't the top of a mountain supposed to be a bad place to jump around on during a thunder storm?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shhh, atimetorend, stop blabbing Phase IV of the Atheist Agenda!

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Sanctified reason" sounds a lot better than "made-up nonsense."

    ReplyDelete
  5. If I ever actually got to meet Fred, I would probably squee.

    Get in line.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alright, alright!

    Please indulge an old man yet again: what action does one take when one "squees"?

    One has heard of "spoozing", but "squeeing" is a new one.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Get in line.

    I know, right?

    Also, hi, Jesu.

    Please indulge an old man yet again: what action does one take when one "squees"?

    It's a sound of joy. Imagine saying, "Yippee!" in a really high-pitched voice and you've basically got the idea.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's socks, alright, but it's my socks. Your socks are apostates.

    Good thing I swallowed before reading your post, Pers. Thanks again for doing your thing for us.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love how the post basically seems to assume that all Athiests were never Christians at some point. I'm pretty sure that demographically that's hardly the case.

    I know EXACTLY what it was like to be a Christian operating from my platform of, ahem, "sanctified reasoning". I also know exactly what it's like today for me operating from my platform of actual reasoning.

    Seriously, this guy claims we look up to them because we don't know both sides, does that mean I can look down on him because I DO know both sides and know for a fact that he doesn't?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have never figured out why/how Christians-or adherents to any other dogmatic faith, for that matter-consistently equate faith with science and/or logic. I guess most of them never passed logic classes. Not to mention science classes.

    ReplyDelete
  11. FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smwrw4sNCxE
    ___________________________________
    THE B**BQUAKE - 911


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeblvLoVJCA&feature=related


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpZZ2PPBzP8&feature=related


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvSljPf9on4&feature=related




    you are going to pay the price for this….




    THE RUBBER DUCKY OF PSEUDOSCIENCE III - bret alan

    http://daddytypes.com/archive/hofman_rubber_duckie.jpg


    there is a lot of sh*t to flush!


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg2AezJo8aQ


    THE HEAD OF THE INFIDEL!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojR-XRt4rrA



    Is America burning yet?

    Maybe we need some more...


    we use the DIVINE against the ESTABLISHMENT... you?


    we do better DEMOLITIONS than you, savage...


    RENOUNCE YOUR ATHEISM AND JOIN THE SOCIALIST FAITH!


    let them know if the MDC continues more people will die...

    the WORLD TRADE CENTER PROPHECY - THE DANCE OF DEATH

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Hez25fFrg


    FLUSH ATHEISM!

    Actually it is a ROYAL FLUSH!!!

    Let me show you how ATHEISTS were partially responsible for 911

    These ATHEISTS NEED TO BE ON THE TERRORIST WATCH LIST!

    You don’t even have SCIENCE on your side…

    You’re a perfect example of when PHILOSOPHY becomes an ENEMY OF LIFE...

    http://stephenlaw.blogspot.com/2010/06/playing-mystery-card.html

    not quite samantha with her *supernatural spit*, eh?

    this isn't one of your little WORD GAMES...

    blasphemy is a DEATH SENTENCE

    you people actually BELIEVE the BS you preach!

    GOD 1 - atheists 0

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQcNiD0Z3MU


    Atheists,

    you are ENEMIES OF GOD AND ARE GOING TO BE ANNIHILATED...

    Repent and turn to God or be destroyed...

    YOU HAVE NO CHOICE...

    my interpretation of the STATUE FIRE... it symbolizes the SPIRITUAL DEATH of atheism...

    http://www.salon.com/news/2010/06/15/us_lightning_strikes_jesus_statue

    http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/6/16/1276680110544/The-King-of-Kings-statue--005.jpg

    http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-06/54332292.jpg


    http://friendlyatheist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/butterjesus-1.jpg

    PRINCESS DI IS WEARING A NEW DRESS!

    http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/a_speech_by_hrh_the_prince_of_wales_titled_islam_and_the_env_252516346.html
    ______________________________
    http://skepticblog.org/2010/04/06/would-i-ever-pray-for-a-miracle/

    Shermer, I WANT TO SEE YOU BEG FOR A MIRACLE...
    ___________________
    we do like your music Lady Gaga, but...

    The B**BQUAKE - 911

    Let me show you the FATE OF TRAITORS...

    http://www.loiterink.com/photos/products/182_3424_500x500.jpg

    they are incapable of telling the difference between SCIENTIFIC *FACT* AND
    RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL *TRUTH*... FATAL ERROR!

    they also preach a *VALUE FREE SCIENCE* called *POSITIVISM* that ignores the
    inequalities of wealth and power in capitalist civilization...

    for a sample taste of PZ Myers' GARBAGE...

    http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/06/sunday_sacrilege_imagine_no_he.php

    HIJACKING IN PROGRESS!!!

    http://hawaiiwebgroup.com/maui-design/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/website-hijacking.jpg

    HIJACKING IN PROGRESS!!!

    how can these HEADLESS IDIOTS BET AGAINST GOD!!!
    ________________________________________
    what happens when you LOSE Pascal's Wager...

    http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/pascals-wager.htm
    ____________
    you FIGHT PAPER MONSTERS...


    THE BOOBQUAKE - 911!
    ****************************************************
    http://dissidentphilosophy.lifediscussion.net/philosophy-f1/the-boobquake-911-t1310.htm

    ReplyDelete
  12. Geds and Sarge;

    a squee is a bit MORE than that. it is, essentially, the long, drawn out version of a person [generally, but not always, female] who is SO overcome with joy that the only sound that emerges is a "sqeek" except they're SO excited, it goes on and one [and, as Geds pointed out, it's VERY high pitched, think 3rd-C-above-the-staff, or higher] into this: "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

    or; the sound made by a teenie-bopper right before fainting at the Beatles, or Elvis, or whomever.

    ReplyDelete
  13. TVTropes has a page on squee.

    Their theory is that it's "most likely a mutation of or derivation from "squeal". Possibly a Portmanteau of "squeal" and "glee".

    And yes, I'd squee for Fred Clark too.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are for you guys, not for me. Say what you will. Don't feel compelled to stay on topic, I enjoy it when comments enter Tangentville or veer off into Non Sequitur Town. Just keep it polite, okay?

I am attempting to use blogger's new comment spam feature. If you don't immediately see your comment, it is being held in spam, I will get it out next time I check the filter. Unless you are Dennis Markuze, in which case you're never seeing your comment.

Creative Commons License
Forever in Hell by Personal Failure is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at foreverinhell.blogspot.com.