Hi to all my Forum Friends,
In a TimesDaily Religion Forum discussion recently begun and titled "Do True Christians Enjoy the Right to Freedom of Religion?" -- a Forum Friend began the discussion by posting these thoughts which were prompted by earlier posts from Christians in other discussions:
It has been implied or stated by some who frequent these forums that "true" Christianity is not a religion. So if "true" Christianity is not a religion, do "true" Christians enjoy the right to freedom of religion under the U.S. Constitution?
From the First Amendment to the Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..."
The First Amendment clearly states that the government cannot make a law "prohibiting the free exercise of religion." If "true" Christianity is not a religion -- then, under a conservative reading of the Constitution, "true" Christians cannot enjoy the "free exercise thereof."
And, I respond:
You make a good point. The Oxford Dictionary defines Religion as:
• a particular system of faith and worship. plural noun: religions: "the world's great religions"
• a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance: "consumerism (or atheism) is the new religion"
Okay, so Christianity is a religion. But I don't understand how atheism can be categorized as a religion. According to the definition, a religion is:
"The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods."
My understanding of atheism is that there is no belief in any superhuman (supernatural) gods or controlling power. How can the non-belief in a God or gods -- be the belief in a God or gods?
In a subsequent post, I wrote:
There is no such thing as not believing. Christians believe that God exists. Atheist believe that God does not exist. Both are belief systems. Therefore, both can be called a religion.
The main difference is that Christianity goes much further than world religions. Where world religions worship gods which are man-created. Christians worship God who is eternally preexisting.
Some might say that atheists do not worship a god. They do. Their god is the world and the secular society; their god is their own desires which drive their lives; their god is their own desire to be in full control of all things in their lives.
We Christians joyfully turn control of our lives over to God -- and follow Jesus Christ. Yes, we are sheep -- His sheep -- and because of that, we have eternal life in Christ.
John 10:27-29, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."
This brings us to my Forum Friend's latest post:
First, lets look at grammar (I know, everyone's favorite subject) for a second. If I say, "I believe" - then the negative of that statement is, "I do not believe." If I say, "I believe God exists" - then the negative of that statement is, "I do not believe God exists" - NOT, "I believe God does not exist."
This is because the subject of the sentence is "I" and the verb is "believe." When you negate a statement, you negate the verb, such as, "I went to the store" becomes "I did not go to the store" - NOT, "I went to not the store."
Bill Gray note: I believe your latter sentence would be more properly written, "I went not to the store" - which is the same as saying, "I did not go to the store." True, the second wording reads much better -- but, both are correct and both are saying the same: "I did not go to the store." Or in the context of this discussion, "I do not believe that God exists" -- which tells us of that atheist person's belief, and religion.
So, a negative belief does exist, and there is a difference between, "I believe God does not exist" and "I do not believe God exists." In the first statement, a positive decision for the non-existence of god has been made. In the second statement, no positive or negative decision has been made. There is no belief stated in, "I do not believe."
My Friend, thank you! It is refreshing to see a fellow Forum member make an effort to intelligently analyze and respond to issues in our discussions -- rather than just regurgitate the first thoughts that pop out of a vacuum.
In my own personal opinion, I feel that the vast majority of atheists do not really believe there is no God; but that, down deep in their hearts -- they just do not want there to be a God. Their de facto leader, Richard Dawkins, has made statements which lead people to believe that is now his position on the existence of God.
"I can't be sure God DOES NOT exist":
World's Most Notorious Atheist Richard Dawkins Admits He Is In Fact Agnostic
By Suzannah Hills, 24 February 2012
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...s-fact-agnostic.html
Professor Richard Dawkins today dismissed his hard-earned reputation as a militant atheist -- admitting that he is actually agnostic as he can't prove God doesn't exist. The country's foremost champion of the Darwinist evolution, who wrote "The God Delusion," stunned audience members when he made the confession during a lively debate on the origins of the universe with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Why do atheists (and other non-believers) not want God to exist? Without God, they can declare themselves to be 100% in total control of their own lives and how they live them. Yet, when we acknowledge that God does exist -- then, even if not a Christian, we are still accountable to Him.
How is the non-believer held accountable to God? Acknowledging that God does exist -- is also an acknowledgment that His Bible, His full revelation to man, does exist. The Bible tells us that ALL people, believers and non-believers, WILL stand in judgment before God. Thus, the accountability.
And, that small minority who truly do not believe God exists, in my opinion, just have not fully examined all the evidence. They are like the person who is locked in a totally dark room. When someone mentions light, they ask, "What is Light?"
Yet, in even absolute darkness -- one small match will destroy that darkness. And again, in my opinion, that is why atheists and other non-believers fight so hard against hearing the Word of God from believers who attempt to witness to them.
Then, in the same post, my Forum Friend responds to an earlier post I had written which lumped several Religion Forum "nay-sayers" into one pool which I labeled "atheist."
He questions why I suggest of another Forum Friend who tells us he is a Roman Catholic -- yet his posts are so often written in such crude language and in such vulgar style (both of which would shame even some of the most vulgar Hollywood style comedians) -- that he is swims daily in the "atheist" pool.
My Friend tells me, "How can our Friend be an atheist, since all evidence from his postings indicate he is a Roman Catholic? Roman Catholics believe in the same God that protestants do, don't they?"
Yes, Roman Catholics do worship the same God as we Protestants. The main disagreement I have with those Friends is that their church is based primarily upon what I call "religion" -- i.e., rituals, traditions, man-created doctrines, writings, and teachings, etc. -- instead of being based solely upon the authority of God's Written Word, the Bible.
Now, back to our Friend's claim to be Roman Catholic. Just because someone says, "I do" -- does not make him/her married. Legally, it does. But, in reality, that is only the first step. What makes a true marriage are the years of devotion, love, trust, and faith we give to our spouses.
And, because a person dons the Christian hat to attend worship services -- does not make that person a Christian. What he/she does during that worship service -- and what he/she does the rest of the week when no one is looking; that is the measure of a Christian believer.
Based upon the crude, often lewd, and childish comments he posts when anyone disagrees with him -- I find it hard to relate to our Friend as a Roman Catholic, and even harder to relate to him as a Christian believer.
Yet, as both you and I know, we cannot say who is, or who is not, a believer. That is known only to that person and to God. But, that said, I would not want to be the one who has to, one day, stand before Jesus Christ in judgment and explain the how and why of our Friend's written words.
My Friend, once more I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to think about, analyze, and post your thoughts on these very interesting Christian issues.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
