The “Cafeterian”…Picking and Choosing « Proud Atheists
Hmm . . . this should start a conversation.
As I’ve said elsewhere, and in fact, as The Author says in “A Message From God,” God can and will use the entire universe to speak to us. The real action isn’t about what’s happening OUT THERE, it’s about what’s happening when your experience mixes with the Truth God has written on your heart. Thus, Christians can learn from Muslims . . . and believers can learn from athiests.
So I’m blog hopping and I run across this tidbit from a blog called “Proud Athiests.” One thing that many athiests detest about Christianity is how it seems believers can “pick and choose” what to believe in The Bible. So if you believe in tit-for-tat justice, turn to Exodus 21: 23-24. If you’re more of a peacenik, you can turn the other cheek, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:38-40, in which Jesus EXPLICITLY overturns the Old Testament edict.
Both the peacenik and the avenger can quote scripture . . . so what gives? I can see how an athiest would call it hogwash.
Anyway, to read the blog, click on the link . . . and scroll down to see my remarks.
The “Cafeterian”…Picking and Choosing « Proud Atheists.
My response to that blog:
Hmmm . . . very interesting. I suppose by that definition, I am a cafeterian!
For the record, I do have a personal relationship with what I call God. However, it is not the traditional exclusive religion that many adhere to. I’ve read texts from many other traditions, including the Bhagavad Gita, and the Tao Te Ching. I’ve studied the writings of the Buddha and Native American Spirituality. And of course, I’ve read the Bible. I’m also a believer in science — including evolution and the fact that Earth is 4.5 billion years old. These ideas are not mutually exclusive to me.
I’m one of those people who believes in the power of belief. I’m not here to convert you or anyone else reading this to my way of thinking simply because I’m sure that — however you got there — you are as certain about what you believe as I am about what I believe. I respect that. On the issue of whether or not God exists, we’ll save time and just go straight to “Agree to disagree.” Peacefully, of course.
However, I have also found that some of the most scintillating ideas that stretch my brain about what God is (or isn’t) often come from people like you who don’t believe in a God. Hence, I believe believers can learn from non-believers.
I am entirely open to the possibility that God does not exist (which does not necessarily make God not real — DEEP). To my mind, this can’t be proven one way or the other, especially given that scientists have said that humans only grasp about 4 percent of how the universe works.
So I’m curious: Are there athiests here who are at least open to the possibility that God MIGHT exist? If not, it seems to me that such athiests are as dogmatic as the “Bible Thumpers” they do not care for.
Just a thought.
What do you think? Punch in your thoughts below . . .
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