Discarding Reason for the Season

So after discussing the Evils of Atheistic Billboards yesterday (or, more properly, the hypocrisy of Christians condemning Atheists for proselytization efforts), a few more items bobbed up on the subject.  Like this billboard:

It came up at this page at Pharyngula in conjunction with PZ Myers objecting to an atheist with Christian family  members who objected to the billboard as simply being provocative.  Les shared the article in Google Reader, and I commented:

Isn’t there a difference, though, between at least sometimes “letting people go about their daily lives in peace” and “bowing and scraping and saying ‘Yassuh’ to the religious”?

My main problem with this particular ad is that, I don’t like anyone telling me what I “KNOW”. In some ways, this strikes me as the flip side to “Even atheists know in their hearts that God is real” crap.

Reminding theists that atheists are real, that they are good people, even that they disagree, is in fact a good thing. It’s also good (as noted yesterday) to let people who aren’t believers know that there are kindred spirits out there. Telling people, at Christmas, that their beliefs about Christmas are a myth (and that, arguably, they KNOW it to be true) strikes me as being unnecessarily rude.

That said, I then ran across today this even more pathetically maddening article on the subject, from the “Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.”  And this one deserves (sigh) a lengthy screed.

Now, if the CADC was focused on pointing out places where Christians were, in fact, unfairly defamed, pointing out how that was the case, and asking that people of goodwill join in stopping such occurrences, I’d be all over that.

Instead, the CADC’s MO is basically to screech, “Hey! They called us poopy-heads!  But they’re double poopy-heads!” Which is, of course, just what Jesus indicated one should do and feel when being persecuted for His sake, right?

As we enter the Christmas season, atheist groups are lining up again to bash Christianity.

Some atheist groups are interested in “bashing” Christianity, for a variety of reasons.  They don’t usually restrict themselves to the Christmas season.

A group called American Atheists purchased a billboard in New Jersey that shows a silhouette of the Three Wise Men approaching the Nativity. Underneath is written, “You KNOW it’s a Myth. This Season, Celebrate REASON!”

Well, that much is accurate.

Biblically speaking, of course, the Wise Men men did not arrive while the newborn Jesus lay in the manger.  Nor were there canonically three of them. Nor do they even appear in more than just one of the Gospels.  So, even from a Biblical standpoint, the whole “We Three Kings of Orient Are” is a myth within Christianity.  But that’s not quite the intent of the billboard, I suspect, and, mysteriously, the CADC would probably handwave away that aspect of it, so I suppose I digress.

It’s interesting that this same hostility isn’t displayed against Muslims during Ramadan or towards Jews during their Holy Days.

Well, despite fear of Muslims taking over America, or fear of the overwhelming power of Jews in the media, both groups remain tiny percentages of the population and of the culture.  If one is out to object to religious myths, it makes sense to take on the big dog in the yard.

That said, atheists do, as appropriate, criticize Muslims and Jews.  It’s hardly surprising that the CADC doesn’t actually notice this. Especially as  the CADC probably sees this as some huge crypto-Atheist-Muslim-Jewish conspiracy against Jesus.  So it goes.

Apparently the American Atheists are ignorant of the fact that history proves Christ’s birth is not a myth.

Despite fervent assertions to the contrary, the historical basis for Jesus is hardly as settled as that, let alone the specific events surrounding his birth. The last time I looked, there was at least some basis for Jesus’ historicity, but not not so much as to assert “ignorance” of the “fact” of the “proof.”

But, then, “blessed are you who have not seen, but have believed.”

Jesus is not only the promised Messiah, God born of human flesh, he is the crucified and risen Savior of the World.

Which isn’t exactly arguing from history.

Over three hundred fulfilled biblical prophecies, corroborated by non-Christian sources and eyewitness testimony are stubborn facts atheists simply pretend aren’t there.

Wow.  Really?  I mean, sure, the Bible (esp. Matthew) is full of “fulfilled biblical prophecies,” but that’s kind of to be expected.

I looked around at the CADC site for the basis for this assertion, but their “Resources” page is simply an introduction to “Seven Reasons Barack Obama Is Not A Christian.”  Um … right …

Atheists seem to hold a deep-seated, irrational resentment against Christmas and the joyous message of salvation that it declares. They are apparently too proud to admit their sin and need of a Savior, so they flee to “REASON.” Yet, their atheistic reasoning is so inconsistent and depressing.

Oh, those Atheists — so “deep-seated irrational,” so “proud” and “inconsistent” and “depressing.”  It’s a good thing the CADC can try to defend against the defamation of Christianity without defaming others, because otherwise those Atheists sure would be easy targets!

Ahem. So we trot out the standard anti-Atheist memes here:

• Atheists are driven by a resentment/hatred of God/Christ and, by extension, Christmas.  The idea that one might legitimately, honestly question the facts of Christianity, or its theology (itself a tangled web that’s cause Christians to come to blows and blood and the auto-de-fe in the past), is utterly beyond comprehension.
• Atheists are just simply too proud to admit that they are sinful and in need of salvation.  Never mind that some Christians seem to proud over their having achieved salvation over those other poor schmucks who are headed to the Fiery Furnace.

There’s nothing to base these idea on, other than wishful thinking. It’s as silly (or slanderous) to assert that atheists know in their heart that God exists and are simply ignoring Him out of fear or pride, as it is to assert that theists know (ahem) in their heart that God is a myth and are simply going along out of fear or pride.

And, by the way, what is it about REASON that makes it something one “flees” to?  Sign me up with Abraham Heschel, a man of faith:

Without reason we would not know how to apply the insights of faith to the concrete issues of living. … The rejection of reason is cowardice and betrays a lack of faith.

The idea that God created us as Reasoning individuals says to me we are called on to use those cognitive tools that God provided us. I think there is room (at least in my life) for Faith as well as Reason — indeed, as with Heschel, I think both are critical components.  But to dismiss atheists as “fleeing to Reason” is to denegrate one of God’s great gifts to us.

I have always wondered why atheists spend money on billboards to try to persuade others of their position if they really believe their own ideology. According to honest atheists, if there is no God logic dictates there is no truth, right or wrong, or meaning.

Yet some atheists are compelled to live as if what they think is true, and that their lives actually do matter. It looks to me like they didn’t read their Nietzsche very closely and can’t live according to “REASON” after all.

The appeal to “honest atheists” aside, while it is true that some atheists are nihilist (just as some Christians are hate-mongers), and some think Nietzsche is the coolest philosopher ever (just as some Christians think Pat Robertson is da bomb), most of the ones I know do believe in “right and wrong,” do feel that life has “meaning” — but a meaning that they figure out for themselves, and right and wrong as they reason makes sense, as opposed to simply taking what a preacher or scripture or some other blessed authority dictates.

I’m not sure what it means to say that “if there is no God, logic dictates there is no truth.”  I’d look for more education on the subject, but the Resources page is still blathering about Obama being an Evil, Liberal, Radical, False Christian.

As a Christian I understand it’s impossible to make sense of this world and my life apart from God. Jesus Christ alone meets the deepest need of mankind- reconciliation to a Holy God.

As a Christian, I am glad you (whoever you are) find sense in this world and life as informed by Jesus Christ.  Your anecdotal evidence is hardly demonstrable truth, let along logic and reason, that nobody can can do similarly without Him.  There seem to be plenty of people in the world to demonstrate just the opposite, no matter how much you claim it is impossible.

Some of them even seem to be (gasp) atheists.

Reason ultimately ends in hopelessness, meaninglessness and despair.

Because?

Atheists want us to replace “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with “Have Yourself a Nihilistic Breakdown.”

Oddly enough, I don’t know any atheists want anyone to have “Nihilistic Breakdowns.”  In fact, most of them would be happy for folks to have a “Merry Little Christmas” (If I noted that the song is utterly non-religious, other than using the word “Christmas,” would I be being provocative?).

That doesn’t sound very attractive to me. I much prefer a living hope and the supernatural joy of Christ, thank you very much.

And more power to you.  But if you can’t do so without mocking and namecalling of those who feel differently — does that raise you much above the level of what you’re criticizing in others?

This post would not be complete without looking at the comments.  As one might expect, most show all the fervor of the original poster but with half the REASONing.  For example:

We shouldn’t be surprised that someone foolish enough to hate and disbelieve in God would go to all lengths to make others “two-fold more a child of hell” than themselves. They particularly hate Biblical Christianity because Jesus Christ is the one & only way to eternal life.

If one disbelieves in God, why would one hate God?  The underlying accusation here is that atheists not only know that God is real (they actually believe in him), they’re going through the atheistic motions out of hatred of God, and to suck others into their hell-bound maw.  I.e., atheists aren’t just wrong or unenlightened or mistaken, they are intentionally evil.

All I can say here is that this doesn’t match most of the atheists I know.  It’s altogether possible, even likely, that some avowed atheists are actually anti-theists — they believe in God, but they are, in fact, angry and rejecting of their concept of God because of something that’s happened in their life.  But most of the folks I know who are atheists have taken a bit more reasoned  approach to their beliefs (more reasoned than most Cultural Christians), and are a-theists primarily for a reason.

To me, atheist are a testimony to Christianity as they have to name God before they can deny Him. They have just named what they deny.

God is a Magic Name, and if you say it three times, there’s a 2d100 percentile chance that He will appear …

Ah, Pascal’s Wager. What a truly heart-felt, sincere, positive, loving reason to be a Christian. Or a Zoroastrian.  Or a Hindu.  Or SantaClausist. Or …

I continually marvel at just how angry, resentful and even downright hostile atheists will become toward people who are simply exercising their own free will and Constitutional rights to choose what they personally want to believe and follow, just as the atheists have done. If atheists sincerely believe that God, Heaven, Hell, eternity, etc. are all part of some impotent, superstitous myth, why do they care so much that some people might choose to believe in it, even total strangers they don’t even know? That they protest so vehemently tells it all, I think, meaning they actually know the truth, mad as everything at even the slightest reminder. Trying so desperately to hide from the truth, visible, vocal Christians must be real nasty thorns.

Or, maybe, they get tired of Christians arguing that not only are they (Christians) right, but that they (Atheists) know it but are desperately trying to hide from the truth.

Or, framed another way, If Christians sincerely believe that God, Heaven, Hell, eternity, etc. are all real and therefore they are themselves saved, why do they care so much that some people might choose to disbelieve it, even total strangers they don’t even know? That they protest so vehemently tells it all, I think, meaning they actually know the truth, mad as everything at even the slightest reminder. Trying so desperately to hide from the truth, visible, vocal atheists must be real nasty thorns.

(See Matthew 7:1-5)

I will note that some of the commenters are actually reasonable, even suggesting that Atheists are ticked off, not at Christ, but at Christians.

It bothers me, and angers me when Christians act out on their own fears and hatred of non-Christians. If atheists want to challenge the existence of God, lets organize a civilized and publicized discussion about it. Other than that, I say we join the organization American Atheists in promoting the free exercise of religion for all people in this country. The great men of Christ who formed the foundation of this country respected and protected the rights of conscience for all people – we should recognize that the institutional church has not always done so.

Amen, brother.

So, to summarize:

1. I’m not thrilled with the billboard in question largely because it’s confrontational and asserts what people believe in their hearts — as obnoxiously as the old “there are no atheists in foxholes” canard …
2. … or, to turn to this particular CADC post, as obnoxiously as the “atheists hate God therefore they hate people who believe in God because they are too proud and cowardly and sinful to admit they themselves believe in God” calumny.
3. If you can’t protect yourself from defamation without defaming others, then consider simply turning  the other cheek.  It’s not easy, and it’s not something I, for one, do nearly as well as I ought, but, especially for those who claim to follow Christ, it’s what we’re supposed to do, dagnabbit.