Mind Bending Ignorance

“Most Christians are really atheists who feel trapped in their family’s religion,”

David Silverman

When you read that, does your jaw drop just a little? As you lean a little bit towards the computer screen does your brow furrow and your mind go, “What? Most Christians are atheists?” 

And this meretricious observation comes via Times Square, from a Bright who is  American atheist's Leader - representing 5% of the population. What kind of logic must less able atheist thinkers possess? 

I have no doubt that there are many, many people who are “trapped” for whatever reason in the beliefs of their parents; children of religious parents and children of atheist parents. But to label someone a Christian because h/her parents went to Church or because the parents were genuine followers of Jesus? Seriously?

As the line goes, “God does not have grandchildren.”

Silverman's line of thinking does explain one thing. It explains how atheists can say, “I used to be a Christian.”

By being a Christian, what people like Silverman mean is:

. I prayed – therefore I was a Christian.

. I got baptised – therefore I was a Christian.

. I read the Bible – therefore I was a Christian.

. I sang in the choir – therefore I was a Christian.

. I took the Sacraments – therefore I was a Christian.

. I was a Pastor / Priest – therefore I was a Christian.

. I taught Sunday School – therefore I was a Christian.

. I tried to be a good person – therefore I was a Christian

. I went to Church with my parents – therefore I was a Christian.

. I had a belief in Christian beliefs therefore I must have been a Christian.

The problem is, Jesus said that none of these things are deciding factors as to who is and who is not a follower or disciple of His, i.e. a Christian. While a follower of Jesus will do these things, doing these things do not a Christian make.

In reality, a Christian is someone who “has an intimate, healed and forgiven relationship with Jesus.

In reality we can have all of the rules and none of Jesus.

Therefore we have on the one hand people like John Loftus and Bart Erhman, who emanate, from a Spiritual perspective, a perfidious stench. It allows them to say with a straight face, “I was a Christian right up until I wasn't.” While on the other hand we have people like David Silverman, and Greta Christina who, if they realised the extent of the ignorance they spew regarding what it means to be a Christian they would hide their heads in shame.

. Being a Christian to these people has nothing to do with relationship and everything to do with behaviours.

. Being a Christian to these people has nothing to do with submission to one's Creator and everything to do with working and striving and following rules.

That's why Jesus warned, “Many will come to Me on the day of Judgement and say, “Jesus you are my Lord, and the proof is in all the things that I've done in Your name,” but I will say to them, “Get away from Me. I never knew you.””

Silverman is hell bent on attacking Christianity but he doesn't have a clue what or who defines a Christian. He and those like Him say that Christianity (the teachings of Jesus) is dangerous but He couldn't tell you one teaching of Jesus that is dangerous.

As I've said many times, “For me, to deny the existence of Jesus the Messiah would be like denying the existence of my wife or children. It can't be done.”

According to Jesus, a Christian is someone who knows Jesus and knows Him as Messiah. A follower of Jesus knows the reality of His existence to the point of acting upon what Jesus Christ taught about Himself, about life, death, sin, forgiveness and the resurrection (His and ours). 

This type of "doing" has nothing to do with guilt or shame or duty and everything to do with gratefulness and love.

Jesus taught that a follower of His is a person who is so certain in the reality of a living Christ that s/he depends upon Jesus alone for salvation. He taught that a disciple of His is someone who depends upon what Jesus calls His Word (The Bible), and upon His Spirit for guidance and strength in daily living.

Like Dawkins and ALL the other leaders in the atheist movement, while garrulous and stentorian to the extreme, they speak of things they know nothing about. 

Merry Christmas
God Bless
Happy Holy Days