Why I Am Not An Atheist
I recently came across some writings by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, and discovered that in 1927 he published a book, ‘Why I Am Not A Christian’.
So I am compelled to write this article, not a book, from the perspective of someone who is a Christian, not seeking to win an argument, but to simply relate from my own personal experience up to this point in my life.
I am not the first to write such a piece, but I always believe that one should never be ashamed of what they believe in and that we should always be forthright in sharing the foundations upon which our lives are built.
So here are five reasons why I am not an atheist.
1. I Am No Fool
Psalm 14: 1 states that the fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ So to believe in your heart that there is a God is to be wise. That makes me no fool.
2. I Am Convinced
‘I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.’ Romans 8:38,39
I am the first to understand why people get angry with what religion has done in the name of God. I identify with those who have lost loved ones with no acceptable explanation. I have experienced tragedy and loss in my own life, and yet I am convinced that God loves me and He loves you.
3. I Have Faith
‘Without faith it’s impossible to please God’, and may I add that without faith it’s impossible to believe that there is a God.
4. I Experience Creation
‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen.’ Romans 1:20
When I awake most mornings, I am met by the sunrise and I am greeted by birdsong. As I walk along the beach I am accompanied by the crashing of the waves. I am surrounded by the sights, the sounds, the smells of a creation that has been created by a creator with a mind that far surpasses anything that we as humans could ever concoct, no matter how brilliant we may be.
5. I Know God Personally
‘With your whole being you embrace God setting things right and then you say it, right out loud: ‘God has set everything right between him and me!’ Scripture reassures us, ‘No one who trusts God like this – heart and soul will ever regret it.’ Romans 10:10,11
This same God has shown himself strong in my life, ever since I acknowledged Him as the God who had created me. He has healed my body of sickness time and again, raised the dead within my own arms, and given me a purpose and an eternal hope. I talk to Him. He speaks to me. He has replaced my fear of the future, and what it holds for me, with faith and peace. My life is guided by two abiding principles – love God, love people.
What I have shared in this short piece is not designed as an all encompassing argument, but rather a short critique of what I have found to be true in my own life.
My prayer for you as my reader is that you make your peace with God while breath is still in your body. But know this. God loves you, and so do I.
Posted: 07/07/2010
