Compassionate Atheism - Stone The Preacher

Every now and again a post from this blog gets featured on some atheist site. Atheists respond with a flurry of diatribe, then scurry away, back to their holes, never to be heard from again—until the next posting that rouses their ire.

I laughed and shook my head when I read the following kind and sensitive rants from a man named Frank last week. In response to an article I wrote about my wife sharing her faith in spite of the Bell’s Palsy she continues to suffer from, he scribbled this:

Clearly, God is trying to tell you something! Clearly, your faith in Christ is solid, but yet, God has levered upon your wife things that he levered upon many sinners in the Bible! Clearly, you must be going about faith all wrong! God sends sickness as one means of punishment, as in Hebrews 12. Maybe you should try another religion.

Frank also had some encouraging words for a friend of mine arrested in a Communist country for evangelizing:

Of course, the reason he was arrested may not have had anything to do with the fact that he was agitating, lying, or terrorizing people in that all-too-familiar Christian way. “REPENT,” the spittle-soaked lunatic sputtered, saliva coating his disgusted audience. “IF YOU DO NOT OBEY AND BLINDLY FOLLOW THE LAWS OF THIS COPPER-AGE TOME FOLLOWED BY SO MANY IN THE BIBLE BELT, YOU WILL SURELY WRITHE IN RIGHTEOUS TORMENT, AGONY, AND MISERY FOR AN ETERNITY! YOU DESERVE IT,” he continued, collapsing into a spasmodic, rabid heap.

Yeah, you people are totally sane.

But he reserved his strongest criticism for evangelists after he read a series of articles entitled “You might be a fundy atheist if…”

Ah, more idiotic antagonizing against secularists and rationalists from the snake-oil salesmen known as evangelists, and their shamanistic theology tutors.

Do you not see the absurdity of your beliefs? Talking serpents? The rejection of scientific values and evidence? The abandonment of sanity and “worldly” reasoning in favor of spiritual claptrap?

And you have the audacity to insist that others partake of your venomous delusions!

I took back my preaching stool from a Frank in Huntington Beach; I wonder if it’s him? (Click here to read about that…)

Comments (10)

Paul Latour
May 14, 2008
I was a bit like this guy before God tackled me. Maybe not as vocally venomous but certainly that kind of venom was in my heart.
Today, I THREATEN people who spew venom as a response to hearing the gospel. The threat is voiced with words of a promise to pray for them. I only found out after I was saved that people were doing that for me behind my back. How presumptuous!
But, it pleased God for His Son to die for me. I pray that this fellow’s name is written in the Book of Life. This fool already has what it takes to be a foolish spokesman for the gospel if he were converted. We could use people like him.
I know…let’s pray for him behind his back!
Samuel Skinner
May 14, 2008
Well, the first and third one are reasonable. It is sort of insane to believe in a loving God when you are dying slowly and horribly.
Also, there are no fundamentalist atheists. Fundamentalism implies a return to the fundamentals- atheism is simply a label for those those who don’t believe in God.
Can’t comment on the second- Christians adopt a different approach in communist countries (aka not street corners). Still there are… four communist countries and of them… seriously, it is a bad idea to go to North Korea. Trust me, saving their immortal souls is sort of pointless- they need food a heck of a lot more. I’d recommend your friend go to Nigeria.
Nigeria is going to be the third largest country on Earth… and possibly a proving ground between Christians and Muslims. Plus convincing them that witches don’t exist would be a big plus.
Also, when attempting to show someone how they are wrong, it is recomended that you both respond and give reasons. Although the pictures are a nice touch.
Paul Latour
May 14, 2008
Samuel:
You said “Well, the first and third one are reasonable. It is sort of insane to believe in a loving God when you are dying slowly and horribly.”
Then maybe it is even BEYOND INSANE to believe in a loving God when this same loving God is “slowly and horribly” punishing His only begotten Son to death on a cross in our place for the sins you and I commited.
What we suffer here, no matter how painful, is trivial compared to the eternal suffering God will inflict on those who die in rejection of His provided mercy through Jesus Christ in the here and now.
Mike Watkins
May 15, 2008
Samuel, what is your mission?
emoose
May 16, 2008
I hope you don’t judge all non believers by a few acid tongued jerks. I know i’ve met a few Christians and some of them seem quite nice. I hope your wife recovers quickly. My daughter had it(bells palsy) and I know it can be difficult to deal with.
Steve Sanchez
May 16, 2008
Thank you emoose.
I know that not all unbelievers are that way; It sure seems that you aren’t.
Samuel Skinner
May 18, 2008
So… you are showing God loves us by torturing his son to death? No wait- letting his son be tortured; depends on if you are a free will or determinist.
Needless to say that is insane- if anyone did it they would be put in prison. Not to mention it is human sacrifice- which is ironic because God is all powerful.
Or, in short it makes no sense.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it… this tape will self destruct in five seconds ‘boom’…
Also Steve don’t mistake them attacking your person with attacking your beliefs- although to be fair I am not a shining example.
Paul Latour
May 19, 2008
Hey Samuel!
Context! Context!
Jesus came to die voluntarily, to take the punishment for our sins as our substitute, to appease the righteous wrath of God and provide salvation for the ones (us) who are deserving of punishment but whose faith is in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. God provided an escape hatch from eternal hell for us…HIMSELF! That is LOVE to the max!
Do you not appreciate the freedom that was purchased for you by those who sacrificed their lives for you in the past 2 world wars? As for everyone else, they died for you that you may live free. And that is great and honorable, but that freedom lasts only until the day you die.
Jesus died so that we may live…eternally…in Heaven. But He did not just die and that was that. Believers are going to Heaven because Jesus did not stay dead. He defeated death by rising again.
On Judgment Day, there will be two separate groups of people standing before God. Those who believed and those who refused to believe. Sinners on one side and sinners saved by God’s grace on the other. Heaven for one and hell for the other.
That you do not believe in God does not change the fact that He exists. I pray for people like you. That’s love. And I don’t even know you.
Charles Ollinger
June 27, 2011
I have said this several times in various settings. I am an atheist who despises anyone who casts aspersion, ridicule, or tripe on those of different faith. Also, most atheists do not realize and certainly will renounce the concept that their belief (that God does not exist) is faith based. That is, there is no objective proof of that belief just as there is no objective proof God exists. Neither belief is, to use Popper’s logic, falsifiable.
Nohm
June 28, 2011
Hi Charles. Being that I, a nonbeliever, am not making a positive claim, I don’t need my answer to be falsifiable.
To clarify, the believer makes the claim that God exists. I ask for evidence. Until I’ve been persuaded, I go with the normal “I don’t have any reason to believe that claim”.
Unfortunately, I’ve found that believers’ claims are often not falsifiable… which doesn’t help much in my acceptance of them.

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