The Changing Face of Evangelicals

Here is an interesting post by Joel Carpenter, a church historian, on the changing demographics of evangelicals as a result of immigration. Will we soon see the disintegration of the Religious Right in American politics? I think so.

Why Pete is an Atheist

I work with a master bulldozer operator named Pete. He is probably about sixty-five years old, and he has had more interesting experiences than anyone I have met, ranging from countless jobs all over the United States to meeting French President Charles De Gaulle. Pete and I often have discussions while we are working, and during one of these I learned that he is an atheist. I picked out three particular arguments from his explanation of his (dis) beliefs that demand the attention of Christians if we want to relate to people like Pete.

The first and most powerful argument that Pete used to explain his atheism is the existence of evil in the world. Pete's wide range of experiences have shown him many glimpses of the horrible things that happen to human beings. “When you go to a children's hospital,” he explained, “and see all those disfigured limbs and diseases, and the looks on their faces—no, there's nothing. You die, and that's it.” Here Pete is giving voice to the classic theological problem of evil, that is, that an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God can permit evil to exist. As Christians, we need to be sympathetic to people like Pete and acknowledge that we haven't solved the problem of evil instead of acting like it isn't a problem.

Pete's second reason for his atheism is his disillusionment with the institutional church, particularly the Catholic Church. “God said, 'Make no monument in my name,'” Pete told me, “but these people build great big buildings with statues inside, and burning candles...That's all nothing, theres more religion in that tree over there than in all those buildings” Here I am in wholehearted agreement with Pete. Often the church has become so obsessed with itself that it forgets to follow God, and in doing so it alienates and confuses unbelievers. Have we invented a gospel that places the Church above the Kingdom?

Lastly, Pete has perceived the lamentable and unnecessary gap between science and faith. He seems to think that both the scientific method and the theory of evolution are in direct conflict with Christian theology. Again, here I highly sympathize with Pete. Christians have gone out of their way to portray science as irreconcilable with the Bible. Instead, they should be thoughtfully trying to match up natural revelation with special revelation. Perhaps people like Pete would respect Christians if they didn't always seem to be on a crusade against higher learning.

So those are the lines of reasoning that Pete uses to justify his atheism. The problem of evil, anger at the institutional church, and questions about science are probably among some of the most common barriers that keep people from God (Christianity's claim to exclusive truth might be another). We would benefit from a more open and honest dialogue on these issues.

Science and Religion

Check out this audio feed of a lecture by Alvin Plantinga on the subject of "Science and Religion: Why Does the Debate Continue?" It is fairly lengthly, but fantastic throughout, especially the solipsist jokes at the beginning.

Oh, hey!

It's been a while.

A lot has happened in life since I last posted...nothing of which is blog-worthy.

Goals for the summer: lots of reading, writing, and photographing.  We'll see what comes of that.

First Thoughts on Final Things

I find it interesting that there seem to be two extremes in the way different churches think about the end times. On one hand, there are those Christians who obsess over eschatology. They try to systematize the various prophetic passages of the bible into a very complex and rigid framework for the end times. Some also feel the need to lend a hand in making these projections come to pass through political means, while others become downright neglectful of the work that needs to be done in our time. This end times mania can be almost gnostic in its disregard of the present.

On the other hand, there are those Christians who react to the former position by ignoring eschatology completely. Some dismiss eschatological discussions as mere speculation and trivial distractions from the work at hand. At different times, I have found myself in both of these camps. But I think that there must be balance between them. While its true that we need to be bringing God's kingdom to the earth in the present, I think Christians are aided in this task by actively hoping for good things to come.

In reading the Bible, one cannot avoid the conclusion that hope for the future was constantly on the minds of its authors. Remember how Paul talks of the hope of Christ's return and our resurrection in almost all his letters. And think of Jesus' frequent teachings and parables about the future, both concerning his return and the coming day of judgment. And obviously more specific attention is given to the last things in both the book of Revelation and in those obscure minor prophets hiding in the middle of the bible.

So what benefits can be draw from all this “enduring hope" and being “well prepared?" Here's a few thoughts. First, perhaps this forward thinking keeps us from getting tied down here on earth, keeps us “strangers and pilgrims” who are “looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland." Hopefully this kind of thinking will lead us to “store [our] treasures in heaven.” This does not mean that we should withdraw from the world and leave it to destruction, but it means that we shouldn't let our roots go too deep here.

Secondly, having hope for the future gives us plenty of work to get involved in. After all, the master could return at any moment, and we must be ready to show him how we have stewarded the resources he has given us. I think this knowledge of coming accountability can motivate us to take care of the world, be smart with our money, and share our truth with others.

Thirdly, Christ's return offers the only solution to humanity's problem with evil. Up until now, all creation has been groaning under the curse, and we too should join in ardently praying from relief from our deliverer. Amen, come Lord Jesus.