Hey atheists, do you feel immoral? Hey Christians, why do many of us believe that the only way someone can be moral is to be a Christian?
As strange as this sounds, when I was an atheist most of my clients were Christians. Some of them knew I was an atheist and still chose to do business with me, but some them just assumed I was a Christian based on the way I worked. Having attributes of putting them first over myself and my profits, being honest and someone of integrity, people just assumed I must have been a Christian. When someone would kind of approach me with the question of whether I believed in God, I would make sure they knew that I didn’t. There was no evidence to convince me that God was real and I just didn’t feel like I needed any help in my life. So, I refuted God and was still a moral person.
Most atheists are also moral people. They believe that they are born with an inherent sense of morality and that they do not need to believe in God to be moral. So, when we Christians talk about atheists as being immoral, in essence we are passing judgment on them without any basis. There is a difference between being a moral person and respecting the Lord’s commandments!
As stated in my earlier post in this series, Proposition 8 in California really isn’t a Christian issue. It is an issue on the law of the state. Should we as Californians really re-draft the constitution to change the original language making marriage to be defined as being between two people regardless of sexual preference in order to conform to some sort of political correctness? In essence that was the basis for this proposition. It had nothing to do with the church or Christianity or God. It was solely an issue of the constitution of the State of California being changed. Either you believe that we have the power and the right to change the wording that California was founded upon or you don’t. Religious people tried to make it their issue and some wanting the constitutional change tried to make it a religious issue.
As much as us Christians really would like to see the day when all the world comes to understand that Jesus lives and wants to have a relationship with his people, we really need to stop trying to convince non-Christians that they cannot be moral without our God. We are not the judges of others and the Bible clearly tells us this. Atheists, may we as Christians come to respect you as a free-thinking person and listen to your perspective without judgment. As a Christian, I may not agree with your rationalization of things from your viewpoint, but I am not here to force my faith upon you. That is between you and God.
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I agree that an athiest can be moral. The Bible says the law was written on our hearts, so people who do not know God know right from wrong, and can still choose to do what is right or moral. Obviously, Christians often choose to do what is wrong/immoral. That is human nature, from the Fall. Which is why all people need Jesus Christ, because all humans are sinners and as such, will continually make immoral/wrong/sinful decisions in life.
Regarding proposition 8 in CA, which sounds like it has to do with the definition of marriage, true it is “an issue on the law of the state.” But I disagree that “It had nothing to do with the church or Christianity or God.” Where does society’s current definition of marriage come from? Marriage has always been defined as something God designed for mankind, one man, one woman, in a monogamous relationship. To redefine marriage as a man-man relationship, woman-woman relationship, or man-woman-woman-woman relationship (polygamy) has everything to do with God, and the Church, and Christianity, and Judaism.
There is always the argument whether or not our country was founded on Christian principles and how much Christianity played into the forming of the laws of our land. The current definition of marriage makes it pretty clear what our founding father’s morality was based on. How can changing that NOT be an issue for the Christian church and an attack on Christianity?
I agree that I think America was founded on Christian principles. In fact, the original pilgrims came over so that they could freely worship with views that weren’t in complete alignment with the Church of England. However, when the issue has to do with the upholding of a law or constitution, it isn’t necessarily a Christian or Church issue. Some make it out to and it may actually be the motivation for certain people, but it isn’t necessarily the basis for the proposition. If atheists are moral and they oppose abortion, is it a Church or Christian issue for them?
However, I do agree that at times there opposing views that are more interested in undermining God and Christianity more so than anything else, such as eliminating the Pledge of Allegiance or taking off “In God We Trust” from our currency.
Thanks for taking the time to read the post and reply :)