From: Dawsonzhu@aol.com
Date: Fri Jul 18 2003 - 05:42:38 EDT
Walter Hicks wrote:
>In the past, I have noted from the Humanist web
>site the names of their prominent members. Quite
>often they are the leaders in the organizations
>cited. Such a high correlation implied to me that
>they are using these media to expose their
>atheistic viewpoints. (e.g. Sagan, Asimov, etc.)
>It's just a suggestion -- I offer no proof.
The fact that they are in these positions is not
so much the question I think. The question is,
"how did things end up this way".
As a person who came to become a Christian in his
adult life, one of the things that kept me out of
the faith was that there were no prominant Christian
role models in the people I looked up to. Not only that,
the place where I heard most Christians speaking from
were movements like the YEC. Such notions were embarassing
to me and did not represent people I could identify with
in any respect.
There are some things that are worth taking a stand on:
injustice, fraud, persistent denial of facts, ignoring
the poor, defending the rights of those who cannot help
themselves, protesting disagreeable things in a constructive
way, etc. These are all things that Christians have
and still do sometimes and I don't think anyone would feel
bad about being classed in the above list. However, what are
we (Christians) most noted for? YEC, intolernace, vituperative
attacks on people we disagree with (even in our own faith),
relentlessly ignoring facts but claiming that we are
listening, and many other things that are quite embarassing
when I think about it too much. It is not like atheists don't
do this also, but we (as Christians) are demanded to obey a
higher standard. In many case, we are not.
Just like us, the atheists (that I am friends with) typically
share a simlar passion for the things I list above. They are
academics like myself. The main difference is that I know I
cannot accomplish it on my own. Human beings in general are
blind, prideful, ideological rather than thoughtful, lazy,
uncharitable, greedy for fame, and filled with a self-deceit.
If I want to get beyond those things and do any good, I have
come to see that it takes God to make me a man who can keep
to these goals.
So I think it is really the people we look up to as we climb the
ladder of education that most strongly influence a gradual
trend toward atheism. Amos and Jeremiah are two OT books that
I can identify with. I find it ironic that I heard more in
the classroom from atheists about questioning injustice in
the world than I ever did from the Christians.
I don't know any NAS folk personally, but peer selection and
gradual identity with the group probably have more to do with
the qualitities that make good scientists. I think Christianity
still belongs in that list, but we have been wasting time on
pointless and useless matters that have nothing to do with
why anyone would ever be grateful that they had chosen the way
of Christ in the struggle toward becoming a good scientist.
By Grace alone we proceed,
Wayne
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