Soulwork
Where to Find the Real Atheists
Lent teaches us how much we Christians hate God.
Mark Galli | posted 4/02/2009 08:44AM
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During Lent, faith becomes stark and simple for a while. We make a small vow — let's say, not to eat sweets for the season. It's a silly vow, which is why many eschew it, thinking it not serious enough. But I have found that the sillier the vow, the more difficult it is to keep. It is the very silliness of the vow that tempts one to cheat: What difference does it make to the cosmic order if I have a piece of candy before Easter? What's at stake, of course, is not the piece of candy, but the vow supposedly made in love and devotion.
It turns out that I apparently don't have that much love or devotion, because I violate most vows within hours. Lent reminds me that, for all my prayers and church attendance and devotion to Jesus and SoulWork pontifications, I'm a practical atheist. I let God into my life when it feels good. And when it doesn't — which is most of the time — I pretend he doesn't exist.
This would be a horrifying reality to face up to if we didn't know another piece of news — that the One who died for us on Good Friday died knowing he was giving his life for a bunch of atheists. Atheists who would populate his church, and take his name in vain. No wonder the church has such a bad reputation. No wonder philosophical atheists hate religion.
As I said, many Christians are upset with the New Atheists, but I wonder if we should be more riled about the old atheists, the ones found in the pews, who proclaim their theism while living like the average pagan. Instead of shaking our heads at the inability of some to believe in God, we would do well to fall on our knees in fear and trembling, recalling that there is a God who, in word and deed, at least believes in us.
Mark Galli is senior managing editor of Christianity Today. He is the author of A Great and Terrible Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Attributes of God (Baker). He also interacts with readers on his blog.
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