Sunday, November 20, 2005

Why do some people refuse to believe?

Okay, this is a post that might make some people uncomfortable, but I LOVE these type of topics. If you want to know who I am, read this blog. You see, I attend a wonderful church in Houston, and lately the series topic is called, IN GOD WE TRUST. And the pastor asks, do we really trust in God, or is it something that's just inscribed on dollar bills. Now, the reason why I really want to bring up this topic of believing in God is because I was looking at the news yesterday. And, as usual, a group of atheists are demanding that the government remove the words IN GOD WE TRUST off of our currency. I got mad. Turned off the TV. And pretty much forgot about it. But today, I am thinking, pondering within myself. Why do some people refuse to believe in God? Why do they expend so much energy claiming that He doesn't exist. And that when people pray, they're wasting their time, talking to the air, etc. One part of me feels sorry for unbelievers. And, to me an unbeliever is different from someone who is weak in faith. A weak in faith person believes in God (in general), but maybe they don't practice their faith on a daily basis. God isn't consuming their heart or mind, but they believe in the Higher Power. On the other hand, an atheist is a person that believes in his heart that there is no God. These people are considered FOOLS according to the Bible. Fools is a strong word.

Now, I for one KNOW that God is everything He says He is. For me it is a JOY to know that the very God that created heaven, earth, everything in it, including man, is alive. He talks to me, he answers prayer, he delivers me when I'm in trouble, he comforts me when I feel afraid, etc. It is a real, powerful, life-changing relationship and I love having that. And I wonder, why wouldn't everyone want this? This is sooo cool. It's fun. Because true believers in God have a special relationship; we have awesome benefits that can't be matched by any Fortune 500 company. I mean, I get chills when I realize all the great things we have by trusting in God. (Eg. I will never leave you nor forsake you; casting all your care on Him for he careth for you;I can do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think; My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory). And it goes on and on and on.

The fact that we can enjoy all these great benefits brings me to this -- some people, atheists, refuse to believe. Why? Because belief means responsibility. It means accountability. In a way, I understand that. No one wants to be accountable these days. We want to do what we want to do, and blame everything else when stuff won't go our way. If we kill someone and it's captured on videotape, we plead Not Guilty. If we lie and claim we are victim of Hurricane Katrina just to get a FEMA check, we say we needed that money. If we fall and slip on a banana outside Wal-Mart, we file a multi-million dollar lawsuit (except people don't realize until later that we planted the alleged banana).

If we are a kid that doesn't something our parents don't like, we lie, or admit we did wrong, but who the heck wants to get a spanking, or be put on a two-week punishment? Very few. So in a way, this is how an atheist thinks. He thinks that if he refuses to believe in God, no matter what, then he won't be accountable. He can live his life however he chooses without consequence. Ha ha. I wish that were so. The laws of God are like this - whether you believe in His existence or not, He is. You can refuse to believe till your brain explores. Nothing changes who God is. Kinda like what goes up, must come down. That's a law. And even if you refuse your best to believe it, it still IS.

I don't know, call me crazy but I think it's much easier to give in and believe in God and find out how awesome He really is, than to spend your entire life doding Him, fighting against Him, just to take your last breath and, well you know the rest. Losing my soul isn't worth it. My soul is too valuable to waste my time hoping that something as critical as believing in God is just a fairy tale.

Now, MTV, that's a fairy tale. People Magazine, the Weather Channel, the Lotto, and all these other things that people put their trust in, those kind of things are nothing, you can't stand on them. They won't save you. Bragging about your $5 million dollar party on South Beach, bragging about how you sold a million books, being proud of the fact that you own 25 buildings in Manhatten (al la Trump), none of that means a thing when you're about to meet your Maker.

I don't know about you but I want to go to heaven when I die. Nothing else is acceptable. LOL. So on this day, for the rest of my life, I choose to believe, I want to believe and even if I do something I shouldn't do (and that will happen), I can let the Lord reprimand me now instead of finding out what the big punishment will be later on down the road.

Think about it.

9 comments:

CydneyR said...

Ghstwriter,
Thanks for your post. People frequently observe that when prayer was taken out of schools, it seemed violence became its replacement. And taking the 10 commandments out of a government facility is two-fold:
1-It means believers haven't done their job to prevent that from happening.
2-You can remove the 10 commandments out of a government building but it still won't weaken its power and effect. Those rules still govern the Supreme Court and every other court whether they conscienciously acknowledge that or not. (Thou shall not kill, steal, lol, can't get away from it huh, even in pagan societies).

So what if atheists took all their energy and reversed it toward something good. Another thing I want to bring up. Remember Madalyn Murray O'Hara. The most famous atheist this country has ever known? Remember how she disappeared years ago? And when they finally found her body, she had died a terrible, traumatic death? Meaning, no person such as Ms. O'Hara would die with great honor. Like Ms. Rosa Parks did. She was sent home in great honor, style, with great rewards. That leaves an impressive impact.

LadyLee said...

What gets to me is that it takes one little doggone lawsuit by an atheist to get something religious removed from anything public. (Remember when a prayer was said before highschool and college football games-- not anymore. One athiest got mad and sued.) I have no idea how and why that is allowed to happen...

So many people are doing all they can to take prayer out of schools, remove God from EVERYTHING, and then when a national disaster occurs, it's like... "Oh... let's have a National Day of Prayer for this tragedy." WHAT?? We should be praying before then... before the storm or crisis...

I could go on and on, but I won't... You said it best...Good Post, Cydney...

CydneyR said...

Whew OldGirl!! LOL. You are sooo right. One little atheist gets her panties in a bunch, and the entire country has to bow down to her? Makes no sense. And you're right. When we have these horrific national tragedies, first thing folks do is get on their knees, run to the church. I've never ever seen people declare "Let's run to the atheists for our help." NEVER! LOL. God is the light that shines in darkness whether people realize it or not. And thanks for bringing up some good pointers. They may not believe but they can't stop others from believers. We know where our help comes from. Yayyy.

Rose said...

I enjoyed your post because I believe in God with all my heart and soul. Folks who don't believe I do feel sorry for them...they are missing out on something special, a love so strong, security in knowing that you are loved and a partner in your success,so I don't understand not believing that there is a God when I look out the window and I see the mountains, the sun, stars, sunset, trees, flowers-must I go on-yes there is a higher power.

I hate that athiests have that kind of power and I believe that there are more Christian out here and we should stand up to those non-believers....thanks for sharing-and I will do everything to make sure that I do not miss out on heaven

Stacy-Deanne said...

Interesting post, Cyd. In all fairness I think that people's beliefs are just their choice. There are certain reasons people do or do not believe in god. I don't condemn others' beliefs particularly. I respect theirs but I don't want people to say that I am any less of a person or less of a good person just because I may not believe in the savior they believe in or pray or worship who they pray or worship to. The point is that we don't have the right to judge people and no one can say believe in god or don't believe in him because that's a person's choice. We all are different, come from different backgrounds and different lives so how can we expect everyone to see a certain way of things. Personally I don't care what anyone thinks about my personal life or my feelings because that is how I am going to live my life. I am not saying I don't believe in god but I am not saying I believe in every single thing people say about it either. The point is that as long as a person is comfortable in themselves and respect others then they can believe in what they want. It used to burn the hell out of me when people thought they could judge others because they didn't believe in what they believed in. I would say, " Who are you to condemn someone just because you think they should believe in what you say believe in? " Most people who go to church every week are the main ones backstabbing and hurting people. It is so much dirt in the churches these days that so many people who went constantly can't stand to go. Most say church now just seems to be about how much money the preacher can earn for a new car. I will support people's beliefs because I support people having the right to believe in what they want to believe. We shouldn't care what others think because they don't live our lives. But it does get to me when some people think that just because they are an avid Christian that they are automatically better than those who are not. I never walked in anyone's shoes but mine so I don't expect them to be able to walk in mine, or whoever's. Anyway, your religion is your personal business. Who you believe in or don't believe in doesn't necessarily determine the kind of person someone is.
Also, I don't think people who don't believe are necessarily people to feel sorry for. No one can determine what happens to anyone when they die or live for that matter. You can believe or not believe and still be comfortable and happy in your choices. This why I don't get into things like religion because I don't want to offend people and with things like this and politics, it's easy to offend but as long as someone is true to themselves then they have nothing to worry about. Just my two cents. Good post. I respect your stand on the subject. Didn't mean to write so much, LOL!

CydneyR said...

Stacy, if you don't believe in God, then it is understandable that you'd have those opinions. If you are a believer, you know firsthand how truly awesome God can be, and it is natural to want others to also know the joy you can receive from knowing that he is alive, and talks to you, guide you and direct you. And observing other people's behavior that are in the church does not excuse anyone who chooses not to believe. If you keep your eyes on God, instead of people, you'd avoid all the bad feelings you might have from watching people in church who's action you don't like. People in church are not perfect, they believe in and depend on God to help them every single day. We've all done wrong, whether we believe in God or not. But he loves us while we're yet sinners. So this is the good thing about it. It has nothing to do with whether or not someone agrees with your faith or not. And yes, I do feel sorry for atheists. Because they are wasting their energy not believing when they could just as easily believe. A lot of times God reveals himself to people, but they choose to reject him. Some are sincerely searching for the truth and they find him. And when people are dying and lost, we should be concerned, there's a better answer out there than to act aloof towards others faiths. It is our personal choice, yes, but at the minimum we should pray for others like others have prayed for us.

Stacy-Deanne said...

First of all I never said I didn't believe in god and my point is that it's no one's business what someone believes in. The problem today is that everyone is too busy worrying about what someone else is doing. If a person believes in god with all their heart and their family does, then why care about the person sitting next to you? Why care where they are going when they die and what they are doing? It's the same with people who don't believe. I believe in CHOICES. I respect people for what they believe regardless and I will always believe that no one has the right to tell someone what to believe in. And there is more than one god because many religions pray to different masters. But I didn't once say I didn't believe in god. But I do believe that people should worry about their own lives instead of others. If a person knows they are saved and is going to heaven then why worry about someone who they think might not be? My point is why does someone need to focus on someone else's choices and life? That's not our business. That's their business. Religion doesn't have to be broken down into what's better and what's worse. Also, no one for sure knows where anyone is going to go when they die until it happens. People have the right to believe in what they feel in their heart. I'd rather know a person like that than one who is a perpetrator and just believing in something just because society tells them to. That wouldn't be honest so what good what it be for someone to pretend to believe in something if they didn't mean it? Why do we always worry about other's faith and lifestyles? If they are the ones paying the price for it that's them right? It has nothing to do with anyone else. We can scream the love of god to the hilt but does that mean that someone who doesn't believe in a specific god or god at all is going to listen? Why is it someone else's business? And visa versa. Plus it sure is funny that Bush claims to be the biggest Christian in the world yet he is taking God and the celebration for God out of everything isn't it? How can he be a born again Christian yet he doesn’t want people to pray, sing Christmas carols, etc? Seems to me that fake-Christians who use their religion for personal gain like he does are the people others need to feel sorry for. Some people go to church every Sunday and it doesn't mean more to them then just a place to sleep. That's a person who could care less about God but just going because they think they should. Most of the people in church stay out all Saturday night at bars then come to church the next day like that's supposed to cover their sins. Also I didn't get into my religion or explain my entire belief because it's no one's business. People should live their own lives and if they are going to pay the price, then let them. I'm just honestly sharing my comment like an adult. I'm not trying to get into an argument or anything. I could care less what others believe in because all I care about is my life and the people I love. But I will always respect someone's choice. I couldn't live in a world where people had to live in a box. I'm through with this. I've said my point and all I can hope is that you understand and at least respect it like I respect yours. It doesn't come down to religion as much as it does to someone's right to be themselves.

Shai said...

OK, Cyd, I know you are a very passionate as myself. So I understand your post. I also know when being an outspoken person, you can make some uncomfortable.

I believe in God but I am not saved. I have to admit with all the messages floating around it can be overwhelming wondering what to believe. So I understand people's doubts, confusions, and so on.

As Ecclesiates (sp?) Ch. 3 says there is a time for everything. So I believe everyone will come into understanding when God has appointed them to.

That being said, Cyd, not everyone is at the place in their life to testify of God's greatness. We are all on a journey with plans and purposes we don't know.

It is easy for you to share your experiences and wonder why others are not turning to God. But remeber at one time you were not where you are at now. I know we must share God's glory but everyone will not be at the same point as you.

Being compassionate with the fact that some of us will be slower to discovering what you have is important. Pray for others and move on. Who knows what may come next for even non-believers.

Anonymous said...

I'm friend with an atheist and I'm not trying to force HER to believe in God, I'm not even trying to convince her because there was a time when I didn't really believe myself until I went through some real difficult experience as a teen and met God. So I understand that a relationship with God and believing in God is a real PERSONAL experience.

You can't prove God's existence to unbelievers, people have to LIVE that experience themselves. So sometimes when my friend asks me questions about God I tell her what I think, what I believe in and why I believe in what I believe in. What I went through and how I didn't believe until a certain ordeal I had to go through. I tell her, I'm not trying to tell her my lifestyle is "the right way", just like she has no right to tell me her lifestyle is the best, we know that her choice is hers and mine is mine, I'm just answering her questions.

Plus some people grew up with no spiritual guidance and just don't know no better. Some unbelievers try to search for the truth and ask questions, others don't care. And they don't realize that you can't put your faith in men, but in the Higher Power. When they see how some believers act (we all sin, so I'm specifically talking about those who aren't EVEN trying to be good, they just say "Praise God" and go to church to protect a reputation, but don't really give a damn), how people start wars in the name of God, and the state our world is in, they blame it on men and claim there's no God, if they never had no guidance and positive models, and people to teach them, I can understand why they don't believe there's a God. I grew up in a religious family and for a while I stopped believing, so imagine someone who never knew jack about faith and spirituality.

So sometimes all I do is pray for the unbelievers I know, or atheists in general. I can't judge them I don't know their lives, their past and experiences.

And honestly, we don't even know how we will be 20 years from now. I've known preachers or passionate believers who don't believe in God anymore, and some firm atheists who are now extra-religious cause they met God. I guess we just gotta pray for everyone and just let God do his job...