ARE ATHEISTS RIGHT?

Sorry, but I must start by saying I believe in God; I believe that He made us and all creation and that He loves us, His creation that He made in His image. (I believe God made and loves all creation.)

I also believe that God made us as He did - with free will, the ability to make our own decisions - for His own good reasons and that eventually we will see why God knows that us having free will, the ability to either accept or reject Him, is more important/essential than the pain and suffering and hatred that we people endure and inflict on each other. That last thing I wrote is the hardest to take - the hardest to believe. By faith I say that God is love. I believe that God is love. I have experienced God's love in many ways.

What I'm trying to say is that I can see why someone might come to believe that there is not any god who created us and all things. It is possible that someone believes NOT in God because they don't think that a god who loves and can do all things would allow our world to continue in such a way with people hurting people. Simply put, the state of the world sees inconsistent with a loving and just God.

I remember back in the 1960's hearing about people loudly saying "God is Dead" or carrying signs that said that. I was a child at that time and if I did think about it then, I thought those were just some smart-alecky, sharp, rebellious people who were saying that. It wasn't until years later that I realized that those thoughts were being expressed two decades after the Holocaust. People had endured horrible cruelty and perhaps a sense of their prayers being unanswered. If the jews were God's chosen people, how could He stand aside and let all those horrible things happen? I can see where it would be less painful to believe that there is no God than to believe that God wouldn't help you and save you or your loved ones.


I asked God about this a few years ago. (I was driving along a particularly beautiful stretch of South Braeswood in Houston between Atwell and Hillcroft at dusk.) I was crying. He knew that I love Him and believe He is good and loving and just. I believe He answered me by bringing to my mind a Bible verse I had heard a few times over the years:
"...He will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
I looked the verse up (in a concordance). It is in ISAIAH, the 25th chapter. Here are more of the faith-filled (and prophetic) words of Isaiah there:
. . . I must stop for now. I'll finish this later.

SMALL VERSUS BIG

I just read Richard Heyduck's post on sequimur.com/banditsnomore (something like that) about technology. In the post, he applied the ideas (from a book he was reviewing) to the more mental/social arena of how we (mainline christians) develop and grow our churches.

That, in turn reminded me of a poem that I have been half-writing in my mind for a few years now.
The poem is titled DARK MATTER DOES MATTER, and it expresses my theory that the things that christians do on a one-to-one basis, deeds of sacrificial love and humility that are out of the spotlight are the things that God God uses to "draw all men" to Himself.
Just as scientists are now finding that matter that has heretofore not been perceived by us or our instruments makes up the bulk of the universe and causes it to "run" the way it does, likewise, in the institution now called the Church, most focus (as Richard also said) is on programs and groups and large events.

Related news: The other day I was at Second Baptist in Houston for a funeral, and was looking at the display that the church had showing activities that take place at their Woodway location, along with aerial photos of the building and grounds. It was very nice; but since I was on the lookout for evidences of people appreciating the importance of one-on-one ministry, I looked to see if there were something like that represented among the photos. You know, of course (since I'm writing this) that there were no photos of one or two people visiting a sick person, or a friend talking to a friend about the Bible with the Bible open between them , or something like that. I suppose that such intimate photos would be out of place in the giant display that I saw. Also, I feel sure that the Second Baptist people DO have an extensive ministry , a coordinating and encouraging and training of the members -informal and formal-for that type of one-to-one ministry. But . . .
That's all for now. Over and out.

Additional Related: You may or may not know that Houston is home to Lakewood Church, pastored by Joel Osteen for the past five or ten years since his father passed away. I have heard Joel preach on the tv enough times to know that I believe him to be a sincere humble servant of the Lord God Most High who loves the people of the world, lost and found, and carefully studies the Word to bring forth an edifying message for those who look to him for spiritual food. I am still struggling with the question of whether a giant church can be for an individual what God wants church to be. Relating to a giant 7,000-plus member organization is not the same as relating to one, two, five or ten others. But where in the Bible (or in nature) is instruction in this distinction? I'm still looking. If someone sees this post and has some ideas (scriptures or natural processes) please write it here.