The New Atheism by Kevin Beck
Once again I am blessed with wonderful friends that are gifted with words of grace and truth. I am so busy at this time getting my school buses to pass state inspection but my friend Kevin Beck sends me love and wisdom through his writtings each week. The following is worth our time to read.
I’m an Atheist!
This probably isn’t any great new revelation. If you’ve read anything I’ve written or if you’ve talked to me during the past few years you already know this fact. I’ve been professing my atheism for a long time in various venues online and in person.
Right now you might be thinking I’m joking. Let me assure you; this is no joke. Ok, so if it’s not a tall tale, then maybe I’m only exaggerating to make a point? Once again, let me dispel that idea. This is no overstatement. I’m completely serious and have not embellished my beliefs just for the sake of hyperbole.
At this point perhaps you’re asking, “Kevin, have you lost your mind? You write and talk about God every day. You help people find ways to experience a deeper spiritual life as they connect with the divine presence within.” I haven’t lost my mind—at least not that I know of. It’s true that I do write about God in life, and by the grace of God I’ll keep doing that for a long time to come. But—by the grace of God—I’m still an atheist.
You may be wondering: how can an atheist speak with integrity about God, spirituality, and grace? Let me explain my style of atheism.
In his best-seller, The God Delusion, Oxford don Richard Dawkins presents an exacting refutation of the existence of God. He suggests that humanity’s belief in God “teaches us not to change our minds, and not to know exciting things that are available to be known. It subverts science and saps the intellect.”
Dawkins rejects what he calls “fundamentalist religion.” This type of creedalism pictures its god as a cosmic Mafioso who bullies people into kowtowing before him. He vindictively thrashes those who intentionally refuse to acknowledge his majesty and those worship him in an honestly mistaken manner. We all stand under the judgmental gaze of this god who waits to destroy the universe—and he has an itchy trigger finger. This god arbitrarily answers prayers and will eternally reward a few righteous souls while punishing the vast majority of us based on criteria known only to this god and his select few.
I offer a hearty amen to Professor Dawkins’ desire to deconstruct this (mis)understanding of God. I don’t believe in that heartless, distant, command-barking god either. However unlike Dawkins, popular views of a self-absorbed, vindictive, and violent god have not caused me to repudiate God all together. Instead, they have helped me to find new ways of seeing and experiencing God. Because I don’t believe Tony Soprano ought to be a more embraceable figure than God, I’ve come to see God in a different light—one that has been shining all along.
Consider this stirring passage written by the apostle Paul. “Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1Corinthians 13:4-8).
Now, go back though those few lines and substitute “God” for Love. Take a few minutes to meditate on each one of those characteristics as divine expressions. Each depiction opens a universe of creative and re-creative possibilities. God does not seek his own. God is not provoked. God bears all things. Does that sound like the short-fused god who sits angrily removed from humanity as he waits for us to make the slightest misstep so he can inflict unspeakable torture?
So, how does all this make me an atheist? Nearly two millennia ago, traditional Roman culture labeled the earliest Christians as atheists because they refused to acknowledge the empire’s conventional deities. In that mode, I count myself amongst a growing number of people who decline to accept the image of God customarily found in our empires. Perhaps this means we’re atheists. If Love makes us atheists, so be it. I’d rather Love and be considered an atheist than to withdraw from humanity or to hate people and be considered a pious believer. Maybe Love is the new atheism. You can call it whatever you wish. But for me, to believe in Love is to believe in God because God is Love. This is the God I know.
And if it seems evil to you to Love, choose this day who you will serve: the tribal god who accepts the exclusive class of people who think the right thoughts and perform the proper rituals at the appointed times. Or the confused god who says he loves everyone, but has a hard time showing it. In the words of Paul, “My beloved, flee from idolatry.”
For me, I will see God in every act of love, every generous deed, every kind word. I will open my heart to the poor and the lonely and the sick—and when I do I will sense the presence of God. I will look through the facade of ethnicity, gender, political persuasion, and even religion to see individuals bearing the divine likeness. I subscribe to the dream of Mother Teresa “that before they die all people will know they are loved.” I will embrace an atheism that celebrates, “god is dead. Long live God. Long live Love.”
Excellent observations from Kevin. And if my choosing to believe in a benevolent God who came in human form to save EVERYONE and bring EVERYONE to the knowledge of the truth is tantamount to a new atheism, then I’ll wear that “label” proudly.
I, as well, believe in a God of love but to assume or mis-label the view of God as “angry removed from humanity” is simply wrong. That is not what orthodox/historic Christianity teaches nor how one must see God if not through the eyes of universalism. I respect your view of God our Father. I respect that you hold to the doctrine of universalism but to paint God in this light as the only alternative to your doctrine is tiresome. That is not how I or the majority of faithful Christians view Him.
Be Blessed.
Hi Kevin. I think what you describe is superstition that people (often people under the power of manipulation) hold in the place of a relationship with the Living God. It is that superstition that holds God far way and it is Jesus Who reveals Him and draws Him near.
I personally have no conflict with a God of love Who is also angry with sin for sin is the disease that kills God’s children and superstition is one manifestation of that disease. God hates sin but He loves all who are afflicted by it.
It is true that early Christians were thought to be atheists and that was because of their lack of religious observance. Many who are up to their eyeballs in religion and the observances that it requires would also call me an atheist or even worse, apostate but I know that I belong to Jesus and that is enough for me. When He was revealed in me, all superstition was gradually pushed aside; even the superstition of atheism. To truly believe there is no God is delusion indeed.:0)
Pam
Hello all,
I have a few questions. What do you consider a sin to be? God hates sin? Does he really? Or is it that what he hates is knowing the kind of pain it will cause for us. It is self-inflicted. We create sin, but without it some of us do not learn to love. Does God hate that Pam just described Kevin’s thinking as delusional? Who is it delusional for, society, Pam or Kevin? Another question is who gave God the label of being God? Was it man? Who gave the atheist the label of being an atheist? Is this man as well?
Last, why the labels? Universialism, christianity, etc… Why do we feel the need to put ourselves in a box with a label?
I have not had a verbal conversation with God to ask him if his name is God and I didn’t get to know Jesus for myself. I can only rely on the stories that have been told and what my spirit feels. I do know this for certain. We are all connected to each other through love. It is up to us to do what we want with it. We can label it. We can try to stand in a pulpit and preach about it. We can organize groups for it, but in the end we are all connected to it.
Hi Mindy,
I don’t think that I labeled, Kevin. That was not my intent any more than I think he intended to label himself as a true atheist. I think he is saying he does not believe in god as he is painted by traditional church teaching.
I define sin as anything we do apart from the guidance of God. To sin is to seek one’s own godhood. Yes, God hates sin because He wants us to live and not die. There is no life apart from God. Separation from Him is death.
In any event, I can’t teach you God. He is learned and known through His own revelation of Himself and that revelation is Jesus.
I don’t see the reality of the connection you claim in everyone. I am yet learning to love as God loves and I know there are many, many more who are still bound by hate. I believe, this will be changed when Jesus is fully reavealed to all and my hope for my fellow creatures is in that revelation.
Thanks Pam for the conversation and I do apologize if I offend.
I truly believe that noone or nothing can be seperated from God. Even when we don’t acknowledge love (God) we can never be seperated. Noone will ever love like God. We all sin. Why do we sin? Because we are imperfect and also because we are afraid of this God that is preached about. We should not be afraid to think for ourselves and accept that we are loved no matter what we do. I believe our minds become more opened to other things like our strange connection to each other. Why do we all relate to music? Why did we come together as a nation and help others who need our help? Why do we want to help another nations by sacrificing our own lives for them? I believe that this connection with each other is God revealing himself.
Oh, Mindy,
You would have to try much harder than that to offend me! It isn’t offensive to me to be disagreed with. I do hate misunderstanding and I think when we are discussing God and what we each know of Him, we often trip over words and think we are much farther apart than the reality.
I would word what you have said this way: All things are in Christ and held together by Him. When we imagine ourselves outside of Him, it is then that we are delusional but God knows just what each of us need to snap us back into reality. Sin still exists but God is no longer counting sin because Jesus paid the price of sin for all of us and when He gives us faith to believe as such, that is the moment in which God is revealed to us and through the power of Jesus Christ living in us, we are freed from sin. It can take some time before we comprehend that our salvation is not just about the church, or it took some time for me, but instead God has chosen to reveal Himself first to those who are not wise but are as the Bible teaches, base according to His Mercy. That Mercy that is now demonstrated in the church will in the dispensation of the fullness of time also be demonstrated in and to all. I know now that if Jesus can save me, He can save anyone and everyone and that truly is the purpose of my calling, it is a part of God’s plan for saving the entire Creation. He desires that none should perish and my hope for all living is in God’s desire. Nothing will be lost to God by the destruction of sin and death.
That is the portion of revelation that I have received up to this point in my life and God continues to reveal more of Himself to me every day. I share this not to make you believe like me, only He can reveal Himself to each as He chooses to do, but because I love Him so much, I can’t help but speak of Him! My hope is that my words would not cause you to see me but that by speaking of Christ as He is in me, you might see Him and be encouraged. I suspect that you have much the same desire.
Pam
Great discussion from everyone. I happen to agree whole heartedly with Kevin on this but also appreciate everyones input.
Mindy…..you are wise beyond your years even if you are my daughter.
Cliff,
AMEN to the wise daughter!
I can’t wait to meet her in 9 DAYS!
That’s right ONLY 9 DAYS to Grace Gathering 2007!
Peace
Geo
I agree cliff,any converstion that highlights the love of God is one that is never tiresome to hear.As Paul said,in eph3v19,.And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.Yes cliff, it is love that he wants to fill us with.And he wants us to be full of it.
J&P,
kenneth.
I wouldn’t say I am wise, but thank you soo much for such wonderful comments and most of all thanks to Pam for sharing with me her thoughts. I sincerely appreciate it. I can’t wait to meet everyone!!
Mindy,
Sweetie, thanks for being so kind as to thank me for what others sometimes grow weary of! I’m a bit oppinionated, (maybe more than a bit) but I mean well. Thank you for seeing that.
Pam
Pam,
Thank you for seeing the same in me. I can truly feel from you that you mean well as do I. I hope to never grow weary of someone who is trying as hard as I am to just be who we are. It is funny, but I think my biggest struggle is when I grow weary of myself. LOL
LOL! I don’t think that is a struggle, honey, that is a strength.:0)
Pam
A strong Woman vs A Woman of strength
I just have to post one last thing. This one is for me and Pam
A strong woman
isn’t afraid of anything…
but
A woman of strength
shows courage in the midst of her fear…
A strong woman
won’t let anyone get the best of her…
but
A woman of strength
gives the best of her to everyone…
A strong woman
makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future…
A woman of strength
realizes life’s mistakes can also be God’s blessings and capitalizes on them…
A strong woman
walks sure footedly…
but
A woman of strength
knows God will catch her when she falls…
A strong woman
wears the look of confidence on her face…
but
A woman of strength
wears grace…
A strong woman
has faith that she is strong enough for the journey…
but
A woman of strength
has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong…
Yum!!*******tears mixed with smiles*******Through you, I have been greatly blessed!
“Now” that’s sisters to be proud of. Forgetting about us all men. Ha!Ha! You are both gems.
kenneth.
Hi all,
Great conversation. And thanks for the guys here at BG for posting my stuff.
JP,
Thank you for your comments and gentle but straightforward reminder. I have no doubt that most people who hold to a view of God as someone who sends billions of people to eternal torture who not label God as angry or removed. I used to be one of those people. I preached every week, telling people that they must “obey the gospel” in order to accept God’s love. On my article, I am drawing from my experience. As I look back at what I believed and how I felt and thought about God, I now see that I did believe God to be angry and removed. I know a lot of people who felt and feel the same way. I’m thrilled that you’re not one of them. I was. Also, as you know we’re all somewhat blind to ourselves. Back then I didn’t see God as angry. However, that speaks more to my awareness of myself than to the reality of my view. I hope that makes some sense.
Hi Pam,
Thanks for your kind words. I agree that our ideas (superstitions as you put it) about God shape our view of God. You and I see things a little differently, as I would say that God has already eliminated the death/separation that sin caused. That “gap” is gone. Physical death, as I see it, is not a manifestation/result/punishment of sin. Death, in a biological sense, can actually be generative. In other words, death actually comes before life. At least that’s my VERY condensed view. I have a conference talk soon to be released that explores this at length.
Thanks everyone for sharing. I feel very blessed. Also, please keep two friends of mine in your prayers. They were in a motorcycle accident earlies this week, and one is still in the hospital. The healing process may take some time. Meanwhile, I’ll be on the road to visit them. Thanks.
Kevin
Kevin,
We can only give one another our condensed view and that is probably what makes it so important for us all to share how we view God. None of us can fully understand Him in this lifetime but together our view is made more complete and all the completeness of us all is held in Jesus. In that single name, in His holy person, lies all that I believe and know of God and truly, He is enough. There is nothing to add.
There is healing in His wings and I know He will heal your friends in His time. I pray that they may be comforted by the knowledge of His presense.
Pam
Many times I have heard “good preachers” defined as those who preach “hell fire and brimstone”.
If I were asked by these “good preachers” if I believe in their God I might well respond that no I don’t. As far as their view of God I guess that I too am an atheist. But as a result of the gift of the faith of Christ, I do believe in a God of bold extravagant grace. I no longer can believe in Him being otherwise.
There is a measure of that faith given to us all I think and I am finding that the view of God as unconditionally loving and forgiving provides so much more of what causes that seed to grow in others.
God truly gives only good gifts.
It is God’s goodness that brings us to repentance. He contrasts sharply against what many of us know in the world or that is what it was like for me.
Pam