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A Letter to a Common Sense Atheist, part 1

Submitted by Mark Van Steenwyk on October 5, 2009 – 1:03 pmComments
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godEditor’s Note: Out of all things posted here at Jesus Manifesto, the article with the most (several hundred) comments has been From Faith to Common Sense Atheism by Luke Muehlhauser. Luke is a smart young man…and as much as I had hoped to steer him towards a profound faith in Jesus Christ, I ended up playing a part in his deconversion.  Conversation with Luke is always thought-provoking, so when he asked to publish a series of letters back-and-forth, I happily accepted. Below is my first response to his initial letter.

* * * * *

Luke,

Thanks for asking me to engage in this dialogue. I accepted for several reasons. First, I like talking to you…as much as we may disagree, I never find our conversations to be meaningless or fluffy. Secondly, I have to admit that you are right in your assumption that I don’t spend much time examining my basic beliefs about God; It is healthy for me to reexamine the “plumbing” of  my beliefs. Third, I always cling to a faint hope that I will serve a role in your “reconversion.” :)

I am a firm believer that the “truth” of Jesus and his Gospel is tied to its beauty and goodness. The reality that Jesus’ way of life is both good and beautiful lends a weightiness to the truth claims he, and his most devoted followers, make. I tell you this because this perspective shapes how I understand truth. I don’t have a very modernist way of arriving at truth.

Because of this, I’m not sure what is wrong with having my “feelings and relationships” prohibiting me “from examining the grounds of [my] faith.” Not only do I assume that everyone’s feelings and relationship make it virtually impossible for someone to examine the grounds of faith in the way you advocate, I also believe that feelings and relationships SHOULD play a big role in belief. Relationality is at the core of how I understand belief–not something that gets in the way of my epistemology.

So, while I think my convictions are rooted in reason, I also will be the first to acknowledge that they are rooted in mystical experience and personal desire as well. Before I get to your questions, I want to explain what I mean by the “aesthetics of belief.”

I’ve quoted this to you before, but I think it is a helpful to bring up again in this conversation. One of my favorite thinkers (Hans Urs von Balthasar) writes: “Instead of possessing a ‘proof,’ [Christians]‘are’ a reflection of it in their lives. As they respond to the glory of God and reflect it, it shines forth not only for them but for others.” So, Balthasar argues that the non-believer aesthetically perceives the “glory of God” in the life of a holy person. This serves as the best “proof” for the non-believer.

Balthasar argues that it is impossible to have any knowledge of God or verify the truth of revelation apart from actually living within a Christian faith-stance. The individual outside of this faith-stance (the non-believer) is unable to come to the Christian faith of his or her own accord. In order to perceive revelation, “eyes are needed that are able to perceive the spiritual form.” Non-believers are unable to have knowledge of God. The non-believer is struck by the reflection of the Glory of the Lord in the life of the holy person, and as the non-believer is attracted by the holiness of the Christian, s/he is drawn into living a similar life. As this person engages in “Christian experience,” the reality of God begins to take shape. In other words, a person must first participate in Christian experience before one can have knowledge of God. Sure, people can draw implications about God from nature and all of that…but ultimately, people will apply whatever rubric they want to the data at hand. A mountain is pretty, but isn’t (by iteself) an argument for God.

Jesus has no need of apologetics. He shines through. He shines upon everyone who comes into the world and does not deliberately look away. It is my conviction that the Church should not pursue any apologetics for itself, but should instead make Jesus visible–embody Christ. That is why I try to live the way I do–to show the beauty and goodness of Christ.

I realize that one’s own mystical encounters do not provide anything for anyone else to go on. But they have been very potent to me. So much so, that I’ve often remarked that I would disbelieve in God before I disbelieved in Jesus and, if it were to be shown that there was no God, I would still be left with the desire to worship Christ. My experience with Jesus is deep and lasting.

And so, I am left with this strong desire for Christ. It is based upon experience of a mystical sort, but this aesthetic desire for Christ has led to goodness in my life, which has led to an ever-deeping understanding of the truth of the world. And so, beauty has led to goodness has led to truth.

To get to your questions…you ask me to outline (1)”which propositions of basic Christian theism” I affirm and (2) why I believe these propositions are true. Also, you ask (3) how my beliefs about God inform my sense of meaning and purpose in life and (4) what the Christian life means to me.

Before I can say which Christian propositions I affirm as “basic,” I need to know what you mean by “basic.” If by “basic” you mean which beliefs do I hold as justifiable without reference to other beliefs…then I’m not sure I can say I have any basic beliefs, since I am highly sypathetic to postfoundationalism.

My beliefs, however, center on the person of Christ and flow from my own experience of him. As I’ve tried to live more like him, the more he makes sense to me. I put a fair amount of trust in the writers of the New Testament and in those persons throughout church history that most resemble the Christ I know and read about in the New Testament. This is all highly subjective and deeply relational, but that is how all relationships work.

My sense of purpose comes from trying to live in such a way that best shows Christ to the world–my community tries to live simply and hospitably. We try to include “strangers” and “marginal” people in our attempts to create a little pocket of humanity that conforms to Jesus’ teachings. The Christian life, to me, is about living like Jesus, by the empowerment of his Holy Spirit, in the context of a community of love. For us, this means embracing simplicity (seeking a sustainable life with a proper relationship to possessions), hospitality (inviting friends and strangers to share our life together), prayer (being rooted in life-giving spiritual rhythms), and peacemaking (breaking our addiction to power as we get in the way of violence and injustice). But to me, Jesus isn’t simply an exemplar of this–but the source of this.

So, I have some questions for you, Luke:

1) What drives your desire to engage people of faith regarding the unreasonablity of their faith?
2) You’ve said before that Jainism is a more ethical religious system than Christianity…I’d like to hear more on that.
3) What, do you believe, gives your life purpose and meaning?

  • Nice picture.
  • I humbly submit to you both, and ask only that you both look directly at your original face. I don't know that I have the honesty available to my weak and cold quivering self to even begin to give a statement with a point. However, even though [as Mark knows] I would not describe myself as a Christian or even a Buddhist (although I have described myself a sort of Buddhist monk on occasion) I can't help but honestly feel the Truth behind this letter. And although I seem to shy away in what is probably some sort of shame from Balthasar I can even more honestly confirm the Goodness, Truth, and perhaps most importantly the Beauty of the Marks life. I have experienced him in action and will always have more faith in and respect for Christians since I met him.
    Also, I'd be interested as to what both of you think about Feuerbach and his interpretation of God and purpose.
  • Orrin
    Who is this Orrin guy what a jerk.
  • Orrin
    I meant. Who is this Orrin guy? What a jerk!
  • penneyworth
    In your response to me, you said "our continued existence into forever-ness as we participate in the Divine nature is dependent upon a transformative relationship with Christ. That doesn’t mean that 'if you don’t believe X and Y and do Z you are going to hell.'" So you have said what it doesn't mean, but can you say what it does mean? Do you posit any clear concept of the afterlife, and how one attains the good version of it? Since I find the idea of human sacrifice to "attone" for sins horrifically immoral (whereas many christians see it as beautiful), do you believe that I will therefore be tortured?

    Also, I find it to be vague when jesus says "I came not to bring peace, but a sword..." or something like that. What is your interpretation of that verse and others like it?
  • mariakirby
    I may be jumping the gun, but I thought I would try and answer Luke's questions from my own perspective since they are very good questions: (1)”which propositions of basic Christian theism” I affirm and (2) why I believe these propositions are true. Also, you ask (3) how my beliefs about God inform my sense of meaning and purpose in life and (4) what the Christian life means to me. I probably don't have the rigor of a mathematician, and I am not necessarily trying to provide a proof for my faith, but give a logical and clear explanation without a lot of Christian jargon.

    I have been made with the capacity, understanding, and choice to love.

    I believe this is true base on my experience. There seems to be times when there is a positive spiritual bond between myself and other things/persons. This spiritual bond seems to create an awareness of the needs of others or myself. I experience others caring for me in ways I cannot explain through a simple contractual equity. I care for others when there is no expectation of return benefit, or where the return benefit is not commensurate with the care expressed. This is something I can choose to do or not. I call this phenomenon in myself and others, love.

    There is a higher power.

    I believe this is true because of empirical observation. I know that I, as a human, am not the strongest power. There seems to be a life force that makes us alive over which we have no control. People survive the seemingly impossible, and people die with seemingly no explanation. We cannot instantly will ourselves to die. If we are sick, we cannot instantly will ourselves to get better. And yet, there are those who get well through spiritual means when medically there was no hope. These instances of miraculous healing have occurred throughout history and have witnesses. I do not claim that all ‘miraculous’ healing claims are true, but that some are, and that those that are provide evidence of a higher power.
    I believe there is a higher power for other observable reasons as well, such as the serendipity confluence of events which works things out –sometimes before I was even aware of the potential problem, the awesomeness of creation, and my own limited ability to think, perceive beauty, power to create, and ability to love. I don’t know how it is that I am self aware or that I think, yet I know that I am and that I do. I don’t believe beauty is definable yet I know what is beautiful. I don’t believe that love is definable and yet I understand what is love.
    I know I can think of and make reality things that don’t exist yet; that is an awesome power. I see things coming into being that didn’t exist before without my (or other human) interference. I infer that those things were thought of and somehow made by another force, a higher power. I infer that my existence was at some point a result of a higher power bringing into existence that which gives me life and sustains me.

    The primary characteristic of God is love.

    I believe this is true through inference and logic. I love what is beautiful. I love what I create. Because of my love for what is beautiful or what I create, I work to preserve it. If a higher power preserves life through a miraculous healing then it would be logical to assume that the higher power loved that life. If beauty is created by some higher power, then I would infer that the higher power also loved that which was beautiful, not only because it was beautiful, but because it was the product of the higher power’s creation. It would seem that the primary motivating force behind the actions of creation and preservation would be love. If love is the primary motivating force of the higher power then it may be logical to assume that love is the primary characteristic of the higher power.
    I would like to call that higher power God.

    I am accountable to my creator.

    I believe this is true through inference from my personal experience of being a creator.
    The relationship between the creator and the created object is interesting. What is created is an expression or extension of the creator, but does not define who the creator is. A creation is the possession of the creator unless he gives it away. The creator is free to destroy what he created as long as it is still his possession. Even if the creator gives his creation away, he is responsible for the consistent functioning of that creation. This is true even if what he creates is autonomous. What a creator makes affects others, so others hold him accountable for the impact of what he creates. He receives commendation for positive impact and criticism for negative impact. In our society, a creator can be fined or imprisoned if what he created hurts or destroys others and/or their property. Because a creator is accountable for his creation, his creation is accountable to him.
    So by inference, if I am created, then I am accountable to my creator, even if I have the free will to choose to do things I was not created for. If I am created, then my creator is free to destroy me. And if I behave in a way that is harmful to others, my creator is obligated to either repair me so I don’t malfunction or to destroy me.

    Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

    I love my creations, by inference, I assume that whoever created me would love me. Reciprocating the love given would be an equitable, if not the most important, action a created being could do for their creator. Only a love that involves our whole being is good enough for one who created our whole being. A partial love is not much love at all.
    Loving God is where belief becomes faith through action. Loving God is all about loving who God is: love, beauty, patience, kindness, mercy, justice, creativity, etc. Loving love is about expressing that characteristic, about making it a characteristic of ourselves. The more we live out the characteristics of God, the more we become an expression of God himself as his creation. The best love for God comes from making the most of who he created us to be.

    Love your neighbor as yourself.

    I believe in this directive because it is in just about every religion in one form or another. It is one of the few things humanity throughout time has consensus on. I believe in this directive because it is the basis for society. It is drawn from our own hardwired sense of equity, providing both justice and community. I believe in this directive because it is an extension of loving one’s creator since each created being is an expression of the creator himself. A person’s neighbor is the subject through which their love for their creator becomes action.

    Love is stronger than hate.

    I believe that love is stronger than hate because of my observations of how love and hate operate.
    Hate is destructive. Hate perpetuates itself through injuring others. If a person received injury as a result of hate, but did not lash out at others, then the hate would not propagate past the original offender. When the offender dies, his hate dies with him.
    Love on the other hand gives life. The love of the sun gives light so the plants can live. The love of the plants gives life to the insects and other herbivores, which in turn give life to carnivores. As each one gives to another, its own life is diminished, but there is more life over all.
    What we see in the natural world we also see in the economic world. When we give of our time, our resources, and creativity, when there is trust, honesty, and equity, then the economic pie gets bigger. When there is greed, deceit, graft, and thievery, then the economic pie gets smaller.

    Jesus is the embodiment of forgiveness.

    This is the core proposition of basic Christian theism, without this there is no Christian belief. However, it is difficult to understand this proposition with having an understanding of the previously stated beliefs.
    I believe that Jesus is the embodiment of forgiveness because I understand what love is. Love is caring for another’s well-being. Love is giving without the expectation of return. Love forgives. Love can be felt, but it is also a choice. My understanding of love is not a provable axiom, but commonly accepted assumptions.
    Since I find myself with the ability to love and yet fail to do in every circumstance, I perceive a need to be forgiven. My lack of love, like hate, causes injury. Earthly justice provides for only an equitable counter injury, similar to an eye for an eye, and, in its own way, propagates the injury in a similar to how hate operates.
    True forgiveness operates as if the injury had never occurred. It is the cancellation of all the debt. Instead of an eye injured in return for an injured eye, the original injured eye is healed back to normal functioning. Justice is served through restoration. It is through the life giving power of love that we have both forgiveness and justice.
    The power of love to restore is not a human or earthly power. It is a higher power. It is the power of God; a God who has the power to create all that has been created; a God of love; a God of life.
    The story of Jesus is about a man who experienced hate but returned love, who experience injury, even death, but who had the power of love to be raised to life. The story of Jesus is about true forgiveness that restores justice through life. The story of Jesus is about a creator who gives his creation the capacity to love, the choice to do so, and the power to be restored to loving relationship through the creator’s forgiveness. Jesus embodied the forgiveness of God.
    The amazing thing is that this forgiveness of God is not just for those who killed Jesus, but has been extended to all who need forgiveness. For if he has the power to forgive one, he has the power to forgive all. And since God has the power of life, all who seek forgiveness from him are restored to life everlasting with him.

    God empowers us to faith, hope, and love.

    I believe that God gives us his power of life for love, acts of faith, and visions of hope. I believe this is a logical conclusion based on the previous arguments and observations. I believe it is through the power of God that the Christian life is different from all other religions. Christians receive grace freely and therefore are able to freely give grace. Christians visualize not just a life after death, but a life in the present that has victory over hate and its scepter of death. And Christians act on that vision through faith to bring the power of life and love into all the world.
  • If this is true, Mark (and I think it probably is):
    In order to perceive revelation, “eyes are needed that are able to perceive the spiritual form.” Non-believers are unable to have knowledge of God. The non-believer is struck by the reflection of the Glory of the Lord in the life of the holy person, and as the non-believer is attracted by the holiness of the Christian, s/he is drawn into living a similar life. As this person engages in “Christian experience,” the reality of God begins to take shape. In other words, a person must first participate in Christian experience before one can have knowledge of God.
    Then what does this say about the possibility for meaningful dialog about faith and Jesus with unbelievers (at least committed, militant unbelievers)?

    Could this be part of the reason Jesus often communicated in mysterious parables?
    Jesus said to [his disciples], "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; that they should turn again, and be forgiven."

    ...With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to [the people], as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. (Mk 4.11-12, 33-34)
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