Sometimes browsing the internet can make you angry. In reading that statement, more than a few of you have certainly thought of the user-submitted content site Reddit. On Reddit, one of the many topics that tends to make it far up the karma list and onto the front page daily is that of atheism. But this aint your friendly neighborhood atheism. The stereotype of the posts in /r/atheism tends to be that of self-congratulation, intolerance, and militancy. And honestly, from what I have seen, almost everything that makes it to the first ten or so pages is just that. In addition to the stereotype, I have also noticed a trend of general ignorance about religion. The criticism I see is rarely insightful, oftentimes based on stereotypes and misconceptions. Of course, I acknowledge that many atheists on Reddit are reasonable and do not share in this intolerance and ignorance. But, the fact that the most prominent posts, and therefore the posts most approved of by the community, are those that meet the stereotype causes one to think.
/r/atheism does not seem to spread its criticism evenly. Out of all the atheistic posts that reach the first few pages, one will notice that nearly every one of them targets Christianity. Perhaps this is because most Redditors live in the United States and in Europe, where the Christian faith is most prominent. Or perhaps it is because Western culture and civilization has been rooted in Christianity for the past 1500 years or so. Whatever the case, those who make the Sign of the Cross don't seem to be much approved of by the mainstream atheist redditor crowd. The fact that anti-Christian posts tend to make it to the front page testifies to this.
As I mentioned before, I notice a general trend of misunderstanding in the most popular anti-Christian posts. And, as a partial student of theology, I would like to use this blog to offer my response to these threads; to both correct the misconception and to muse on the worldview that it stems from.
And to start, we have the following post:
The picture presents us with two ways of living: the idealistic and the realistic. The idealistic and naive theists only pray for those who are hurting and in need of help, while the realistic and sensible atheist will actually give you the help you need. The creator of this image likely does not really think that theists pray instead of calling a doctor to help sick people, but rather, he or she probably feels that by getting a physician to aid those in need, the theists are negating prayer and being hypocritical by implying that their god cannot save the injured person. The underlying belief here seems to be that the spiritual and physical realms, and conversely religion and science, are so seperate, that they can never be together.
But of course this is not the case. Christians believe that God works through people, and this includes those who save lives. We pray for God's Blessing and Salvation, but we also know that we have a human duty to help our fellow man, and that God honors those who perform their duty, whatever it is. The Christian lawyer does not serve God by only prayer during a trial, for this in doing this he would be neglecting the talents God gave him. Rather, he serves God by fulfilling his duty to represent his client's interest the very best he can, and he prays for wisdom while doing so, not rather than doing so. No tradition of the Church nor passage of Sacred Scripture gives us license to neglect our earthly physical duties in the expectation that God will provide anyway. This is not to limit God; He can and does provide not only to those who accept their calling but also to those who have fallen away. Still, God has given each of us a role, and we are expected to obediently fulfill it.
Furthermore, a Christian knows that God has imprinted His Law on our hearts, and that we show our faith through our works. Therefore, serving people should be what we primarily strive for, only second to serving God. And given this, I can respond to the above picture with the Christian version, which is not so catchy, but I think it gets the point across to Christians and the rest:
"Christians will pray for you...but they will not delay in calling you a doctor as well, for their duty is to Human life."
Dear Pinstripes,
ReplyDeleteYou remind me of myself at a time when personal ambition took the driver's seat and personal conviction rode passenger.
I haven't seen the Reddit posts with which you take objection. I cannot argue in favor of or against what has been written. But I am willing to offer up a somewhat neutral POV.
I am a nurse. An ICU nurse. And so, as you may imagine, I see death firsthand. The emotions that come with that are more turbulent than a trans-atlantic flight.
I've seen Protestant Christians laying on hands, speaking in tongues and almost falling out in prayer over a loved one. I've had Muslim patients whose stoicism is incredibly admirable when faced with certain demise. I've had Jehova's Witnesses who refuse to accept blood, when I KNOW from a purely physiological standpoint that a transfusion would SAVE A LIFE.
And yet, the patients all passed on to whichever eternity they had chosen.
This mix of faith and science is so difficult to reconcile. My job, in the end, is to ensure that they face their own personal afterlife with dignity, no matter the faith. Even the athiest...who had the most bitter of all reckonings because for that soul, there was no hope.
Your basic argument is that God has imprinted on all hearts (if Christ is accepted)to serve others. Have you not, in your naivete, met one who claims Christ yet turns their back on their own...another Christian, a family member, or a friend?
When you do, and you will, it may alter your views.
Not all Christians are so willing to serve. Anyone can step over an injured soul in a gutter...and that is when a Samaritan comes along.
Yours truly,
Hopelessly Jaded
I appreciate your service Jaded. I have so much respect for medical professionals; ya'll are the some of the world's best.
DeleteI have indeed met people who claim to be in Christ, yet fail to help others. I have certainly failed in this calling more times than I can count. God's Law is written on all of our hearts, but our own sin and selfishness obscures our view of It so often.
Thanks for the comment...I don't get many ;-)
Very insightful and well-written!
ReplyDelete(Even though my posts may come across as overwhelmingly moderate/liberal, I am still a devout Christian.)