Tell a child that her teachers hate her for no reason. Tell her that the school is out to get her. That it's unfair. When she doubts give a couple examples of abusive teachers. When she fails, blame it on the school. What will this accomplish? Nothing. She will rage against her teachers. She will take no responsibility for her actions. She will be ruined. In the end she will destroy herself. Rescuing a victim is an act of love. Telling people they are victims is evil. Victimizing is demeaning, divisive and it gives power to the peddler of the lie.
Adam played the victim card when he said, "The woman you put here with me..." Notice how God did not even argue with him. God questioned the woman and then cursed them both. Christians must reject victimizing because Jesus instructs his followers to remove the plank of wood from their own eye. Victimizing is about blame, not repentance.
Throughout the history of Israel the ruthless and cruel people of Assyria, Babylon, Greece and Rome exiled, oppressed, and abused the Jews. Yet the prophets did not blame the oppressors, rather they placed the blame on Israel's sinfulness. Jesus and his apostles refused to be brought into the petty position of "let's blame the Romans for all of our issues." Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."
If anyone should've played the victim card it should've been Jesus. There was no blaming or shaming from the cross, rather, a selfless cry for forgiveness on the part of his oppressors.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Why Millennials Hate Church
Why do Millennials avoid church? Here are some observations:
13. The Church of the "Try Hards."
Trying too hard is unbecoming. When churches employ gimmicks to make themselves look more relevant and attractive to Millennials it may have the opposite effect. Millennials can see through the marketing. Worse than that, too many churches are trying to change to fit Millennial standards. The church's message to the Millennial should be, "Repent!" Not, "What can we do to make you like us." Which would Jesus have said?
12. Shallow Christianity
Spiritual liberalism has created a superficial and vacuous Christianity. Millennials seem to enjoy the finer, more sophisticated things in life. For example, while the baby-boomers eat cheap garbage the Millennial would spend a few extra bucks of money that they don't have to eat sushi. Liberal denominations have cheapened Christianity and have emptied it of its depth. Christians ought to pursue doctrinal depth, biblical literacy, and a historical appreciation for the church. In the desire to be relevant Christianity has lost its richness.
11. Evangelical Subculture
Evangelicals are not just a denomination, they are an American subculture. Christians who take a more conservative approach to Scripture are lumped into Evangelicalism. Millennials are intimidated by Evangelicals and view them as a politically regressive force.
10. The Church of the Worker Bee
Baby-Boomers understood and appreciated hard work. While work-ethic is a good trait it can be very self-serving. A Baby-Boomer mentality may perceive church attendance as "putting in the hours." Go to church and God will give you a weekly credit. Go to church and your neighbors will think highly of you. Go to church and your neglectful parents will notice you and like you more. This mentality no longer exists among Millennials. They're not necessarily lazy, they just don't have the same stick and carrot.
9. The Church of the Family
Churches revolve around families. Churches dump countless resources into their children. The emphasis on family can alienate Millennials who are having fewer kids. Children have a way of getting young adults back into church. If Millennials don't have kids, don't expect to see them coming to churches that are dedicated to the family.
8. Seeds of the Enlightenment
This reason is more philosophical. Basically, the Enlightenment caused the church to take a back seat in society. The church was pushed out of the sphere of public and objective truth. As a result religion, faith and even morality became personal expressions. Europe has embraced this mentality longer than the United States has. The middle-class was somewhat protected from it until the age of the Millennial. The church must take a stand against relativism.
7. The Church of Straw
"New Atheists" have used the internet to volley a number of attacks on Christianity. Most of these attacks paint a false picture of Christianity. Rather than the church that fosters peace and stability it is the church of the crusades. Rather than the church that abolished slavery it was the church that practiced it. Rather than a faith that is anchored in the historical record of Christ and his resurrection as laid out in the prophetic record it's a faith no different than faith in a Flying Spaghetti Monster. Oh, and Hitler was a dedicated follower of the Jewish Messiah. Millennials are not necessarily more atheistic than other generations but they do have an aversion to the term religion. Religion is now a naughty word. "Call me spiritual."
6. Trophies for All!
Millennials have always been told how awesome they are. They've earned congratulations and trophies for accomplishing very little. Everyone wants them. Everyone tries to figure them out. Why should eternity be any different? If God exists and if there's a heaven I'm sure I'll get the trophy because I am awesome.
5. Church and State
Millennials haaaaaate the mixing of church and state. Progressives have done a good job of demonizing the religious right. However, progressives, social justice warriors and politically correct fanatics embrace the trappings of religion and look to legislate their own morality. Most Christians understand the value of separating church and state but it doesn't mean we ought to embrace a Marxist-like extreme or cater to the secular zealots. Marxists, whether they are economic or cultural, hate the church and it should concern most Americans that many of the college and university systems give off Marxist vibes.
4. Chronological Snobbery
When I lived in Asia I noticed how that the general population honored the elderly and held them in high esteem. While there is evidence that IQ scores are diminishing, many millennials seem to assume that they are the beneficiaries of some sort of evolutionary spurt that has given them an extra dose of enlightenment compared to all the morons of history. For a generation that is so sensitive to bigotry it is astounding at how bigoted they are toward the ancients. "Why should I care what the Bible says? It was written by a bunch of goat-herding bronze-age woman-bashing Neanderthals!"
3. Sex
There are a number of studies indicating that Millennials are not very sexual. Why? Well, in a world of instant gratification sex with another human being takes too much work. Nevertheless, for the Millennial it's very important that sexual freedom abounds. Self-control and self-denial have taken a back seat to sexual liberation. Biblically, the decay of religion is often combined with a sexual demand for freedom (see Romans 1) as the focus turns from the Creator to the created and procreation.
2. Privilege
Augustine once prayed, "You have put salt in our mouths so that we may thirst for you." Millennials have lived their lives with mouths full of honey. Millennials hate privilege and preach against it but fail to see that they are one of the most privileged generations in history. Jesus said that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The same is true with a wealthy and privileged culture. Godlessness increases as wealth increases. Those who are humble and in need tend to look for help from their Creator.
1. Human Nature
Millennials have a warped view of human nature. While the Bible, all of human history, and a toddler stealing a toy from another toddler demonstrate with out a doubt that there is something fundamentally wrong with humans, Millennials believe that humans are by nature good. Millennials naively believe that human misbehavior is a result of a corrupt system. This is why Millennials are socialistic, sensitive and take offense to a comical degree. "How dare you insult Holy I!"
I'm sure other reasons could be added to the list. They are not in any particular order of importance. Many of these reasons overlap and depend upon one another. Are there any that you would add? Oh, and if you feel offended or triggered by any of these observations - I don't care; I'm a grumpy Generation X-er.
13. The Church of the "Try Hards."
Trying too hard is unbecoming. When churches employ gimmicks to make themselves look more relevant and attractive to Millennials it may have the opposite effect. Millennials can see through the marketing. Worse than that, too many churches are trying to change to fit Millennial standards. The church's message to the Millennial should be, "Repent!" Not, "What can we do to make you like us." Which would Jesus have said?
12. Shallow Christianity
Spiritual liberalism has created a superficial and vacuous Christianity. Millennials seem to enjoy the finer, more sophisticated things in life. For example, while the baby-boomers eat cheap garbage the Millennial would spend a few extra bucks of money that they don't have to eat sushi. Liberal denominations have cheapened Christianity and have emptied it of its depth. Christians ought to pursue doctrinal depth, biblical literacy, and a historical appreciation for the church. In the desire to be relevant Christianity has lost its richness.
11. Evangelical Subculture
Evangelicals are not just a denomination, they are an American subculture. Christians who take a more conservative approach to Scripture are lumped into Evangelicalism. Millennials are intimidated by Evangelicals and view them as a politically regressive force.
10. The Church of the Worker Bee
Baby-Boomers understood and appreciated hard work. While work-ethic is a good trait it can be very self-serving. A Baby-Boomer mentality may perceive church attendance as "putting in the hours." Go to church and God will give you a weekly credit. Go to church and your neighbors will think highly of you. Go to church and your neglectful parents will notice you and like you more. This mentality no longer exists among Millennials. They're not necessarily lazy, they just don't have the same stick and carrot.
9. The Church of the Family
Churches revolve around families. Churches dump countless resources into their children. The emphasis on family can alienate Millennials who are having fewer kids. Children have a way of getting young adults back into church. If Millennials don't have kids, don't expect to see them coming to churches that are dedicated to the family.
8. Seeds of the Enlightenment
This reason is more philosophical. Basically, the Enlightenment caused the church to take a back seat in society. The church was pushed out of the sphere of public and objective truth. As a result religion, faith and even morality became personal expressions. Europe has embraced this mentality longer than the United States has. The middle-class was somewhat protected from it until the age of the Millennial. The church must take a stand against relativism.
7. The Church of Straw
"New Atheists" have used the internet to volley a number of attacks on Christianity. Most of these attacks paint a false picture of Christianity. Rather than the church that fosters peace and stability it is the church of the crusades. Rather than the church that abolished slavery it was the church that practiced it. Rather than a faith that is anchored in the historical record of Christ and his resurrection as laid out in the prophetic record it's a faith no different than faith in a Flying Spaghetti Monster. Oh, and Hitler was a dedicated follower of the Jewish Messiah. Millennials are not necessarily more atheistic than other generations but they do have an aversion to the term religion. Religion is now a naughty word. "Call me spiritual."
6. Trophies for All!
Millennials have always been told how awesome they are. They've earned congratulations and trophies for accomplishing very little. Everyone wants them. Everyone tries to figure them out. Why should eternity be any different? If God exists and if there's a heaven I'm sure I'll get the trophy because I am awesome.
5. Church and State
Millennials haaaaaate the mixing of church and state. Progressives have done a good job of demonizing the religious right. However, progressives, social justice warriors and politically correct fanatics embrace the trappings of religion and look to legislate their own morality. Most Christians understand the value of separating church and state but it doesn't mean we ought to embrace a Marxist-like extreme or cater to the secular zealots. Marxists, whether they are economic or cultural, hate the church and it should concern most Americans that many of the college and university systems give off Marxist vibes.
4. Chronological Snobbery
When I lived in Asia I noticed how that the general population honored the elderly and held them in high esteem. While there is evidence that IQ scores are diminishing, many millennials seem to assume that they are the beneficiaries of some sort of evolutionary spurt that has given them an extra dose of enlightenment compared to all the morons of history. For a generation that is so sensitive to bigotry it is astounding at how bigoted they are toward the ancients. "Why should I care what the Bible says? It was written by a bunch of goat-herding bronze-age woman-bashing Neanderthals!"
3. Sex
There are a number of studies indicating that Millennials are not very sexual. Why? Well, in a world of instant gratification sex with another human being takes too much work. Nevertheless, for the Millennial it's very important that sexual freedom abounds. Self-control and self-denial have taken a back seat to sexual liberation. Biblically, the decay of religion is often combined with a sexual demand for freedom (see Romans 1) as the focus turns from the Creator to the created and procreation.
2. Privilege
Augustine once prayed, "You have put salt in our mouths so that we may thirst for you." Millennials have lived their lives with mouths full of honey. Millennials hate privilege and preach against it but fail to see that they are one of the most privileged generations in history. Jesus said that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The same is true with a wealthy and privileged culture. Godlessness increases as wealth increases. Those who are humble and in need tend to look for help from their Creator.
1. Human Nature
Millennials have a warped view of human nature. While the Bible, all of human history, and a toddler stealing a toy from another toddler demonstrate with out a doubt that there is something fundamentally wrong with humans, Millennials believe that humans are by nature good. Millennials naively believe that human misbehavior is a result of a corrupt system. This is why Millennials are socialistic, sensitive and take offense to a comical degree. "How dare you insult Holy I!"
I'm sure other reasons could be added to the list. They are not in any particular order of importance. Many of these reasons overlap and depend upon one another. Are there any that you would add? Oh, and if you feel offended or triggered by any of these observations - I don't care; I'm a grumpy Generation X-er.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
3:The Number of Deity
The following is a list of Biblical references where God is associated with the number three:
1. Abraham is visited by three angels.
2. The Aaronic blessing is divided into three. Interestingly the priest would also give the Vulcan "live long and prosper" hand sign when delivering the blessing.
3. The Great Shema. While Judaism embraces this passage as they rightly preach the oneness of God, the threefold use of God's name is noteworthy. "Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one.
4. The tabernacle and the temple were divided into three.
5. The angelic choir sings: "Holy Holy Holy. Lord, God, Almighty." (Rev. 4:8, Is. 6:3)
6. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
7. God appeared to Israel on Mount Sinai during the third month after to days of preparation.
8. Jesus' ministry lasted three years and he rose on the third day.
9. The Christ was prophesied as prophet, priest and king.
10. Old Testament was divided into the Law, prophets, and writings.
The divinity of the ascended and exalted Christ leaps off the page in the book of Revelation. Divine attributes are consistently applied to Christ including various threefold descriptions. Consider a brief section in the first chapter of Revelation,
Revelation 1:4-5
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
who is, and who was and who is to come
from him who is..., and from the seven spirits, and from Jesus Christ (Note the Trinity).
faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth
Revelation 1:5b-6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priest to serve his God and Father - to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
loves us....freed us...and made us
Revelation 1:8
I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
who is, and who was and who is to come,
Alpha and...., who is..., the Almighty
This is but a sampling of threefold descriptions of the person of Christ in Revelation and throughout the rest of Scriptures.
1. Abraham is visited by three angels.
2. The Aaronic blessing is divided into three. Interestingly the priest would also give the Vulcan "live long and prosper" hand sign when delivering the blessing.
3. The Great Shema. While Judaism embraces this passage as they rightly preach the oneness of God, the threefold use of God's name is noteworthy. "Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one.
4. The tabernacle and the temple were divided into three.
5. The angelic choir sings: "Holy Holy Holy. Lord, God, Almighty." (Rev. 4:8, Is. 6:3)
6. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
7. God appeared to Israel on Mount Sinai during the third month after to days of preparation.
8. Jesus' ministry lasted three years and he rose on the third day.
9. The Christ was prophesied as prophet, priest and king.
10. Old Testament was divided into the Law, prophets, and writings.
The divinity of the ascended and exalted Christ leaps off the page in the book of Revelation. Divine attributes are consistently applied to Christ including various threefold descriptions. Consider a brief section in the first chapter of Revelation,
Revelation 1:4-5
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
who is, and who was and who is to come
from him who is..., and from the seven spirits, and from Jesus Christ (Note the Trinity).
faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth
Revelation 1:5b-6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priest to serve his God and Father - to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
loves us....freed us...and made us
Revelation 1:8
I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
who is, and who was and who is to come,
Alpha and...., who is..., the Almighty
This is but a sampling of threefold descriptions of the person of Christ in Revelation and throughout the rest of Scriptures.
Chiasm: God's Literary Highlighter
One of the most amazing literary devices in the Bible is the chiasmus or chiasm. Simply put, a chiasm is a way of structuring a verse, paragraph, or entire book in an a, b, b, a format. These devices are employed extensively throughout the Scriptures and seven part chiasms seem to be the most common (a, b, c, d, c, b, a). One of the more incredible chiasms in the Bible is the flood narrative. Old Testament scholar Gordon Wenham analyzed it and came up with the following:
A: Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10)
B: All life on earth (6:13:a)
C: Curse on earth (6:13:b)
D: Flood announced (6:7)
E: Ark (6:14-16)
F: All living creatures (6:17–20 )
G: Food (6:21)
H: Animals in man’s hands (7:2–3)
I: Entering the Ark (7:13–16)
J: Waters increase (7:17–20)
X: God remembers Noah (8:1)
J: Waters decrease (8:13–14)
I': Exiting the Ark (8:15–19)
H': Animals (9:2,3)
G': Food (9:3,4)
F': All living creatures (9:10a)
E': Ark (9:10b)
D’:No flood in future (9:11)
C': Blessing on earth (9:12–17)
B': All life on earth (9:16)
A: Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)
Why are chiasms awesome? Here are a couple reasons:
1. Helps you find the main theme. Usually the most important part of a chiasm is the center. In the above verses the phrase "God remembered Noah" is the position of importance. Often when the Bible is taught or preached the context is neglected. Searching for chiasms will help teachers grasp and teach the Bible more effectively.
2. Demonstrates the integrity of Scripture. Many people assume that the Bible has been corrupted or changed throughout centuries. If there is a detailed literary structure in the text then when cannot assume that it has been changed or corrupted over time.
3. Good riddance JEDP. The documentary hypothesis that prevailed during the 1800s can and ought to be placed within a coffin. These so-called "biblical scholars" assumed that the repetition with in certain Biblical narratives was due to multiple authorship. Nope, the repetition is due to a literary structure.
4. Facilitates Memorization. Perhaps not sot so much for modern Western man but you can see how this structure helped the ancients memorize large sections of Scripture. If you can track these seven part outlines it would be easier to file scripture away into your mind.
Here's another chiastic structure from the book of Daniel. Notice the theme that is highlighted in the center of the structure:
A. Daniel is exiled (Chapter 1)
B. Vision of a statue representing four kingdoms (Chapter 2)
C. Fiery Furnace (Chapter 3)
D. Nebuchadnezzar is removed (Chapter 4)
D. Belshazzar is removed (Chapter 5)
C. Lion's Den (Chapter 6)
B. Vision of beasts representing four kingdoms (Chapter 7-9)
A. Vision of Exile (Chapter 10-12)
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Jesus Myth #3: Santa and Pasta
Some atheists can't help but get into the holiday mocking
spirit. An atheist group set up a large billboard In Time Square comparing
Santa and Jesus Christ. The caption says, "Keep the MERRY! Dump the
MYTH!" This sort of objection to God's existence is a favorite for
atheists that manifests itself in various ways. God is often compared to the
many pagan gods of the past, an invisible pink unicorn, or a flying spaghetti
monster that benevolently extends its noodily appendages to bless the
inhabitants of earth (yes, atheist geeks apparently laugh at the words noodle
and appendage).
This “God is like any other myth” objection fails because it
is a faulty analogy. While all analogies limp in some way, this one fails for a
couple of reasons. God is in a different category than Santa or spaghetti. One
is physical and the other is not. One is contingent on something else while the
other is not. If we are to compare God and pasta we would have to lower God to
the physical realm in order to make the comparison – thus debunking him. The
common question of "Who created God?" is another example of this
category mistake. Asking who created God actually redefines God into a being
that needs creation. This is sort of like denying the existence of Shakespeare
for the same reason that someone may deny the existence of Hamlet or Othello.
The other main failure of this argument is that it gives an
excuse to not examine the evidence for God. A person can indeed compare the God
of the Bible to the mythical gods of history. There is a reason why one has
lived on while the others have not. The reason is evidence and the convincing
power of that evidence. There are various arguments for the existence of God
but more specifically, for the Christian God there is the prophetic Scripture.
The Bible is a collection of testimonies that give a great amount of historical
and prophetic evidence of God. The prophet Isaiah often challenged skeptics to
consider their mute gods to the God of Judah who alone is able to predict the
future. Consider also the resurrection of Jesus Christ – without which
Christianity would never have started. The evidence for the event is
compelling: multiple trustworthy witnesses, an empty tomb, transformation of
the disciples, etc. Alternative evidence for the non-resurrection of Jesus is
lacking.
An atheist may think they are being rational by dismissing Jesus as a
myth but they are actually being very irrational by ignoring the evidence. What
is the evidence for a pink unicorn, Santa, or a Flying Spaghetti Monster? What
is the evidence against such things? An
atheist must admit that there is evidence for the Christian God and for the
person of Jesus Christ. At best they can say that there is no convincing
evidence for God, which says more about their bias than it does about God.
Religion is a matter of faith. I have faith in Jesus Christ
for the same reason that I have faith in my spouse and the chair that I’m
sitting on. I trust those things because they all convince me of their
trustworthy nature and there’s a pile of evidence that supports my trust.
Jesus Myth #2: Zeitgeist
On occasion I receive questions from students concerning a
film called Zeitgeist. I decided to show it to my high school seniors. Part one
of the film attacks religion and specifically targets Christianity connecting
it with all of the worlds problems today. The film was released in 2007,
created and narrated by Peter Joseph. Joseph contends that Christianity is
derived from astrological myths and pagan religions. Most of the information he
received was from D.M. Murdock author of The Christ Conspiracy.
For a Christian unfamiliar in this territory (pretty much
every high school aged Christian that heads off to his secular institution of
humanistic learning) the immediate response to this video might be "Oh
crap, am I believing a lie?" - but upon further inspection they'll quickly
realize the movie is nothing but a house built upon sand. A quick perusal of
the atheists on the website Reddit demonstrates their disappointment with the
movie as it sent their hopes sky high only to be dashed to pieces by historical
reality. I like showing this to my kids in high school because it demonstrates
some important truths. 1. There's a lot young Christian adults need to learn.
2. The attacks on Christianity are fierce. 3. It's easier to defend your faith
than you might think.
Rather than picking apart any minute detail I like to point out the
systemic errors that flow throughout this film.
1. "The Bible is an astrotheological hybrid." This
is like saying that the Satanic Bible is really a Christian book. The Bible is
firm throughout that the heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars
should not be worshiped. One of the supporting facts that Zeitgeist cites is
that Jesus was born on Dec. 25th. The problem is that Jesus wasn't born on
De.c. 25th. The Bible says nothing of when he was born - in fact it probably
was not winter since their were sheep in the fields.
2. "Jesus is plagiarized from other mythical
Saviors." The film relies on apparent similarities between astrological
myths and pagan saviors. The problem is that once one explores these general
claims it becomes apparent that these claims are stretched. The dozens of gods
that were born of a virgin are mere supernatural births resulting from the dirty
old gods like Zeus. The virgin birth of Horus hardly resembles the birth of
Christ as his mother hovered in falcon form over her dead husband's erection in
the underworld.
3. Who copied who? Interestingly some of these traditions
from other religions probably post-date Christianity. For instance, the stories
of Krishna's life that resemble the stories of Christ's life seem to postdate
Christianity. There are Hindus today that still like to link Krishna and Christ
as being different avatars of the same being - how does that Beetle's song go?
Anyway, the resurrection of Jesus is of special importance in this point. A
physical resurrection like Jesus' does not occur until well-after the
resurrection of Jesus. The other resurrection myths were stories of the god or
hero in the afterlife.
4. Similarities? So what? Why must similarities between religions be a result of them copying one another. One can
find similarities in every belief system. The film claimed that the 10
commandments were copied from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. One could probably
look at all sorts of law codes and find similarities. I'm pretty sure most will
have statements against things like stealing and murder.
5. Should we expect seeds of the truth in false theologies?
Why not? The Christian worldview believes that the ancestors of all humans at
one time had the truth. Why wouldn't some of those ancient messages and
prophecies have been handed down over time? Every ancient culture for instance
has a flood story - the account in Genesis being the best put-together. The
prophecy of a virgin birth and dying Messiah came from Isaiah's hand 700 years
before Christ. Why wouldn't we expect more parallels especially since the
Israelite's history of being exiled in places like Egypt, Greece and Babylon?
For more details on some of the more specific claims check
out the following link: http://www.alwaysbeready.com/index.php?id=124&option=com_content&task=view
Also, here's a fun little video that deals with the same issue:
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Atheist Psychology
I interacted with a young lady who attended a Christian college and shortly afterward decided to become an atheist. We had an interesting interchange in which we discussed the psychology of atheism. She used a study of the famous Myers-Briggs personality type index which indicated those with an ISTP (Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving) tend to be more represented by atheists. It was a bit amusing to tell her that I am an INTP (Intorverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving). INTP is also well represented in the atheistic community.
We also discussed Asperger and autism disorder since there seems to be a correlation between the disorder and atheism. Studies indicate that atheists tend to be higher on the autism spectrum than the religious. The reasoning behind this deals with the ability of humans to empathize and to see purpose. A lady with Asperger once described herself as being "thunderstruck" when she, as a child, realized that houses were planned, built, and didn't grow randomly like plants. Interestingly, INTPs and ISTPs may also be generally higher on the autism spectrum. According to Robert Chester INTPs and ISTPs youths can be misdiagnosed as children with Asperger syndrome.
So is atheism to be chalked up to psychology or personality? No. There are plenty of INTPs, ISTPs, and those with various social disorders that are strong Christians. Atheism is rebellion, and even those who may not be as empathetic or have a harder time seeing purpose in things still have ample evidence for God's existence rendering them without excuse.
Godlessness will manifest itself in various ways. There are plenty of people who are godless but may not identify as atheist. To announce yourself as an "atheist" takes a thought process that many are simply unmotivated to do. I read somewhere that the godless can be divided into two categories "high atheist" and the "low atheists." The "high atheists" tend to be your higher thinking outspoken atheists. The "low-atheists" are simply the non-religious. High and low atheists may have different personalities and levels of intelligence. Theologically, rebellion is their common denominator and the ultimate source of their godlessness; their psychology is the vehicle through which the godlessness manifests itself.
There is no excuse (Romans 1:20).
We also discussed Asperger and autism disorder since there seems to be a correlation between the disorder and atheism. Studies indicate that atheists tend to be higher on the autism spectrum than the religious. The reasoning behind this deals with the ability of humans to empathize and to see purpose. A lady with Asperger once described herself as being "thunderstruck" when she, as a child, realized that houses were planned, built, and didn't grow randomly like plants. Interestingly, INTPs and ISTPs may also be generally higher on the autism spectrum. According to Robert Chester INTPs and ISTPs youths can be misdiagnosed as children with Asperger syndrome.
So is atheism to be chalked up to psychology or personality? No. There are plenty of INTPs, ISTPs, and those with various social disorders that are strong Christians. Atheism is rebellion, and even those who may not be as empathetic or have a harder time seeing purpose in things still have ample evidence for God's existence rendering them without excuse.
Godlessness will manifest itself in various ways. There are plenty of people who are godless but may not identify as atheist. To announce yourself as an "atheist" takes a thought process that many are simply unmotivated to do. I read somewhere that the godless can be divided into two categories "high atheist" and the "low atheists." The "high atheists" tend to be your higher thinking outspoken atheists. The "low-atheists" are simply the non-religious. High and low atheists may have different personalities and levels of intelligence. Theologically, rebellion is their common denominator and the ultimate source of their godlessness; their psychology is the vehicle through which the godlessness manifests itself.
There is no excuse (Romans 1:20).
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