Thoughts on Lesser and Greater Things...

I was perusing various videos online and came across one that was titled something akin to 'Ten Questions Every Intelligent Christian Should Ask Themselves.' It was basically a series of questions with very leading answers put together by some atheist person or persons. The whole of the video basically leads one to their conclusion of "If you really are intelligent, you can only come to the conclusion that God is imaginary." Wow. Somedays, there are no words. I can appreciate that someone chooses to believe there is no God (which is as much a leap of faith as choosing to believe there is a God) and even wants to engage people about why they believe there is no God. However, this kind of stuff makes it easy to dismiss atheists as arrogant and self-righteous (a charge leveled at believers rightly or wrongly). No one will ever convince me that God does not exist or that Jesus is not the way to the Father. Not because I want to be right and impose my views on others, but because of my relational experience of God's goodness in my life. The way He has led me, spoken to me, and is redeeming me. I trust Him and His word. Even when I don't like it, because ultimately He is Good.

It makes me also think about Mr. Hitchens who has written a book called "God is not Great." I haven't read the book, but I saw part of an interview where he described himself as an "anti-theist." There is something particularly unfortunate about encapsilating your entire identity (who you are and what you are about) with what you are against. It's a negative space description. The very thing that a person is against is the thing that defines them... hmmm.

In a completely different vein, my wife and I watched most of the Democratic presidential nominees debate on CNN. I have not considered myself a political person. My parents are die hard Republicans. Basically, the right is right and the left is full of it. This has not endeared me to politics. I also just have a natural bent towards the fact that no matter how many laws are changed or enacted, there will always be lawbreakers, but if you change a person's heart, there will be no need for laws. But I digress. So, me, pretty turned off to politics. Until I started dating my wife and we started watching "The West Wing." All seven seasons. And it was really an engaging look at politics. Well-written, witty, smart, and honest. Even season 5. And it really helped me to connect with all that our political system strives to be. So, watching the debate was far more interesting than I would have thought possible before. It was easy to see why John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton are the front runners. They were all thoughtful in their answers and spoke with a lot competence and confidence. I have to say that although I still have a pretty significant distrust of Hillary, I was pretty impressed, because she didn't stike me as the poll-chasing, cold, calculating politico that has been built up in my mind. She was smart and seemed to take things pretty head on, not the dodging that I have seen happen in some debates.

Anyway, we are looking forward to the summer and resting. There are lots of things that we are in the midst of, but that is for another time. Peace of Christ to you.