Life Without God!

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A month long billboard campaign hits my fair city on Monday.  The billboards will strive to "dispel myths about the non-religious" says president of the Center for Inquiry, Ron Lindsey.  "One common myth is that the nonreligious lead empty, meaningless, selfish, self-centered lives. This is not only false, it's ridiculous. Unfortunately, all too many people accept this myth because that's what they hear about nonbelievers."

One of the billboard messages reads: "You don't need God -- to hope, to care, to love, to live."  www.lifewithoutgod.org

It's interesting...because I know a lot of nice, non-religious folks.  Atheists, agnostics, "Go Greeners," the whole gammut.  Great people!  And, it's true...they've found they don't need God to have a hope, care, love, life.  I was talking to one of them about this...we agreed (disagreed?) that it's a foundational thing.  They are highly intelligent...I wouldn't presume to insult them by telling them they "only think" they have those things.  We just have a different foundational block.  She says she doesn't need a foundational "crutch."  For right now...temporal...they are hopeful, caring, loving, living.  To me...it's a life and death issue.

They have hope...but it's often "I hope...x, y, z happens" or a rather whimsical, wistful thing.  Hope floats and all that.  My HOPE is steadfast...a very certain trust! 


Romans 8:24, "For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

They are caring and loving.  Exceedingly generous.  Great parents.  But, Christ's CARE is more than felt needs.  His LOVE encourages the love of our enemies.  It's an action word...we are called to it...even when (or especially when) we don't feel it.

Luke 6:32, "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same."

But the biggest thing is the live part.  I have no doubts my friends are living life to every fullness that the world offers.  Some are enjoying greener, healthier aspects than myself...haha.  They enjoy pointing that out.  The major difference is the life beyond this one.  I believe we are eternal beings....and are headed for an eternal end.

And that...without God... is Hell.

1 Jn. 5:12, "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Jn. 12:25, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

I find it interesting that the goal of this campaign is tolerance....the jab that we believers don't like non-believers.  I have some of the nicest atheist friends ever.  Long.time.friends.  With recognition that I am one...I say love the sinner...hate the sin.  Frankly, I wish some of them were as "in your face" as this billboard campaign...then we could have more honest to goodness conversations.

As a Christian (especially in a city chosen to represent the heartland of America)....

Am I living, hoping, caring, loving...differently? 
Am I a Christian...in the sense that I am CHRIST like!?