It always intrigues me how religion and secularism interact, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. A recent report by the Associated Press points out the secular celebration of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath, a command given by God to the Israelites as part of what’s known today as the Ten Commandments, mandates a day of rest. Interestingly, some people who turn their backs entirely on any type of religion are acknowledging a Sabbath of sorts. They’re finding that God’s rules are actually healthy for their lives as they take a break from the hustle-bustle and technology of the day to day, and focus on relationships or just relaxing. They’re unplugging themselves from the Internet, refraining from watching television, or hanging out at coffee shops to chat and reflect.
As a Christian, I recognize that God’s commands are not merely a set of dos and don’ts. Yes, they were designed by Him and Christians obey them out of love for our Maker, but they are also for our good. In the case of the Sabbath, our physical, emotional, and relational health is at stake. In other cases—such as the commands to not steal, murder, or commit adultery—our lives and the lives of others are deeply hurt by disobedience.
To me, the effectiveness and truth of the Bible are one very firm piece of evidence for God’s existence.
auntiel Said:
on April 9, 2008 at 8:11 pm
So true. And it is amazing how much of Biblical concepts have been adopted by non-believers. God’s commands were never arbitrary but have always been for our own best good.
Forrest Said:
on April 12, 2008 at 3:19 am
There’s nothing about being an “atheist” that says you have to disagree with every word found in any holy book. You said “They’re finding that God’s rules are actually healthy for their lives …” which, I think, shouldn’t be a surprise.
Things like “don’t kill,” “don’t steal” and so on are good rules for a person’s conscience, and for society as a whole. No matter where they came from. Wanting a good life, in a peaceful, stable community is universal, transcending all the different faiths.
On the other hand, there are very devout Muslims and Jews who would starve to death before eating pork. Non theists accept many of the rules laid out in Christianity, as well as suggestions from Buddha, and so on … but only the ones that make sense.
mudandsun Said:
on April 22, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hi Forrest,
Thanks for your note! I checked out your site; your photography is amazing.
Thanks for pointing out that being an atheist doesn’t prevent you from having moral values derived from a holy book. Some atheists would say that not believing in God actually removes any meaning from life (I was surprised to hear that). But since there is no code (that I know of) for being an atheist, it makes sense that you could choose to have a full, moral life, or choose the opposite.
I think it’s interesting that God’s rules, as found in the Bible, are good for society. I don’t think that’s an accident. I think it’s also interesting that some rules of some other religions actually breed death and destruction. As you point out, they don’t make sense.
If you see God’s rules as good, what prevents you from seeing God as good, or perhaps even as existent?
Chris Taylor Said:
on April 25, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I wish Churches would realize that God gave us the sabbath for rest. We get out of Church around 12pm, and things start back up around 5pm with children’s activities. Sigh.
mudandsun Said:
on April 25, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Good point, Chris! I think it’s good to not be legalistic about the Sabbath, but I have been challenged recently to not just go to church but actually rest. When I was growing up, my parents had my brothers and I do a “restful activity” (such as read a book or take a nap) on Sunday afternoons. In retrospect, I can see that was very wise.
By the way, I’d like to add you to my blogroll if you don’t mind.
Why Liberals Don’T Believe in GOD « Stand Up To Athiest Bullying Said:
on April 29, 2008 at 3:16 am
[...] Science. They think it replaced God somehow. They think sceince has all the answers. They think if they can anser questions with mumbo jumno that’s the only reason for God, instead of understanding God made this world. Real science keeps proving God over and again, but there’s a lot of psuedo science out there. Whatch out for anyone who tells you the world is somthing crazy like a billion years old, or dinosaurs could fly. But they keep having new laws of nature, handd down by God the law maker himslf. How can you have a law without someone to make that law, like the Sabbath. [...]
wallacegsmith Said:
on April 30, 2008 at 2:27 am
Howdy, and thanks for the post!
I think you make an interesting point. I could play devil’s advocate (Wow, I hate that term! There must be another one out there that means the same thing…), and say that successful religions (that is, those that are long lived and with many converts) are successful for the equivalent of evolutionary reasons. If their tenets are good ones that will promote human health/survival (e.g., rest on the seventh day), they will last, where as if their doctrines are the opposite (e.g., pass your children through the fire) they will die off.
Now, do I believe this? Nope. For one, the guidelines as given in the Bible — written as long ago as, say, 3500 years before now — show an amazing quality of prescience that makes it hard to fathom that mere human beings could have formulated such a successful set of guidelines without Divine help from Someone who knew our constitution and needs intimately (just as our Designer would). And secondly, those detrimental religions have not truly been “selected against” and continue to persist, although in different forms.
As one who keeps the seventh day Sabbath, I find it to be a tremendous blessing, and I am thankful for Christ’s wisdom in commanding it!
As for the idea that atheists only keep those Biblical (or other religious) commands that make sense, I will only add that what makes “sense” can vary from person to person without altering the validity or invalidity of the law under consideration.
For instance, to many with a “work is life” mentality, taking a full day’s break during the week may not make sense, but it does not change the fact that they will suffer ill effects for not doing so. Galileo’s contention that objects of different mass will fall at the same rate in the absence of, say, air friction similarly didn’t make sense to many. Quantum mechanics? Forget about it!
But that’s the beauty of Truth and Law. Laws are true or false regardless of whether or not we believe in them and regardless of whether or not they make sense. But when we stumble upon a true one — or have it taught to us — then happy are we when we follow where it leads! The benefits are there to be had, whether we understand Whose hand provides those benefits or not (cf. Rom. 2:14).
Though some of God’s Laws are often misunderstood (both those He describes in Scripture and those He allows us to discover in Nature), in truth they define a way of life that works, producing fruit in the “life that now is” as well as the life “which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
Thanks, again, for the post! The sensibility of the proposition that “Laws Demand a Lawgiver” and the observation that “God’s Way of Life Works” are two of my favorite pillars supporting the conclusion that God does, indeed, exist, and I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the subject.
My apologies, though, for such a long comment!
Forrest Said:
on May 1, 2008 at 4:06 am
Thanks for the visit, and I’m glad you enjoyed the photos! A good friend of mine, a Christian, asked me once, “if you don’t believe in God, what are you thinking about when you take these?” It’s a funny question, but, however all of this got here, it’s a beautiful world.
Wallacegracesmith actually wrote the perfect seguay into the answer to your question: Why, if I think some of the rules set out in the bible are helpful to people and society, don’t I take this as proof that god exists?
I just don’t see the prescience my fellow commenter does; the rules laid out early in the old testament are approaching 4,000 years old … and they seem full of knowledge people from that age had. Many of them couldn’t articulate why they knew these behaviors were good, but they knew that following them led to better results than not following them.
Please don’t take offense: there are shamanic cultures in South America that learned thousands of years ago to mix plant drugs in a way that turned off a chemical in the brain that cleans the body of drugs. This same chemical wasn’t discovered by western science until the 1950s. Their knowledge seems prescient in a general way, but we can all agree god wasn’t telling them which hallucinogens to eat.
For a long time I’ve wondered why god didn’t hand knowledge down to his chosen people that would truly be prescient? A good deal of Leviticus shows god’s interest in our medical health … how bacteria works would be more useful than “don’t eat shell-fish.” Cleanliness might allude to bacteria; how to build better tools and repair a failing heart, or how to split an atom, would be the sort of thing people 3,500 years ago truly couldn’t have known without the help of a god. But that a person should clean themselves … I completely agree with this principal, but I see other causes than the divine for it.
I’ve rambled on long enough, but I hope I’ve managed to answer your question satisfactorily without offending you?
Chris Taylor Said:
on May 1, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Yes, you can add me to your blogroll if you like. I’ve never been asked that before
Been extremely busy lately and got behind on reading.
God Bless,
Chris