Re: In fact...
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Again, a very well thought out post, but I think you're straying a bit off topic.
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Yes. At the end, I pretty much concede that.
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I can point you to many, many atheists who are perfectly content that they lead very meaningful and happy lives. It is not necessary to have a belief in God for these things. At least not on an earthly level.
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I did leave 20+ years without God...I went to church with the family from time to time, but that can hardly be considered belief. I was socially very liberal at the time. I can see your point with this. If I had not had to deal with the tragedy, I doubt any of this would have taken place because I actually had little interest in spiritual matters. I was quite simply apathetic about the whole situation.
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But perhaps you've answered my question anyway. Some people need God or religion to give them hope. The alternative reality is too depressing for them. That reality is that one day we will all die and never be again. One day our sun and earth will die and none of this will matter. Better to hope for an after life and that our existence has some greater meaning. It's a nice thought... But unfortunately it is most likely just that. A thought,.. a hope,... and nothing more.
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I certainly realize the plausability of this. I've heard it before but its usually an insult to Christians (you certainly did not use it in that tone) that seems to state that they are "emotionally weak." The emotionally weak are certainly easier to indoctrinate into religions, but I don't think that applies to even the majority of Christians.
My basis is a little more complicated than that and its probably more indicative of the average Christian. I concluded a long time ago that a
creator existed. If we were to debate about the existence of God, I would keep asking, "Where did the dust come from?" and then "Where did the photons come from?" I am unable to accept that they just existed and then they came together and went *bang* and it all came into being as a cosmic accident. While this is another argument altogether, I am fully educated in the scientific theories regarding the origins of the universe and I keep having to go down another layer. I have found out that this is an impossible argument for either side to prove and it eventually becomes an infinate argument.
That said, I did decide there was a creator. My approach, then, was very different from that of an atheist. Thus, when these questions came to me, I had no qualms about asking God. I did not really have trouble with the eat, drink, and be merry concept associated with godless societies because it did not sound all that bad. I was embracing the concept at the time...but I did not actually believe that there was no God. Therein was the flaw. I could not go on living as if I believed differently. Since that was a core belief, I had to reconcile it.
An atheist can come about it from a totally different perspective and feel fine with it. The reason that I said that I did not think there were atheists in foxholes is that doubt always crosses the mind when death is imminent. That said, many Christians fear death because they also doubt. Generally, the only ones that don't fear death are those that are in so much pain that it feels as if nothing could be worse than what they are going through now or those who are killed instantly. Put anyone on their deathbed and they will doubt. You and I will be no different. Right now, death seems distant for both of us though.
That said, I have many of the same questions that you have about the Christian God. I have gotten theist answers to all of these, but they still have not been reconciled in my heart.
1) How could a loving God sentence someone to eternal damnation?
2) If an Omnipotent God created the heavens and the earth and the angels, then he created Lucifer. If he created Lucifer, is evil in the world his fault? If so, how could he be all loving?
3) If Christianity is the only way, do Muslims have the opportunity to accept or reject Christ? If not, can they be sentenced to hell? If the answer is yes, how is this fair and just?
These are complex questions that I have some theories about but no concrete answers. I just wanted to let it be known that I did not take the decision lightly and I still have questions that persist.
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