From: bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig)
Subject: Re: Good evening
Organization: Starfleet Headquarters: San Francisco
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 14:42:01 GMT

Thank you for your very nice post!

j1moody@darwin.cc.nd.edu (Joe Moody) writes:
>
>Hello everyone, let me first say that I am not an atheist, but still
>respect
>other's beliefs. Actually, sometimes I think the atheists do more thinking
>than some religious simply because it takes effort to deny one's Creator.

Mm, some people here would take that last bit as an insult, saying
that it takes effort to believe in something that doesn't exist; but
I'll let that slide for now.  At least you acknowledge that _thinking_
leads us to deny the existence of God, not some unwillingness to think.

>I'm a humble man, not one to condemn, judge or hurt. 
>I believe in patience. I believe in showing mercy, even if that just means
>forgetting a harsh word that slipped from a friend's mouth. I believe in 
>moderation, prayer and charity. I believe that every man and woman I meet
>is a brother and sister, even if they think they're my enemy. And I
>know I'm far from perfect, all-knowing or all-powerful. 

I fit every word you've said above (except the 'prayer' bit, but I do
commune with my world and the people around me, in my own way).

>The system I found closest to where I feel "at home" is Christianity, and
>I've come to love Jesus as my Savior, even if He gets a bad rap by 
>televangelists. 

Hmm, I thought televangelists were busy _promoting_ Jesus... :-)

Let me ask you something: why have you "come to love Jesus as your
Savior"?  Sure, you may feel that Christianity may embody a lot of the
ideals that you like, but how can you make the jump from "I'm humble"
to "Christianity teaches humility" to "The Christian God exists
exactly like the Bible says he does"?  Have you actually _experienced_
Jesus in some way better than just the same kind of "warm fuzzy
feeling" I get when I do something good?

>I see an old lady, with eyes that saw the great depression, the industrial
>revolution and the moon landing, now being laughed at by her grand
>children who'd rather play Nintendo and scoffed at by her adult children
>who have no time for her or her cross and beads that she clings so tightly
>to, unchanging. But a small group of brothers and sisters visit her
>regularly to
>pray, laugh and talk about her lifetime of experience. 

There's no religion in that!  If her children scoff at things she
holds dear to her, that's their problem; but typically atheists I've
known don't bother anyone's religion unless that person tries to bring
religion to the atheist.

>I've worked in the homeless
>shelters full of gentle people who got mixed up in society and now only
>the Hope Rescue Mission, it's burnt-out neon cross lit above the door, will
>serve them plates of warm food. I guess my point to all this is that one
>can really be religious without being some of the horrible things I've read
>on this board,

And one can do some of the really nice things you've mentioned without
being religious.  A lot of Christians point to the lack of any
hospitals dedicated to the "nonexistence of God" as some supposed
absence of atheist charity; this is like criticizing a Christian for
not trying to start up a charity dedicated "to the nonexistence of Zeus".

>and I hope at least you could except that and not label me as 
>another God-fearing-lunatic. Because, yes I fear God, but I love my
>family, I love life, and I love the direction Christ has given me. 

I fear nothing, I love my family, I love life, and I love the
direction I have given myself.  Don't be afraid to take the credit,
good sir!  You may have read a book and listened to a preacher tell
you how to live your life, but you're the one who's made the
decisions, reaped the rewards, and endured the consequences.  By all
means, please continue living your life as you have been, but
seriously ask yourself: Is God really playing an active part in it?

-- 
_/_/_/  Brian Kendig                             Je ne suis fait comme aucun
/_/_/  bskendig@netcom.com                de ceux que j'ai vus; j'ose croire
_/_/                            n'etre fait comme aucun de ceux qui existent.
  /  Nolite te bastardes     Si je ne vaux pas mieux, au moins je suis autre.
 /  carborundorum.                                               -- Rousseau