Recently,
I listened to an audiobook by a militant advocate for atheism. As the author
himself read his own work with spiteful sarcasm and contempt, it made me wonder
why he was so angry.
The Bible
tells us that a rejection of God can actually lead to a more hateful attitude
toward Him: “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a debased mind . . . [to become] haters of God” (Rom.
1:28-30).
Turning
one’s back on God does not lead to secular neutrality. Indeed, recent militant
atheists have shown their desire to remove any reference to a Creator from
culture.
When we
hear about atheists trying to remove crosses or the Ten Commandments from
society, it’s easy to respond to their hatred of God with our own hatred. But
we’re exhorted to defend the truth with an attitude of love, “in humility
correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them
repentance, so that they may know the truth” ( 2 Tim. 2:25).
The next
time you see the works or hear the words of a hater of God, do an attitude
check. Then ask God for a spirit of humility and pray that the offender might
come to the knowledge of the truth.
Defend
the truth with love. (RBC)
