What Exactly is an Atheist, Anyway?

Some folks think that Christians should not ever get upset about anything. After all, that is not really Christ-like? Or is it?

This notion that Christians need to sit down and shut up has gone far enough. Political correctness has all but robbed Christians of their rights. Consider the debate over the cross at the World Trade Center site.

Let’s enter the world of stereotypes today. This is an exercise that I typically don’t like to do, but I see no other way to make my point but to draw clear distinctions in the form of stereotypes. Again, I know not all folks fit into a stereotype, but here goes.

Consider the Christian. Christians place their religious symbols here and there as a comfort to the hurting, as a celebration particularly at Christmas, as a reminder of our God, and sometimes as an attempt to reach the lost. All these acts are done in love. Where the lost are concerned, we simply want to let God use us to keep their souls from the fire of hell.

Consider the atheist. Atheists battle against Christians – or rather battle against God – to keep Christian religious symbols from their line of vision and to keep prayer and Bibles out of school. If you ask them, they will say that they do not believe in God. Why then would they care about a cross, or a Bible, or a prayer?

Again, those are stereotypes.

I’m led to believe that atheists really do believe in God, and they are in rebellion. If not that, it must be that they are just mean spirited. Again, that is just my opinion. What other explanation can there be for a group of folks to be so passionate about stamping out the faith of another group of people?

As Christians, we need to stop worrying about hurting folk’s feelings. We need to be more concerned for their souls. Nothing good comes from being politically correct.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20

In the eyes of the world, Christians must be the meanest people of all. We believe folks are going to hell, but we hesitate to share Jesus. What does that say about us?

Jesus said to go and tell. He did not say go and tell only if it won’t hurt someone’s feelings. The only thing political correctness has gotten us is a loss of rights. We may have saved a few feelings along the way, but we didn’t let God use us.

We don’t need to sit down and shut up. We need to stand up for what’s right. We need to stop all but denying Christ before men in the form of our silence. God won’t use us unless we let him.

LIFE APPLICATION

Today’s challenge is to ask yourself if you have been politically correct. Have you cared more about hurting someone else’s feelings than you have about their soul? I know that’s a blunt question. We get tricked sometimes into thinking we are doing the right thing by being sensitive. We aren’t. Stand up for Jesus today.