The year I entered third grade my parents divorced. I stood in my kitchen as my father held a knife in one hand, telephone in the other and screamed at my mother on the other line, “If you come home, I am going to kill you!” There was a subsequent long and messy divorce. My mother received full custody of my two older sisters and me. My father married the woman he had been having an affair with. After a few months of spending every other weekend at my father’s new gated community apartment he stopped opening the gate to let us in. It was no mystery to me that God, a loving father, would sacrifice his Son. In my experience that was just what fathers do. They abandon their sons. In a major shift from my sheltered private Lutheran school, I attended an overcrowded public high school. I found myself falling in with a group of kids who had equally dysfunctional families and strongly atheistic attitudes. I watched as many of them struggled with abuse, drug addiction, criminal activity, and being kicked out of their homes. I graduated at seventeen and immediately moved out on my own. During this time, my friends introduced me to neo-atheism. I had not given much thought to religion since elementary school. I always assumed that I was Christian because I knew many biblical facts and names from my “religion” …show more content…
I enrolled in Multnomah University with that goal in mind. As I studied those sixty-six books, it became evident to me that to truly live out my beliefs, I should, “seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” This conviction combined with my love for and training in the careful analysis and exegesis of texts and my life experiences led me to pursue law school. In many ways, I still have more questions than answers. However, I know that my studies prompted by my faith continue to be essential to understanding what that faith
H.J McCloskey’s article, “On Being an Atheist,” is an attempt to show atheism as a more practical alternative to the Christian belief. McCloskey reasons against the theistic beliefs of the cosmological argument, the teleological argument and design. He references the presence of evil in a world created by God and the absurdity of living by faith. This article is an attempt to reason that God does not exist because He is perfect and the world is not perfect; evil exists therefore God cannot exist. McCloskey’s article labels these arguments as “proofs” and concludes none of these arguments would be evidence of God’s existence. I find McCloskey’s article to lack logic and coherence which only serves to invalidate his arguments. I find this little more than an attempt to justify his own atheistic worldview.
In Father Cry Dr. Billy Wilson through his personal testimony explains the importance of spiritual fathers and mothers in a Christians life. He gives examples from his life and the bible of how this relationship is so vital to the walk of a Christian. He expresses the importance of being obedient and excepting correcting from a spiritual father or mother. Another thing that is outline in the book is how we can see God as our father. For some it may be very hard to see God in a positive light when think of him as a father, because of the example their earthly father is. The importance of authentic forgiveness it outlined in this book. It is also very important to realize that people on earth make mistakes and are
Smith, J. Becoming an Atheist in America: Constructing Identity and Meaning from the Rejection of Theism. Sociology of Religion [serial online]. Summer 2011; 72(2):215-237. Accessed April 20, 2014.
In today’s culture, the idea of there is perfect and divine designer that made the earth and everything that entails with it, really pushes people away. Not only has this idea been conflicted about in today’s culture. It has been especially trivial in past decades, an example of this is seen by H.J. McCloskey. McCloskey wrote an article about it called “On Being an Atheist”, which attempts to defeat the notion that there is a God. McCloskey first addresses the reader of the article and says these arguments he is about to address are only “proofs”, which should not be trusted by any theist. He then goes and unpacks the two arguments that he believes can actually be addressed, the cosmological and teleological argument. McCloskey also addresses the problem of evil, free will, and why atheism is more comforting than theism.
In his article, "On Being an Atheist" Mccloskey gives a few contentions that look to support the non-presence of God, Atheism. This he does utilizing a few cases made by theists on a general level and in addition centering all the more on the Christian God. The cases are isolated into a few segments whereupon he lays his countering contentions. At the presentation, he gives a concise review of the contentions exhibited by theists, who he alludes to as "confirmations," guaranteeing that none of the evidences make enough avocation to accept that God does exist. Despite the fact that one of the verifications may not indicate the presence of God, all the evidences together give a solid confirmation to the presence of God acknowledging their accord or absence of disagreement. In any case, if the presence of God is focused around such demonstrates, his verifications or complaints that God does not exist are questionable, too.
Traditions, through all of history have been what people hold onto through difficult times. Whether it is religion or just a tradition when people are truly in dire need of help, there is no such thing as an atheist. You can see this through all sorts of events in history and in modern life. During the holocaust, the Jews were targeted exclusively because of their religion, yet through the hardship they only grew stronger in their faith. Or the disciples of Jesus, they were threatened by nearly everyone they came into contact with, but they pushed on. Even in modern times, when people are faced with extreme adversity, they normally come out with some new tradition, often religion.
In the Republic of Gilead, a Christian theocracy exists in the place of an elected secular government. The state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private life based on biblical fundamentalism. Those who do not conform are pressed into service as "handmaids" and servants or deported to regions where pollution has reached toxic levels. Martial law has been declared as "hordes of guerrillas" jeopardize the stability of the Republic -- though the threat may be greatly exaggerated.
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Throughout history, religion has impacted the lives of millions whether at school, work, with friends, or by some tragedy. Religion can change the way people view their existence. Religion also plays a big role in the infiltration of values into the loves of many young people today. In a recent pole printed in the USA Weekend Paper, “34% of respondents [said] Religion plays a powerful role in their everyday lives.” These student respondents “cited religion as the second-strongest influence in their lives outranked only by parents.” Religion also surpassed the world-renounced media as an influence in their lives (Lerman. 1).
First, “Becoming an atheist in America: Constructing Identity and Meaning from the Rejection of Theism”, Jesse Smith explores the process by which atheists come to be self-labeled atheists. This study uses the qualitative research methods of participant observation and in depth interviews. Smith separates the process into four steps that ultimately end with self identifying as an atheist. Smith makes sure to note that “the construction of an atheist identity is a fluid and dynamic process rather than one that follows any simple pattern or trajectory.” (Smith, 2011) Its worth mention that the last comprehensive study found that there are “Only 1% of Americans [that] self identify as atheists”(Caldwell-Harris, 2011). That means that only one percent of Americans go through this process.
...ferences and similarities as its predecessor atheism. Individuals and groups continue to assert their ideologies through their writings and critics continue to rebut these claims. As discussed, new atheism has shown evident different approaches in showing how religion has detrimental effects on society using events such as the many previous wars that have been initiated due to issues concerning religion. New atheism also addresses how these views and conceptions are forced upon children which highlight the significant developments of the ideas that have emerged since traditional atheistic times. By understanding how atheism and new atheism has developed and evolved, it can also be understood that there will be an endless and continuous arrivals of more diverse interpretations, approaches and goals of new atheism and issues revolving around religion in the future.
My father was always there for me, whether I wanted him to be or not. Most of the time, as an adolescent trying to claim my independence, I saw this as a problem. Looking back I now realize it was a problem every child needs, having a loving father. As hard as I tried to fight it, my dad instilled in me the good values and work ethic to be an honest and responsible member of society. He taught me how to be a good husband. He taught me how to be a good father. He taught me how to be a man. It has been 18 years since my father’s death, and I am still learning from the memories I have of him.
Every Sunday. Stares and disappointment. I sat with my grandmother at this big church. People would stare when they realized I didn't know the prayers or songs. I was trying to learn more about religion why did I feel so scared? Am I going to find where I belong? Will I have enough time? These are questions I sometimes have to ask myself. When I was little I explored many religions but now that i'm older I am frightened about faith.
Which brings me to Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development, specifically Individual-Reflective Faith which occurs in early adulthood. Growing up as a family we went to church every Sunday and sometimes even twice a week, everyone in my family was a catholic and that was expected from all of us, no questions asked. I even got baptized as a baby and did my first communion when I was about nine years old. I did not mind the expectation from my family when I was little because I loved church, especially the singing. Then came a time where both of my parents started to work on Sundays, so did my sister, and so my brother and I helped out at my parents restaurant. Ever since then we really have not made church a priority, I believe this is what effected my encounter with my mother when I was eighteen years old. I was currently taking a class called “religion in the modern world” and learned about all rituals and how different religions support different things than others, and it got to me to reflect on what religion I grew up learning about. Some things I liked and some things I was horrified by. So talking to my mother, I was telling her my opinions and what I believed in and that there is not just one way to believe or think. She was furious, I was stepping out of the norm, but it had been because of my Individual-Reflective Faith than lead me to this stage. I am very thankful I was able to reflect on my faith, I now have a stronger bond on my beliefs and now my mother totally supports me on it, so it was all for the best that I went through this
At the age of 14, I lost my second mother, my auntie Anitra to suicide. I can really say that it was most difficult time of my life. I wanted to talk to her one last time. The only way I knew how to do that was to talk to her through God. In Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." I am a true believer in "God does everything for a reason. " It was just her time to go home. Losing a loved one would cause anyone to mourn all day, but is it going to bring that person back? The person you lost is in a better place now. They 're in good