Another holiday season has come and gone, leaving most of us with cherished memories of the birth of the Christ child, and times spent with family members and friends. Of course, not everyone acknowledges Jesus as the Savior of mankind. While I respect people’s right to believe otherwise, it does sometimes make interfacing with those individuals somewhat awkward, if not outright painful.
That’s the case with my wife’s childhood friend, Jane. Jane and her husband still live in my wife’s hometown, and the holidays are a time when we can visit and reminisce. This past Christmas, we met them for dinner. It was a pleasant evening of good food and memories of times past. Everything was going along splendidly until we had ‘The conversation’. The one about God. It’s the same conversation that pops up during many of our visits. It’s the dialogue where I usually get disgusted and want to go home and kick something.
Did I mention that Jane is an atheist? Not just any old atheist, but a confirmed, ‘in your face’ non-believer. As you can imagine, that makes conversations about religion interesting at best. Jane is adamant that there is no God. If you haven’t had the pleasure of having a frank conversation with a strong-willed non-believer, here’s how our discussions usually go.
Me: “Jane. Look at the beauty of the world around you. The oceans. The mountains. How can such splendor exist without a God?”
Jane: “That proves nothing. Ever heard of the glaciers?”
Me: “What about Jesus? It’s a matter of history that he walked the earth and was crucified. He died for our sins.”
Jane: “I acknowledge he may have existed. Proves nothing though.”
Me: “I’ll pray for you. I hope you will someday see and understand the truth.”
Jane: “I don’t want your prayers. Don’t pray for me! I’m fine the way I am!”
Me: “Ugh!”
One of the reasons these conversations quickly go in the wrong direction is my own inability to articulate my beliefs. I’m not what you would consider a student of the Bible, nor did I have a religious upbringing as a child. But I can clearly see the message within God’s word, forming a bread trail for me personally, as I walk on my spiritual journey toward Him.
But I sometimes forget how unique we all are. How each of us processes information differently. I forget how words that fit snugly within the framework of my own mind, may not have the same poignant impact on others. That’s my own failure as a Christian and as a disciple.
Jane is a reasonably intelligent woman. Like everyone else, she has filters in her mind to help her discern the truth. She’ll be quick to tell you that there’s been no evidence that has passed through those filters to convince her God exists. And like all of us, she’s been blessed in many ways. She just doesn’t realize those blessings come from above.
In Jane’s defense, to the best of my knowledge, she’s never been faced with the challenge of a major health issue. She has always been financially solvent, generally free of worry about how she’s going to pay the bills. And as far as I know, she’s never been confronted with an event in her life so catastrophic, that she’s felt the need to drop to her knees and pray to God to save her from the calamities many of us are faced with at some point in our lives.
To some extent, I admire her independence and her resolve. She gets by each day without overtly relying on God. Even though we know He’s always there with her.
Though her attitude frustrates me greatly, I realize she doesn’t possess the same hope and joy we Catholics have in our hearts. That same hope gives us comfort and solace. Within her mind, she believes and has accepted, that there is nothing beyond our earthly world filled with ‘things’ and ‘temptations’. Hence, there is no reason to live a life as Jesus taught us in the gospels. Living a life for Him vs ourselves or our possessions. This saddens me and when I think about what Jane is missing out on, my frustrations with her become secondary in importance relative to her salvation.
So, where does that leave Jane and others like her? I’m determined that the next time I see her, I’ll be better prepared.
Saint Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope’”.
I realize it’s not in everyone’s DNA to be an evangelist. But I think I’ve failed miserably in effectively conveying the reason for my hope. Too often I’ve missed the opportunity to try to break down those walls that she’s constructed over her lifetime, just because I find dealing with her difficult. I also know that Jesus expects us to evangelize others, and for me to do that I have to allow God’s light to shine through me.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl….In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 28:19-20).
As I reflect on that evening with Jane, I know when I see her again, I will also offer one more question for her to consider.
‘What if you are wrong?’
What if everything written about God in the Bible is true? And everything she believes is a façade. Then that would mean that words in the Bible about non-believers would be true as well.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him(Hebrews 11:16).
unbelievers…their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelations 21:8).
Those who do not acknowledge God….will pay the penalty of eternal ruin (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
That’s strong language for a book that is filled with metaphors and symbolism. So, what does ‘eternal ruin’ really mean? The Bible’s descriptions of hell are intended to paint a very clear picture for all of us.
“Fire and brimstone”
“Furnace of fire”
“Fiery oven”
“Lake of fire”
“Eternal punishment”
I’ll stop there. If God’s word is true, then it’s a considerable understatement to suggest that Hell
will be a place like no other. For eternity! The next time I see Jane, I’ll be better prepared for that
inevitable conversation to explain the reason for my joy. And I will pose the question, to her,
‘What if you’re wrong?’
But more importantly, I will pray to God that my words will be His words. That He will direct
me and allow His light to shine through me. And that He will open her eyes to the truth, as only
He can.
10 thoughts on “What If You’re Wrong?”
I have the strong suspicion that both sides of this arguement are well off the mark. And there exists a profound ignorance of G-d within human nature itself. Whatever Christ may have revealed two thousand years ago was probably lost. For all that history offers is an all too human theological construct called tradition. A catch22. Theology only exist because nothning has been revealed and faith remains unable to demonstrate any divine pedigree that isn’t of their own making. Atheism is the reverse side of the same coin. Responding to the false intellectual paradigm of tradition but unable to prove a negative. I would love to think the G-d will have the last laugh on everyone. For Christ promisd a sign: the sign of Jonah. Could this be the ultimate, definitive proof that is missing from history? Some one only has to discover what that sign is to expose the false premise upon which both religious and atheist have founded their positions. Now that would make for an interesting apocalypse!
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“What if you’re wrong?”
You want to ask your friend this. But how do you respond if she asks it of you?
Essentially this is just Pascal’s Wager, the idea that one should opt for theism because the threat of Hell if Christianity is true far exceeds non-existence if atheism is true. What if an atheist is wrong? I know I’d ask God why he is so focused on belief in him while simultaneously engaging in so much Divine Hiddenness (a problem many believers struggle with). What if the Christian is wrong? What little time we have on this Earth and much of it spent towards a deity that isn’t there. What if both atheists and Christians are wrong? Imagine if Allah is the true god, or the god of deism that cares not of worship. Remember, it’s not a dichotomy.
But even with this argument and the threat of Hell, we have to remember something: You can’t force yourself to believe in something no matter the promises of good things or bad punishments. I can offer you a magic lamp for $100, and surely the idea of three wishes is far greater than the loss of $100, but that doesn’t convince us the lamp does what I claim. The same is true for your god or any other god. We can only believe what the evidence tells us, with the understanding that while you believe the evidence of God — Jane, me, and people like us just don’t accept it. More convincing evidence will do far more than promises of Heaven or warnings of Hell.
Finally, I would avoid ending a discussion with “I’ll pray for you.” Nonbelievers know this move far too well. It’s an attempted “gotcha” when nothing more of substance can be offered. You’ll get far better discourse discussing ideas and not resorting to such tactics.
Thanks for the comment Jack.
But Jesus was clear in His communications. Being a good person is no doubt important. But unless someone ‘believes’ he cannot expect to reach heaven (last 6 words are my paraphrasal). As noted in the 1 Thesalonia reference …..’Those who do not acknowledge God will pay the penalty of eternal ruin’
I am not a hail and brimstone guy. I see many ‘good’ people in the world who do not believe a God exists. I pray that you are right and the Lord saves each of them.
Hi Bob,
Surely it’s up to each person to decide what he or she believes.If Jane is a good person and practices Jesus’ injunction to love your neighbor as yourself that should count in her favor when she departs this earthly life.
I am also mindful of what the poet Tennyson wrote ,”There lives more faith in honest doubt,believe me,than in half the creeds.”
CCC 026: Faith is man’s response to God..
CCC 162: Faith is an entirely free gift…
CCC 160: Christ invited people to faith and conversion, but never coerced them. “For he bore witness to the truth but refused to use force to impose it on those who spoke against it. His kingdom. . . grows by the love with which Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws men to himself.”
The Church never imposes – she merely proposes.
I heard two separate “celebrity apologists” state this same strategy: “If it becomes apparent that ones own efforts are futile, instead pray that someone else converts that person”. Both apologist claim they had witnessed this happen in spite of their own failures.
Forgot the “” – middle quote is not my own (JPII: REDEMPTORIS MISSIO).
If I were Jane I would put you in your place. She obviously loves tormenting you and since
she wins every time it must be a terrific boost to her ego. The people I know who hold non belief dear would say, Hey, pal, change the subject or our friendship is history.
Yet, interestingly, some of our Church leaders/hierarchy seem to indicate that no one is in hell!!!! Just one more nail in the “coffin” of Church unity.