This post is an answer an atheist's commentary in the paper, printed Nov 2007; I wrote the following letter to the editor and it was published. (I found this copy in my journal)
The fellow (an engineer and author,) was commenting on a piece by a religious lady, and made his atheism clear. At the end he tells us he is a member of Humanism, and invites her to join him. He also says somewhat mockingly, "Tell us, in your most humble opinion, what does a god do with his time? Create hurricanes? Manufacture drug-resistant viruses? Bless serial killers? Where does evil come from in a world totally controlled by a loving god?"
It was his insinuation that religion is just ancient superstitions exposed as manmade fabrications that bugged me the most, and I hope he read it. (He was a guest writer, not an editor.) There were be comments on MY comments, other people piped in as well.
I can respect Charles Lesher's lack of belief in God, especially if he hasn't had any spiritual experiences to help him understand there is a living God/Creator. If he doesn't want God in his life, then God will indeed stay out.
But for those of us who invite God in on a daily basis, we DO have spiritual experiences. I know that for myself, I've prayed mightily to have my asthmatic daughter be able to breathe (late at night in a foreign place where I had no access to medical help,) and her breathing became completely better within minutes. I have prayed for help solving a problem and had pure, NEW, information put into my mind in answer, something that I hadn't thought up on my own.
When this happens time and again throughout one's life, it is impossible to NOT believe in God. So while Mr. Lesher states: " ... in world where science has increasingly exposed the ancient superstitions as manmade fabrications.," I take exception to the idea of lumping all 'ancient superstitions' with my current belief system. My faith is in a God who lives now, and answers my prayers often immediately, and helps me cope with a sometimes lousy world... there is nothing ancient about it.
Mr. Lesher hints at an assertion I hear from many atheists, that a loving God wouldn't allow people to suffer. It assumes one knows completely why God created us and put us on this world. Personally, I think he created us first in a perfect place, but wanted us to have experiences away from perfection, so we grow up on an imperfect, disease-ridden world, where even the weather can get out of control and cause death. We have to deal with microbes that maim and kill, parasites that sicken us, wild beasts that eat us, and other humans that hurt and destroy for the sheer pleasure of it.
I can't say I agree completely with Linda Turley-Hansen's statements as I think some sound a little odd. I think I prefer Einstein's explanation: "The deeper one penetrates into nature's secrets, the greater becomes one's respect for God." And, "We see a universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellations."
To believe in a greater power that created the heavens, us and this earth is to me more logical than the idea that life here evolved without some direction. Life seems to decay when left alone, not evolve into a higher life form. I've yet to hear a good explanation of how something as complicated as the eyeball, or our heart, or mammary glands could evolve without management by a higher power. I really can't fathom a fish saying one day, "I am so tired of bumping around in the dark, I hope my offspring have a way to focus and see clearly." Not all God-fearing people feel that a God/Creator and evolution are mutually exclusive.
Some religions have indeed gone overboard in imposing morals and laws to the detriment of society. And some teach some pretty wacky things. But it doesn't mean ALL religions and faiths are wrong or that God does not exist. I take exception when Mr. Lesher suggests I need to "accept reality as it is instead of how our primitive ancestors thought it should be." My faith isn't based on primitive belief systems as much as it is based on my reality here and now, my spiritual experiences I have been having for 40 years, since I 'found God' as a teen.
- Robin Reeder 16 Nov 2007
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