tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.comments2018-11-18T06:48:28.351-06:00HOPE FOR TODAY with Clint DeckerClint Deckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-22962591159916363742018-11-06T14:22:01.090-06:002018-11-06T14:22:01.090-06:00My good friend Clint. This article has been a bl...My good friend Clint. This article has been a blessing for me today and I thank the Lord for our friendship over the years.Larry the Berryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08019807823815234304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-90667107917744694522016-11-28T04:08:09.067-06:002016-11-28T04:08:09.067-06:00B-coz he lives so can we.B-coz he lives so can we.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06177293653805525761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-75742555260001087112016-08-03T11:04:09.205-05:002016-08-03T11:04:09.205-05:00Very good read Clint. I pray more Americans would...Very good read Clint. I pray more Americans would seek Jesus Christ.<br />Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on this subject. So well written.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02520859270404524079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-40865699945374090782016-08-03T07:52:17.978-05:002016-08-03T07:52:17.978-05:00As usual I appreciate your insights thoughtfulness...As usual I appreciate your insights thoughtfulness about this issue.Travisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-77339725894709462092016-04-05T07:36:52.875-05:002016-04-05T07:36:52.875-05:00Great article, Thanks for your great information, ...Great article, Thanks for your great information, the content is quiet interesting. I will be waiting for your next post.<br />Web Designers Pitampurahttp://www.webgarage.in/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-2283949923896167182016-03-16T16:44:51.026-05:002016-03-16T16:44:51.026-05:00I missed this the first time around. I had it set ...I missed this the first time around. I had it set up to receive alerts, but they went to a "social media" tab that I never look at, so I didn't see it until now.<br /><br />But to give a belated answer:<br /><br /><i>Methinks thou dost protest too much. Why does Nullifidian read so much if he is not searching to fill the God shaped void in his heart?</i><br /><br />That is a question that could be applied to anything people do. "Why does X do Y if he is not searching to fill the God shaped void in his heart?" You could substitute gardening, playing pinochle, lifting weights, doing cross-stitch, watching television, or any other activity for that. Since there's no necessary relationship between the activity and thinking about God, it applies just as well to anything.<br /><br />I read because I like it. It's news to me that reading is supposed to either lead one to God or that it's supposed to cover some alleged 'void' left by God's absence—a void I've never felt because, as I explained above, I was never raised to think that any gods existed in the first place. My reading in the philosophy and history of religion was only for a brief span from high school to my early undergraduate years and was entirely due to the fact that, never having been raised in any religion, I was curious about them all. I then learned what I wanted, and I moved on to subjects that interested me more.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-17783978778967534622015-12-02T12:40:34.491-06:002015-12-02T12:40:34.491-06:00Really enjoyed the blog again this week! The tongu...Really enjoyed the blog again this week! The tongue can be really hurtful as well!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02520859270404524079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-58012429842138975042015-11-04T10:09:50.260-06:002015-11-04T10:09:50.260-06:00Methinks thou dost protest too much. Why does Nul...Methinks thou dost protest too much. Why does Nullifidian read so much if he is not searching to fill the God shaped void in his heart?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-63144062244796258122015-10-15T21:13:45.573-05:002015-10-15T21:13:45.573-05:00I have no concerns about engaging with people who ...<i>I have no concerns about engaging with people who oppose my views. I've read parts of the New World Translation, the Book of Mormon, the Koran and visited with many people over the years that believe or don't believe a variety of things.</i><br /><br />Rather than answering my objection, you've just reinforced it. I said that you don't get an independent view of atheism because you only talk with other theists, and here you are citing your perusal of <i>religious</i> texts. That's hardly material when it comes to the subject of atheism, because these texts aren't going to be any more understanding of atheism than you are.<br /><br /><i>What lead you to becoming an atheist?</i><br /><br />You're still assuming that theism is the default position and atheism some kind of aberration despite the fact that I explicitly told you last time that I was a <i>lifelong</i> atheist. So the things that led me to becoming an atheist were conception and birth. I was raised entirely without religion. My mother lived and died without me ever learning what her religious views were, if any. Because of my lack of early childhood indoctrination, when I became aware that people actually believed in god(s) in the present day, not just as some quaint practice of centuries past, I had no emotional ties to any religion nor any impulse to think god's existence more likely than not.<br /><br />For several years, I continued as a young atheist who was aware of his atheism (I consciously omitted the "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance because I knew I didn't believe in it, and since I was only required to say the Pledge from K-2, that will tell you how soon I was aware of not believing in god(s)). Then when I hit about 12 or 13, I decided it was time to investigate the subject of atheism in depth. Being pre-New Atheism, the only popular-level book on atheism that was in print was George H. Smith's <i>Atheism: The Case Against God</i>. It's a rather mediocre work, but that didn't make me more inclined to accept theism. Just the contrary: by mentally arguing with the author, I managed to construe his arguments in stronger terms than he himself managed, so it ended up strengthening my atheism in a way that a better book might not have. Continuing to research arguments for atheism meant getting into academic philosophy of religion, which I did with works like <i>Critiques of God: Making the Case against the Existence of God</i> by Peter A. Angeles (ed.), <i>The Miracle of Theism</i> by J. L. Mackie, and <i>Atheism: A Philosophical Justification</i> by Michael Martin. At roughly the same time, I was also looking into religious texts and authors, in a spirit of investigation to see what other people thought. So I ended up reading the Bible in the NRSV translation, the Koran (N. J. Dawood/Penguin Classics translation), selections from the Upanishads, the Dhammapada, the Tao te Ching, etc. I also read Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Schleiermacher, Kirkegaard, Bultmann (just mentioning a few the Christian authors, as some of the others might not mean much to you). The result was stalemate. I could see that tremendous intellectual energy was spent writing and interpreting scriptures, and in arguing for gods, but the scriptures themselves are so divergent that they clearly cannot all be true, and the arguments for gods are counterpoised by the arguments against them and against the existence of gods. Considered as a purely intellectual problem—and I have no reason to consider it any other way—the existence of gods is very far from being established. Hence my atheism. I was an atheist at birth, I was never indoctrinated into religion, and so there's no emotional pull to any religion, let alone yours. Your "divine restlessness" isn't an inherent quality of humanity (I am human the last time I checked), but if it exists at all it exists as the product of religious indoctrination. Those who don't get any don't feel any sense of loss in not believing.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-24741636978383223472015-10-15T11:11:32.418-05:002015-10-15T11:11:32.418-05:00Nullifidian - You may call it "preconceptions...Nullifidian - You may call it "preconceptions", I prefer to call it "reinforcing truth". I have no concerns about engaging with people who oppose my views. I've read parts of the New World Translation, the Book of Mormon, the Koran and visited with many people over the years that believe or don't believe a variety of things. All the while I find it reinforces the truth I've learned from the Bible.<br /><br />What lead you to becoming an atheist?<br /> Clint Deckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-49924665868180107042015-10-13T19:13:41.084-05:002015-10-13T19:13:41.084-05:00Clint, that's some pretty good examples of ass...Clint, that's some pretty good examples of assuming your conclusion and hasty generalization. You say that "this restlessness... has been the basis of former atheists who turned and became faithful followers of Jesus Christ". All right, so what if some have? How do you address the fact that there are some atheists who <i>never</i> convert? Surely if your thesis were correct, you could hardly stop them stampeding to the nearest church at the first available opportunity.<br /><br />All your "worldview of the Bible and 25 years of experience talking with people about God" amounts to is reinforcing your preconceptions. Who do you talk to about God? You talk to believers in God about God. What do you do when you consult the Bible? You find the writings of believers in your God. Where, in all of this, are you actually approaching the atheist on a basis of true mutual understanding?<br /><br />What you're doing is confusing propaganda designed to keep you safely ensconced within the comfortable limits of your faith with the lives and experiences of real people. This is fine as long as you only talk to your fellow co-religionists, who largely share your assumptions, but when it leads you to publish articles that are picked up and published (admittedly in minor newspapers), the limitations of your view become apparent. As a lifelong atheist, I don't recognize myself in anything you've written. Your view cannot comprehend anyone who is raised without religion and happens not to believe in God as a result.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-56506278827832793712015-10-13T18:08:32.606-05:002015-10-13T18:08:32.606-05:00To Andy Abbott's comment - Thank you for shari...To Andy Abbott's comment - Thank you for sharing. According to my worldview there is the God of heaven and earth and there are "other" gods. Native Americans and Hindus are examples of the hundreds of thousands of other gods there are. My view of a "god" isn't just something or someone supernatural. It's the basis of what we look to and trust in. I believe an atheist looks to and trust's in themselves first and foremost. Therefore, according to my worldview they are a god unto themselves.Clint Deckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-57136138070080545862015-10-13T18:03:10.249-05:002015-10-13T18:03:10.249-05:00To Nullifidian's comment - Thank you for comme...To Nullifidian's comment - Thank you for commenting. I know my words sound assuming, but it is based on my worldview of the Bible and 25 years of experience in talking with people about God. There IS a divine restlessness in every human soul outside who is outside of knowing God. None would admit nor understand it until they finally come to know God, look back and connect the dots. It is this restlessness that has been the basis of former atheists who turned and became faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Clint Deckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-56663508940051836132015-10-13T17:55:44.911-05:002015-10-13T17:55:44.911-05:00To Don Gwinn's comment - According to my world...To Don Gwinn's comment - According to my worldview we either believe in and worship God or we believe in and worship something or someone else. I argue that atheists simply have replaced a belief/worship of God with a belief/worship of themselves. Therefore, an atheist is a god unto themselves. I realize you would adamantly oppose this viewpoint. My goal isn't to change your beliefs, but simply share.Clint Deckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-43355855510789980732015-10-12T21:03:29.132-05:002015-10-12T21:03:29.132-05:00"This points to what they rely upon, what the...<i>"This points to what they rely upon, what they exalt in their life. It all comes down to two things: themselves and the things of this world."</i><br /><br />Few thing wrong here. Like all human beings, I rely on other human beings- I am not in a vacuum, an island to myself- and neither are you. I rely on the things of this world as well, as they are directly (or indirectly) observable- and so do you.<br /><br />In your article, you state: <i>"God assume two things. We will either worship Him or something else."</i> Besides begging the completely unsettled question of "Are there any gods at all?" and about a dozen other non-established questions, you jump right from, "My book says this" to "this must be true" and assume that EVERYONE must worship SOMETHING. You don't get anywhere near backing this statement up. <br /><br />I think your central notion (Atheists worship themselves) goes even further off the rails than that- I would argue that the theist is the person who turns more inward and thus to themselves than the atheist (we exist, BTW- Hi!).<br /><br />Given that the theist might just be relying on something that they are imagining is real, they just could be putting their trust and hope into a god they have created for themselves. For example- you are a Christian. You would presumably not believe that Shiva or Vishnu are real- has the devout Hindu not then created an imaginary image of a bogus god to put his faith into? Is he not, in fact, worshiping a self-generated image, and, by extension, himself?<br /><br />The same can be said for any other faith by people who are not followers of that faith- yes: the same applies to Christianity as seen through the lens of the other 50% of the population of the planet. Kinda funny when you run it through the "outsider test."<br /><br />In turning away from the real and to things that can neither be observed, demonstrated, or explained, in letting go of reasonable doubt for faith, the theist ends up the worshiper of self.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09645423739797845676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-62788937615145563642015-10-12T20:46:49.964-05:002015-10-12T20:46:49.964-05:00Clint, anyone reading your article could see that ...Clint, anyone reading your article could see that is what you were arguing. The point is that it doesn't matter what you argue if it is, in fact, not true. Pointing us back to your article doesn't help, because your claims don't trump the lived experience of the atheists you are misrepresenting.<br /><br />Case in point: "When atheists put a box around themselves, it instinctively sets off a divine internal restlessness."<br /><br />But I am an atheist without any such restlessness. You can tell me that I don't know my own life, which would hardly be likely to win me over, or you can deal with me as you find me. The problem with so many Christian apologists and preachers is that they refuse to put their preconceptions away when confronted with real-life people that don't fit them.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-496847556813862352015-10-12T10:36:45.143-05:002015-10-12T10:36:45.143-05:00Did you run your definition of atheism past any se...Did you run your definition of atheism past any self-described atheists before you wrote this? It's hard to imagine an atheist who would agree with you that atheism requires that one have no beliefs whatsoever in anything . . . . I've never met an atheist who didn't understand that atheism is simply a lack of belief in gods, or that atheists cover wide spectra on any other question. <br />The idea that a person who "believes in herself," whatever that nebulous term means, is not an atheist is absurd.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809185132585728692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-19246609573672778932015-10-11T07:20:07.442-05:002015-10-11T07:20:07.442-05:00Thanks Bob of QF for reading the post and making a...Thanks Bob of QF for reading the post and making a comment. In my column I argue that an Atheist does worship. Rather than worshiping the God of heaven and earth, they worship the things of this world and are a god unto themselves. I explain this by exploring where Atheists goes for counsel in difficult situations, where they seek happiness, pleasure, meaning, etc. This points to what they rely upon, what they exalt in their life. It all comes down to two things: themselves and the things of this world. If only Atheists would see the limits they choose to put on themselves walking down this path. There is so much more, so many more possibilities, such a better way. Clint Deckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-47942112783762948452015-10-09T15:26:32.037-05:002015-10-09T15:26:32.037-05:00You silly man. I know who my creators are; my par...You silly man. I know who my creators are; my parents are very much alive and well, no thanks to your myth-god (who does not seem to give a crap about humanity; too much god-preventable suffering for a god to exist). <br /><br />I do not worship *anything*. Worship is what slaves--who have been broken-- do for their owners. <br /><br />Worship demeans both the slave (worshiper) and that which is worshiped. <br /><br />No sane sentient being would welcome worship; it's beneath them. Bob of QFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14000427902781900897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-92050398404620480562015-06-02T21:03:21.916-05:002015-06-02T21:03:21.916-05:00Great post!Great post!Tiffany Roneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-82115735051690008412014-08-06T10:10:02.988-05:002014-08-06T10:10:02.988-05:00Thank you, Clint, for speaking out about this issu...Thank you, Clint, for speaking out about this issue. It is a very touchy subject, and can be difficult to share on without offending someone. I recently ran across a testimony of a young man who is now an "ex-gay", and gives the glory to Jesus for bringing him through. It was powerful! It came through much inward struggle...but also through the LOVE and committment from Christians (not condemnation). Sometimes I think we have a long way to go - to really show the truth of His love to the world (as His body here on the earth). But it's posts like yours, and this young man's, that bring encouragement. HIS grace is FOR US, in such a time as this.Annette P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-2030342788586927772013-03-08T12:29:39.325-06:002013-03-08T12:29:39.325-06:00Tikhon,thank you for reading the column and taking...Tikhon,thank you for reading the column and taking time to share your thoughts. You were very thoughtful and gracious. Additionally, your comments were challenging making me think of things I hadn’t considered before. If I may, I’d like to respond.<br /><br />You are right that a resurrection was never part of the sacrificial laws in the OT. There isn’t a place in scripture where an ox, lamb, bird or any other animal rose from the dead. <br /><br />I believe much of the OT was “looking forward” to Christ. The animals that were sacrificed were each a “type” of Christ “looking forward” to a “better sacrifice”. Ultimately the animal sacrifices were incomplete. They were lacking. They weren’t “perfect sacrifices”. I believe that all affected “forgiveness”. I believe forgiveness was granted by God only because of looking forward to Christ. <br /><br />In order for Christ to provide the forgiveness of sins (OT sins, present and future) He had to be the perfect sacrifice. Perfection is deity. No one is perfect but God. If He was perfect He had to rise from the dead. How could God die and stay dead? We couldn’t have had forgiveness just with Christ’s death. His resurrection was validation of being the perfect sacrifice.<br /><br />In order for Christ to provide the forgiveness of sin He also had to have “power over sin”. One of the evidences of sin in our world is death. Death came through Adam and Eve because of their sin. To conquer death is to conquer sin. Therefore, forgiveness of sin can’t be granted unless there is power over sin. His resurrection was ultimate victory in defeating it. He gained power over sin by conquering death through His resurrection. <br /><br />Unless Christ rose from the dead there would be no possibility of forgiveness. Everything hinged on His resurrection. I agree with Paul who said, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). <br /><br />Thanks again for your response. Continue coming back to our blog. Blessings!! - Clint Decker <br /><br />Clint Deckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16819001152328347413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-30199559408604664102013-03-07T06:31:16.715-06:002013-03-07T06:31:16.715-06:00With respect and the realization that I am just pi...With respect and the realization that I am just picking nits, I have to disagree a little with your statement that "No resurrection would mean no forgiveness." While it is completely possible you're correct, it seems far from an established fact in Scripture. <br />As you wrote the line before, it is the shedding of blood that was the impetus for forgiveness. Sacrifice for the remission of sins is a practice seen throughout Israel's long history of sacrifice, "setting the table" for God's fuller revelation of that truth. Not once did anyone expect a slaughtered sheep to return to life so that they could know their sins were forgiven. I know this is over-simplified, but I think the model still holds. It was blood that was the means of forgiveness.<br />Furthermore, it seems to me that by declaring "It is finished," one could make a reasonable assumption that Jesus' redemptive work was completed in his (imminent) death (he couldn't very well declare the work finished after he died, after all). <br />I do think that we can know our sins are forgiveness because of the resurrection. And that should give us motivation to learn about the historical reality of the event, and ground ourselves in it like Paul. If we're looking to place our eggs somewhere, it is in this particular basket. <br />Additionally (and maybe more importantly?), Jesus' resurrection is his vindication, and it perfectly, brilliantly trumps the Jewish argument that anyone--even a righteous man--hung on a tree is cursed.<br />The resurrection isn't just important, it is everything. Despite my nitpicking, I do wish to say that I appreciate your efforts. We need more folks like you speaking out against the Bultmannian "Christ of faith." I see it in churches, even though no one knows Bultmann. Such a figure undermines the reality of Jesus' redemptive work and places Christianity on the shifting sands of a subjective, personal faith, that can be dismissed as myth or shaken by doubt.<br />Thank you again, and very best regards.tikhonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-8852779228442281012012-10-09T14:57:10.775-05:002012-10-09T14:57:10.775-05:00Perfect timing! I am beginning my series on spiri...Perfect timing! I am beginning my series on spiritual warfare and the awareness of cults, occult, witchcraft, etc. with the Power Hour kids on Wednesday nights. I will share this article as well. Had already cut it out of The Dispatch. Thanks for your wisdom and sharing!farmwifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09036438590944994542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1894839485269657604.post-74346070745920119622012-07-22T18:41:03.941-05:002012-07-22T18:41:03.941-05:00Awesome post and completely true! We the people ar...Awesome post and completely true! We the people are distancing ourselves from the only One that truly matters. God blessed us and He can take that blessing away.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing this,<br />JosephAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16218063932289238570noreply@blogger.com