Which requires more? To have faith in God or faith in yourself?
Skeptics, cynics, and unbelievers are everywhere: I know some and love others. The explanation for their rejection of a Supreme Being seems to fall into one of three categories: Rational, Emotional, or Spiritual.
- Rational: Some particular intellectual objection has convinced the denier of the unlikely possibility that God exists. (Notice my words “unlikely possibility”. It is impossible to know conclusively that no eternal being exists. For that would require you to be omniscient {all knowing} and infinite {eternal}. In essence: to be…God!) The most common and understandable hurdle to belief is the existence of evil and suffering (not withstanding that much has been wrought by renowned atheists namely Lenin, Stalin, & Mao). Pain bothers me, too. The Bible does offer an answer that is sufficient, though, not satisfactory.
- Emotional: I have conversed with doubters for whom some past negative encounter, even injustice has soured them toward faith. On occasion, said misdeed may have been at the hands of so-called people of faith. If a professing Christian has acted in a manner genuinely inconsistent with tenants of the Christian faith; shame on them! Repentance is in order. However, when a cynic paints with a broad brush, it sometimes shrouds truth.
- Spiritual: Some reject God simply because they prefer the alternative! The Bible unapologetically calls that sin. I heard a scratchy recording of an old preacher from nearly a century ago. In the vernacular of the day, he repeated the coarse phrase, “They love their sin.” Terse but true. Often, objection is merely a smoke-screen for obstinance. If so; shame on you!
While I do not concur with the scoffer, I do admire the courage of a dissenter to candidly confess the basis for their non-belief. Of course so doing can be a precarious endeavor; as it may be a first ascent toward assent!
Now, back to our original thinker: which requires more? To have faith in God or faith in yourself?