HT: Jim Lippard, whose fair-mindedness is appreciated!
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
This post seems to be written by "Trent" not Jim Lippard.
In any case, what is most telling is this that he wrote: "I began to realize that a big part of my atheistic perspective wasn’t from my own thought process. I merely bought into what everyone else was saying around me without really thinking about it too much." So this author was not really an atheist in the sense of having rationally thought about his position, considered theism analytically, and come to a conclusion pro or con. If he had, CS Lewis would certainly not have swayed him.
jules, while your quote is accurate, I came away with a completely different percpective on what the author's intent of the post was.
When the author writes: "In the ten years since I first read this book, I’ve read countless books on countless religions. I’ve spent hours upon hours considering difficult questions about my own beliefs and my own place in the universe. I wound up reading a lot of works from theological schools and other sources, including a few that really altered my viewpoint on various things, but none were capable of making that fundamental shift like Mere Christianity did." I didn't take that to mean that CS Lewis alone swayed him as you imply.
Further, I took the meaning of your quoted phrase as a snippet only and not the sole reason the author was an atheist. I therefore find your statement that he did not come to a belief in atheism by rational means to be rather lacking.
In any event, while the book "Mere Christianity" didn't sway me to be a Christian, I share the sentiments of the author of the blog in question as it was instrumental in converting me to theism. I would ask you to consider an analogy of an avalanche. "Mere Christianity" was the call--the vibration if you will--that lead to the avalanche. Much more research and reflection and study of the issues both pro and con would encompass the whole process but for me this book started the snows down the mountainside.
If you read nothing but theology ("countless books on countless religions"), chances are good you'll end up a theist, although many come through this exercise with an understanding that the various religions are all myths.
But in order to truly understand the atheist worldview, you have to read atheist arguments as well as religious myths. Only then can you choose between the two. The author seemed to have focused on various forms theism.
Also telling is the fact that he was born into a Christian household, raised Christian and ended up a Christian. How about that.
4 comments:
This post seems to be written by "Trent" not Jim Lippard.
In any case, what is most telling is this that he wrote: "I began to realize that a big part of my atheistic perspective wasn’t from my own thought process. I merely bought into what everyone else was saying around me without really thinking about it too much." So this author was not really an atheist in the sense of having rationally thought about his position, considered theism analytically, and come to a conclusion pro or con. If he had, CS Lewis would certainly not have swayed him.
jules, while your quote is accurate, I came away with a completely different percpective on what the author's intent of the post was.
When the author writes: "In the ten years since I first read this book, I’ve read countless books on countless religions. I’ve spent hours upon hours considering difficult questions about my own beliefs and my own place in the universe. I wound up reading a lot of works from theological schools and other sources, including a few that really altered my viewpoint on various things, but none were capable of making that fundamental shift like Mere Christianity did." I didn't take that to mean that CS Lewis alone swayed him as you imply.
Further, I took the meaning of your quoted phrase as a snippet only and not the sole reason the author was an atheist. I therefore find your statement that he did not come to a belief in atheism by rational means to be rather lacking.
In any event, while the book "Mere Christianity" didn't sway me to be a Christian, I share the sentiments of the author of the blog in question as it was instrumental in converting me to theism. I would ask you to consider an analogy of an avalanche. "Mere Christianity" was the call--the vibration if you will--that lead to the avalanche. Much more research and reflection and study of the issues both pro and con would encompass the whole process but for me this book started the snows down the mountainside.
If you read nothing but theology ("countless books on countless religions"), chances are good you'll end up a theist, although many come through this exercise with an understanding that the various religions are all myths.
But in order to truly understand the atheist worldview, you have to read atheist arguments as well as religious myths. Only then can you choose between the two. The author seemed to have focused on various forms theism.
Also telling is the fact that he was born into a Christian household, raised Christian and ended up a Christian. How about that.
Jules:
The author of the post's name is Trent. The "Hat Tip" or HT is to me because I pointed Victor to the post.
Post a Comment