Giving an answer

"But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." ~ 1 Peter 3:15-16

If you have not figured it out yet; I love to share my faith in Jesus Christ and what it has meant to me. I enjoy telling others about what He has done and is doing in my life. If people are willing to listen I am willing to openly share. I have mentioned that I have had a dialog with an atheist friend and it we basically reached some what of an impasse and sadly we have agreed to disagree. I still pray for him and hope he will take the time to consider the Gospel on his own. The post below is my final note to him and I hope this does not appear self-serving.

"I want to acknowledge that I agree with you that both sides of the “faith” issue whether atheist/agnostic or religious tend to overstate or do what one author calls “freak point” to the worse examples that either side of the aisle has to offer. Religious people get all lumped in together in one big group and the extremists are all pointed to as the norm for those of faith rather than an aberration or atypical of the average believer. So what do those of faith do, they respond with freak pointing of their own. Hitchens or Dawkins point to the Crusades, the Inquisition or honor killings and the other side points to Hitler, Stalin, Mao or the killing fields or Cambodia. What this fails to acknowledge in my estimation are people like you and I who don’t plot genocide, incarcerating our political opponents, flying planes into buildings or whatever other perversion of a set of core beliefs or a "faith" system.

I believe I know you well enough to say that it is highly unlikely you are going to do what some authors have described as “…taking atheism to it’s logical conclusion…” just like it is unlikely that I am going to go on a jihad or blow up an abortion clinic. We both strive to live good lives, provide for our families, keep a good reputation amongst our business partners and are productive members of society. Neither of us is what you or I would classify as “extremists” or “rabid zealots.” So with all that said; I agree with you in principle that our faith systems or world-views cannot and should not be defined by those that have twisted or perverted the ideals or premise of the position we hold. I would no more lump you in with Hitler as you would me with a Crusader or Inquisitor.

Here is something though I want you to ponder; what is my motivation for sharing my faith with you? What do I have to personally gain? I surely cannot be accused of being motivated by power, money or political reasons. We live in separate countries and if per chance I was able to articulate my faith in a manner that convinced you I was sincere and God revealed to you that it was reasonable and logical what do I have to gain? You might say; well Mitch is just trying to win a debate or win brownie points with God. I can assure you that is the furthest from the truth. Let’s face it; in our society and in the business world you have more to lose than to gain by being open and honest about what you believe and why you believe it. I stand to gain more if I just keep my mouth shut and go along with the crowd.

Just because I am willing to share what I believe with you is no credit to me whatsoever. I am motivated by one thing and one thing alone; and that is I am so grateful and thankful for what God has revealed to me through His Word the Bible and the peace, hope and joy that faith in His Son Jesus Christ has brought to me personally that I want others to receive that same gift. One author described it like this; if you were convinced you could offer someone a cure for a terminal illness wouldn’t you try to do everything in your power to share that cure with them? The difference is that I am not a pharmaceutical company with the exclusive right to this miracle cure and I don’t stand to make a windfall in the market by “hawking” it to the highest bidder.

I grew up in a home where we went to church every time the doors where open and I was involved in various church youth groups. I learned the Bible stories and memorized verses but at the end of the day I compartmentalized my life. I was one way on Sunday’s and a completely different way Monday through Saturday. I was morally conservative and did not get in trouble; basically a good kid and not a trouble maker. I had a line I would not cross but I could and would rationalize things that I knew were at odds with the faith of the Bible. I had a certain “moral flexibility” and if that included lying, stealing, drinking or taking liberties I would do it. But nagging in the back of my mind was the fact that I would only go so far because I believe God wired me to know there are moral absolutes and there is a right and a wrong. I believe there is a difference between God-given instincts of self preservation and absolute moral standards that God outlines in His Word. And yes, I do believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testament are in fact God’s Word that reveals His character and the moral standard He expects everyone to conform to.

After I graduated from high school and enrolled in college I explored any and all forms of entertainment and pleasure that this world offers. I have thoughtfully considered other religions or belief systems and even questioned if there is a God and even if there was am I answerable to Him? My parents actually are what I would consider 1st generation Christians. My mom was the first and only Christian in her entire family and my dad his mom both accepted Christ as their Savior at the same time. So I did not come from a long heritage of believers or from a background with a multi-generational faith. If anything the “wiring” of my extended family including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins is anything but Christian.

All this to say that I saw my life spiraling out of control with drugs, alcohol, money, "pleasure" and materialism. I looked for satisfaction in anything and everything apart from God. But in my 2nd year of college I came to believe that faith in Jesus Christ was and is reasonable and logical. And I will admit that reason and logic can only take you so far and you have to be open to seek and pursue faith, and God does have to reveal Himself to you. But one of verses in the Bible states that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

You ask what the difference between Biblical Christianity and other faiths is and my answer is this; none of those other faiths portray their god as approachable or attainable. None of them really offer any hope or promise of eternal peace and joy, it is all a roll of the dice. And none of them have a God that took on human form to pay the ultimate price and penalty for His children so that you can have access to Him and a personal relationship with Him. All other forms of religion expect you to work for your salvation and hope at the end of the day you have done enough to merit that god’s favor. My faith is built on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through no merit of my own I can have peace with God. That does NOT make me better than anyone else; on the contrary if I am honest with myself and consistent with God’s Word I have to acknowledge that I am no better than anyone else and it is all because God loves me (and you) and has shown me great mercy and grace that I neither deserve nor can I ever earn.

I know this is long and I appreciate your patience with me. I just wanted to share this with you. I believe what the Bible says that one day we will all stand before God and be judged. What is my motivation? I don’t want to be standing in the crowd and have you look over at me and say; “…you KNEW this to be true. Why didn’t you ever tell me?!?” If I am truly your friend and I claim to have any human compassion why would I keep this a secret?

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." ~ Hebrews 9:27-28