When I was in Palestine and Israel this year, I have to admit that my perspective changed a lot, not on atheism, but atheists.
Atheists are people I used to look down upon and believe that they are less moral than believers. I have had some negative experiences with atheists in Canada, many of them arrogant and scoffing at people who believe in God. Most of the ones I know from Canada are pretty materialist driven and though they are nice people, they wouldn't go out of their way to place themselves in danger if it meant helping others.
The ISMers I met in Hebron were totally the opposite of that. I was the only Christian on the team, and the one of 2 people who believed in God (the other guy said he believes in God, but does not follow any religion). Everyone else was a disbeliever. Yet they were some of the kindest and most friendly people I met. They knew I am a Christian, but no one mocked my beliefs. We had some great debates about the existence of God and creationism vs evolution, but they were very respectful. I went to church every Sunday, and no one had a problem with that.
More importantly, these were people who cared about the Palestinian people we worked with, and they were people who not only cared, but who actually were willing to put themselves on the line. We would confront the soldiers together, were teargassed together, would rush out the door together at 1 in the morning after hearing there was yet another settler attack or army attack- not knowing what to expect when we got there, had the police and army threaten all of us, dodged rocks and bottles thrown by Israeli settlers together. Some of our group members were shot at when they were close to clashes, and one of them, a girl from Iceland, was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet. She had an enormous bruise for a few weeks, but didn't let that stop her work, though her parents when they heard about it were begging and then demanding that she come home immediately.
I seriously consider these people to be some of my closest friends, closer even than some of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my other Muslim and Jewish God-fearing friends. I know what they are like when things get really really really bad, and I know they always have my back and I have theirs.
It is disappointing that the ranks of groups like ISM and NMD (No More Deaths- who help migrants in the desert in Arizona and confront the Border Patrol when they are abusing people and who I volunteered with in 2011) are made up mostly of atheists and agnostics and non-religious people. They take some of the biggest risks, yet the absence of Muslims and Christians and Jews (there are actually many Jews in ISM, though many of them are not religious) and others who believe in God in such groups is depressingly noticeable. ****
Where are the Christians and the other monotheists? Giving money and running soup kitchens is great, but why is it when it comes to taking physical risks and risking the possibility of arrest or a beating or worse, at least in these groups, the non-believers step up more quickly than those of us who believe?
I believe atheism is wrong- the argument that there is no God is impossible to hold up in my opinion, and is deepky flawed and mistaken. I don't see how people can deny God's existence.
However, although atheists I believe are wrong in their worldview, a lot of them are following Jesus' commands to love the poor and work for justice a lot better than many Christians are, as well as a lot better than many Muslims and Jews.
Just some of my thoughts. Thank you for reading my rant.
**** In Palestine/Israel, there is Christian Peacemaker Teams who are made up mostly of Christians, but they are a small group and it is hard to get in- several weeks of training and a tough selection process- whereas to join ISM or NMD you literally just need to show up for a 2 day training and you are on your way. CPTers take the same risks that ISM takes.
In Arizona, there are Christian groups that help migrants, but most of them will not camp out in the potentially dangerous environment of the desert to set up a 24 hour aid station and confront the Border Patrol when they are hurting migrants.
Atheists are people I used to look down upon and believe that they are less moral than believers. I have had some negative experiences with atheists in Canada, many of them arrogant and scoffing at people who believe in God. Most of the ones I know from Canada are pretty materialist driven and though they are nice people, they wouldn't go out of their way to place themselves in danger if it meant helping others.
The ISMers I met in Hebron were totally the opposite of that. I was the only Christian on the team, and the one of 2 people who believed in God (the other guy said he believes in God, but does not follow any religion). Everyone else was a disbeliever. Yet they were some of the kindest and most friendly people I met. They knew I am a Christian, but no one mocked my beliefs. We had some great debates about the existence of God and creationism vs evolution, but they were very respectful. I went to church every Sunday, and no one had a problem with that.
More importantly, these were people who cared about the Palestinian people we worked with, and they were people who not only cared, but who actually were willing to put themselves on the line. We would confront the soldiers together, were teargassed together, would rush out the door together at 1 in the morning after hearing there was yet another settler attack or army attack- not knowing what to expect when we got there, had the police and army threaten all of us, dodged rocks and bottles thrown by Israeli settlers together. Some of our group members were shot at when they were close to clashes, and one of them, a girl from Iceland, was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet. She had an enormous bruise for a few weeks, but didn't let that stop her work, though her parents when they heard about it were begging and then demanding that she come home immediately.
I seriously consider these people to be some of my closest friends, closer even than some of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my other Muslim and Jewish God-fearing friends. I know what they are like when things get really really really bad, and I know they always have my back and I have theirs.
It is disappointing that the ranks of groups like ISM and NMD (No More Deaths- who help migrants in the desert in Arizona and confront the Border Patrol when they are abusing people and who I volunteered with in 2011) are made up mostly of atheists and agnostics and non-religious people. They take some of the biggest risks, yet the absence of Muslims and Christians and Jews (there are actually many Jews in ISM, though many of them are not religious) and others who believe in God in such groups is depressingly noticeable. ****
Where are the Christians and the other monotheists? Giving money and running soup kitchens is great, but why is it when it comes to taking physical risks and risking the possibility of arrest or a beating or worse, at least in these groups, the non-believers step up more quickly than those of us who believe?
I believe atheism is wrong- the argument that there is no God is impossible to hold up in my opinion, and is deepky flawed and mistaken. I don't see how people can deny God's existence.
However, although atheists I believe are wrong in their worldview, a lot of them are following Jesus' commands to love the poor and work for justice a lot better than many Christians are, as well as a lot better than many Muslims and Jews.
Just some of my thoughts. Thank you for reading my rant.
**** In Palestine/Israel, there is Christian Peacemaker Teams who are made up mostly of Christians, but they are a small group and it is hard to get in- several weeks of training and a tough selection process- whereas to join ISM or NMD you literally just need to show up for a 2 day training and you are on your way. CPTers take the same risks that ISM takes.
In Arizona, there are Christian groups that help migrants, but most of them will not camp out in the potentially dangerous environment of the desert to set up a 24 hour aid station and confront the Border Patrol when they are hurting migrants.
