While running a Google search recently I happened on the name of Richard Carrier. He’s a high-profile historian and atheist philosopher who has gone to great lengths to refute the legitimacy of the historical Jesus, describing himself as an advocate of metaphysical naturalism.
Carrier appeared in the documentary film, “The God Who Wasn’t There,” being interviewed about his doubts on the historicity of Jesus. He has published a number of articles on the subject, among them calling into question discrepancies in the timelines of the gospels of Matthew and Luke on the birth of Jesus (understandably upsetting to the fundamentalist community), offering physical refutation of the resurrection story and generally denying that Jesus himself really lived on this planet. He cites the Jewish historian Josephus in his insistence of historical inaccuracy of the gospels in the timing of the birth of Jesus — though conveniently ignoring a separate reference by Josephus to the life of Jesus, where he is clearly identified as the Christ.
Those of the atheist or agnostic persuasion tend not to believe in anything they cannot see, touch or feel. They cannot comprehend the likelihood of a supreme being who at least set into motion a universe that the faith community cannot believe could organize and run itself.
The missing ingredient, of course, is faith. The Apostle Paul defines it as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
It is not difficult to see why some self-styled intellectuals find it impossible to comprehend the idea of faith. What mystifies me, though, is the length to which some of them go to try to disprove or stifle the practice of that faith by believers. What are they afraid of?
A story going around, possibly apocryphal, tells of an atheist who went to court because Christians and Jews celebrate holy days but atheists do not have a holiday of their own. The judge, in flatly dismissing the case, replied that atheists do have a holiday — April Fools Day. “The fool has said in his heart there is no God,” remarked the judge, quoting Psalm 14:1.
Hilarious – unless you’re an atheist.
It is pointless to argue with an atheist since the two sides are on different planes, the physical and the spiritual. Faith cannot be proven scientifically, but it is in evidence everywhere. Bill and Gloria Gaither had the right idea in one of their songs:
“Go ask the child who’s got a dad
To love away the hurt he had
Before this man called Jesus touched their lives,
Go ask the one whose fears have fled,
Whose churning heart was quieted
When Someone whispered peace to all her strife,
Go ask the man to tell you more
Whose life was just a raging war
Inside himself until the Savior came.
I don’t intend to be so wise,
I only know he touched my eyes,
And nothing else will ever be the same.
Jim Bailey’s column appears on Wednesday. He can be reached by e-mail at jameshenrybailey@earth link.net.
