From: wquinnan@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Malcusco)
Subject: Re: The arrogance of Christians
Organization: University of California, San Diego
Lines: 60

In article <Apr.10.05.32.15.1993.14385@athos.rutgers.edu> dleonar@andy.bgsu.edu (Pixie) writes:
>In article <Apr.7.01.55.50.1993.22771@athos.rutgers.edu>,
>
>					Pardon me, a humble atheist, but exactly what is the difference
>between holding a revealed truth with blind faith as its basis (i.e.
>regardless of any evidence that you may find to the contrary) as an
>absolute truth, fully expecting people to believe you and arrogance?
>     They sound like one and the same to me.

>                                       Pixie
>
>
>     p.s.  If you do sincerely believe that a god exists, why do you follow
>it blindly?  

	Why do we follow God so blindly?  Have you ever asked a
physically blind person why he or she follows a seeing eye dog?
The answer is quite simple--the dog can see, and the blind person
cannot.

	I acknowledge, as a Christian, that I am blind.  I see,
but I see  illusions as well as reality.  (Watched TV lately?)
I hear, but I hear lies as well as truth.  (Listen to your 
radio or read a newspaper.)  Remember, all that tastes well is
not healthy.  So, I rely one the one who can see, hear, and
taste everything, and knows what is real, and what is not.
That is God.

	Of course, you may ask, if I cannot trust my own senses,
how do I know whether what I see and hear about God is truth or
a lie.  That is why we need faith to be saved.  We must force
ourselves to believe that God knows the truth, and loves us
enough to share it with us, even when it defies what we think
we know.  Why would He have created us if He did not love us 
enough to help us through this world?

	I also do trust my experiences to some extent.  When
I do things that defy the seeming logic of my experience, 
because it is what my Father commands me to do, and I see
the results in the long term, I find that He has led me
in the proper direction, even though it did not feel right
at the time.  This is where our works as Christians are
important:  As exercises of the body make the body strong,
excercises of faith make the faith strong.  

	As for you, no one can "convert" you.  You must
choose to follow God of your own will, if you are ever to
follow Him.  All we as Christians wish to do is share with
you the love we have received from God.  If you reject that,
we have to accept your decision, although we always keep
the offer open to you.  If you really want to find out
why we believe what we believe, I can only suggest you try
praying for faith, reading the Bible, and asking Christians
about their experiences personally.  Then you may grow to
understand why we believe what we do, in defiance of the
logic of this world.

	May the Lord bring peace to you, 
			
			Malcusco