fools

Along with the many other things that have become culturally normal is the belief, or maybe non-belief, of atheism. As with so many other human ideas, this is one that challenges my faith. Our culture says I must tolerate it, and on one level I’m happy to do so; every person, regardless of whether they share my faith partly or completely, is a child of God, and is worthy of respectful treatment for that reason alone. 

But I still struggle with what I call the “Car Keys Dilemma.” I feel that if I see a person doing something self-destructive, it isn’t an act of love to let them continue. The same basic decency that would lead me to take a drunk person’s car keys should prompt me to want an atheist to come to know Jesus the way I do. 

Because here’s the truth, from Psalm 53:1: 

“The fool says in his heart,

‘There is no God.’

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;

there is no one who does good.”

Pretty harsh language, because I know many atheists and I like all of them. In general, I find them to be highly educated, compassionate, interesting people. They do a lot of good things because they value an orderly and fair society.

But the fact is denying God is a vile, bad thing. Ultimately no person has hope apart from God. To scoff at God as superstition is to encourage others to turn their backs on their creator and redeemer, and to put their souls in jeopardy.

Along with respecting their inherent dignity as image-bearers, I want to respect the beliefs of my atheist friends. But I’d never let them drive drunk. Do I dare let them live without hope? Doesn’t that make me a fool too?