Atheists Are Coming Out of the Closet? posted by John Sorensen on Aug 14, 2014

A few days ago, while on a domestic flight within Indonesia, I was handed a Time magazine.  Now I generally don’t read this kind of news as it tends to increase my blood pressure.  But, I’ve been out of the United States for a week, some good ole American news sounded well, good. I guess my memory is just bad enough that I had forgotten why I don’t read such articles.  Toward the back of the magazine, there was an article titled “Atheist ‘Churches’ Gain Popularity – Even in the Bible Belt.”

This article portrayed atheists as growing group that is finally “coming out of the closet!”  Perhaps the final closeted group in America, they say.  I find this statement kind of funny.  People in America have always been free to believe pretty much anything they want to believe with regard to God.  Since my childhood, I’ve never experienced anyone being persecuted for their lack of belief in God.  The truth is, I have lived in quite a few places among quite a lot of groups and I’ve just not seen it.  Not once.  Never.   But now these folks are coming out of the closet and Christian pastors are abandoning their faith and becoming leaders within these “churches”.  Amazing.

Now do I care that they have a “church”?  Of course not.  Go for it!  Perhaps it will be of help to some in need of friendship and care. Maybe even, through their care for each other, they will find, shudder to say, God, just an arms-length away.  But don’t expect me to say, you’re “OK,” because I can’t. Don’t ask me to say that your worldview about the lack of God is just as valid as the worldview of someone who acknowledges our Creator because, frankly, it’s not.

Anyone can see, God is real.  He’s alive. He wants to know us and most amazing is He loves even those to use the very brain He gave them to deny His existence.

And we know how God felt about it.  One day Jesus stood outside of Jerusalem and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”  (Matthew 23:37 NKJV).  And you could hear the longing in Christ’s voice toward those who don’t know Him.

It’s not a new thing to deny God.  Not at all.  It’s been happening since the very creation of the world.  One day, God’s patience will run out. God will finally grant the wish of all who say they want nothing to do with Him.  Not that I take any glee in this happening.

I hope to get to speak at one of these atheist “churches” one day.  I’ve always been told that in a room full of blind men, a one-eyed man is king.  So, even the little bit of faith I have would reign supreme in such a case.