I was walking outside to get a sandwich yesterday when I saw a particular billboard. It was one of those billboards from those angry atheists in Wisconsin, the Freedom From Religion Foundation. It was not such a shocker to see it as I thought it was going to be, actually I was surprised by my first thought. The idea that came into my mind was, “God, thank you that I live in a country where even those people are free to express their religion.”

I know that this sentiment is not shared by everyone on the extremes and I have experience with extremists. Those on the extremes (for or against) hate opposition. I saw many with that mentality in Christian college. The mentality which says ‘we have the truth and you better believe it like us or we won’t let you play in our reindeer games’ was pervasive there. This mentality was expressed through oppressing questions and laughing at people with doubt or different religions in various settings. This is not what Christ did. He loved people with doubts. When Peter denied he knew Christ, he forgave. When the man said, “Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief” (Mark 9:24), Christ did not condemn.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, which posted the billboard, showed this same extremism a couple weeks ago when they, in opposition to the Pope’s statements after the attacks in Paris, said that, “We can and must make fun of faith.” I am glad that my faith in Christ is not based on maligning others or their beliefs. My faith is based on Christ alone. Granted in order to accept the God of the Bible I have to reject other beliefs. But that does not give me license to make, “fun” of others who believe more or less or differently than myself. God loves atheists and longs for them to see the truth in His Word. And all of us are guilty of living as what my friend John Karraker calls “practical atheists” at one time or another. Practical atheists are, as I understand the term, those who claim to love God and who want to live the way that He has commanded in His Word, but do not apply it in all of life’s day-to-day decisions. Let me encourage you to do so! God knows more about this world we are in than we do. He knows more about where we are and what our needs are than we do. Apply your faith in the Master of the Universe to the smallest and biggest things!

This is not a defensive reaction or response. I did not do this website to counter the FFRF people. A defensive position is a losing position and it certainly leads to name-calling and making fun of others and their beliefs. The values that this publication stands for are eternal and stand on their own, the values of faith, family, and freedom. However, if I were to say anything to them, it would be (to coin a phrase) to all our atheist friends, thank God you are wrong!

—W.

Psalm 1 (ESV)
1 Blessed is the man[a]
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.