Why are they so angry?

January 17, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On This Date:

1929- Popeye the Sailor Man, a cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, first appears in the Thimble Theatre comic strip. (…spinach sales jump dramatically…)

1950 - The Great Brinks Robbery - 11 thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car Company’s offices in Boston, Massechusetts.

1982 - “Cold Sunday”in the United States sees temperatures fall to their lowest levels in over 100 years in numerous cities. (…a young Al Gore blames this on global cooling…)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the Books:

It is against the law to fish from horseback in Utah.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fun Facts:

At any given hour the number of people airborne over the U.S. is 61,000.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments

111,111,111 X 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have never seen a UFO. Apparently in Stephenville, Texas residents are wondering what they saw recently on a clear mid-January night. Several dozen people - including a pilot, a law enforcement officer and local business owners - insist they have seen a large silent object with bright lights flying low and fast. Some reported seeing fighter jets chasing it.

There have been many reports of UFO’s through the years. The first report on record was January 25, 1878 in Grayson County, Texas (why is it always Texas?). Apparently local farmer John Martin reported seeing a large, dark, circular flying object resembling a balloon flying “at wonderful speed.” He compared its size when overhead to that of a “large saucer”.

There have been reports of alien abductions, government cover-ups and ET like creatures who want to be taken to our leader.

When it comes to UFO’s … I’m a skeptic. I think some of those that “see” UFO’s are mistaken, others are confused, and some are just goofy. I don’t believe … but I’m not angry. That what I find interesting about athiest’s; they don’t believe … I get that … but why are they so angry? That’s today’s Fuel4theFire.

If I try to look from the perspective of an athiest, I can understand that they don’t believe in God. I could even understand if they looked at believers as mistaken, confused or goofy. But the question I ask is why are they so angry?

The Psalmist asked the same question; “Why do the heathen rage?” (Psalm 2). Shakespeare would say; “Me thinks he doth protest too much.” I just ask, why are they so angry?

I believe the answer lies deep within the recesses of the athiests conscience. They have worked hard over the course of time to bury the truth under layers of “logic” and “reason.” They have spent time and energy formulating arguments and acruing evidence to prove there is no God. The problem is that their own conscience is being stifled in their inner most being. They have done all they can to put it too sleep; they are trying their best to lure it into a state of hibernation that will not be aroused.

And that is when the Christian comes along. The Christian takes the athiest beyond what can be seen and plunges into the realm of the unseen. The things of God transcend the natural world and move into the supernatural world. Why are they so angry? The answer is in the fact that Christians agitate the conscience of the athiest. We disturb the slumber of feelings that they have worked long and hard to suppress.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

The act of “searing” has to do with scorching or solidifying the exterior … like a steak tossed on a hot grill and flipped over to sear the outside. The things of God are like a sharp knife that cuts through the hardened outer surface revealing a tenderness that the atheist does not want to face.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

It is the only way I can explain the anger. I am not angry at the people in Texas who see a flying cigar the size of a football field. I may chuckle a bit and wonder if they were smoking a “cigar” of their own. But I am not angry in the least bit. It is because I am “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9).

When I am wrong … and know I am wrong … it makes me angry to have someone tell me I am wrong. When I am most angry it usually not with others … it is that I am disappointed in myself. The atheist comes off as angry because the Christian has awakened the sleeping giant - his conscience. Like a little boy who buries his eyes in his hands and hopes that if he can’t see what he is afraid of … it is not there. So the atheist works to deaden his conscience so that God will not be there. Why are they so angry? Because the Christian just won’t let it rest … Christianity pokes and prods the conscience and the athiest just doesn’t want to hear it.

It is more convenient to believe in a flying cigar that in a God who loves you. Why are they so angry? “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

That’s today’s Fuel4theFire.

And remember … I love you guys.

Tom