The Myth of Nonbelief – You Gotta Serve Somebody

This week a thought came to my mind over an article on The Blaze I read recently. The link to it is listed below the reflection. It was about a student at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon. Eric Fromm is the student body president of the school and came out recently stating he is an atheist. I have no problem with that as he can be whatever he wants to believe. What concerned me was some of the descriptors in the article.

The descriptor that troubled me is seen first in Eric’s statement “For those of you who didn’t already know about my nonbelief, this news may be a bit shocking, but I was an atheist long before I came to NCU.” He speaks about his “nonbelief”. Then later in the article comes the statement, “Fromm took aim at some of the Christians on campus who have treated him differently since they found out he’s a non-believer.” When I read statements like that in news articles I always think to myself -- what is it with this “nonbelief” or non-believer status. Probably the only person who could be called a non-believer may be an occasional honest agnostic who doubts everything therefore they would be non-believer in the true sense. Someone like this young man who states he is an atheist is a believer. He has a belief system. An atheist has a strong faith belief that God does not exist. This is a belief as they have no proof so they have to go on blind faith that God does not exist.

Matter of fact even in the article it states: “Fromm went on to explain that he was baptized a Lutheran and raised a Methodist, but that, over time, he began to develop the belief that “God wasn’t real’”. He states he developed a belief that God was not real. It did not say he had solid scientific proof that God is not real. No one can say that, because belief in no God has to be taken by faith. Just as belief in God has to be taken by faith is also true.

I wish reporters would think through and use the right terminology. Atheists who stress their so called “nonbelief” try to promote that they are more rational that Christians and those in other religious faiths. Instead they are simply being disingenuous as it takes a strong faith to believe that there is no God with no proof. Christians are also to blame for the misuse of terms as I have read many Christian articles that speak about non-believers. I usually cringe saying to myself “No, they are believers. They are just believing differently.”

As I was thinking this through the old Bob Dylan song “Gotta Serve Somebody” came to my mind. Take a look at the lyrics and think what he is saying in relation to what I have been speaking about.

Gotta Serve Somebody by Bob Dylan ( click on the title to hear the video of

Dylan and his band )


You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might be a rock'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be an young turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord you might even own banks.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Jimmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say.

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Like Dylan says we all gotta serve somebody. The Buddhist serves the principles of the Buddah, the atheist serves the principles of atheism, and the Christian follows the life of faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone’s serving is based on their belief system. I am glad to see from what I have read most on the NCU campus students and administrators are trying to be understanding of the young atheist’s faith journey. Also from the article and other related articles I have read the student is showing his true colors by crying like a victim about those he perceives as being against him because he is an atheist. Yet if you do read the various related articles and student comments the truth is even those who are coming out against him, are not concerned about his atheism. It is more about his deception and hypocrisy of not being honest about his worldview while running for student body president. If you critically think about it, those students have a good point. Believe what you believe but be honest and open about it.

In the world where we live we need to understand there are many various world views based on a variety of beliefs. There would be less strife if we could learn to respect each other’s beliefs. The ancients seemed to have a better command at having open dialogue than we do today. The Apostle Paul in the times of the Romans could speak and debate openly for example in Acts 17, to the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers in the Areopagus in Athens. He was not told to shut up. The other philosophers listened to him. Some thought he was mad or crazy and others believed while others simply said they would think over his statements. Why can’t we have that open dialogue today?

Reflection: Do you have a firm understanding of your worldview and why you believe what you believe? Are you open to agree to disagree with those of differing worldviews?


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/08/christian-colleges-student-body-president-issues-shocking-admission-in-campus-op-ed/

God’s Not Dead Response To The Reason Rally

Recently as I was thinking about Easter, I have also been reflecting on news reports on two atheist gatherings that occurred in March. One was the Reason Rally in Washington D. C. and the other was Rock Beyond Belief at Fort Bragg. Just looking at the names of the events causes one to question their critical thinking skills. Are atheists the only people who can use reason? With the Rock Beyond Belief the atheists, from interviews, they seemed to be focusing on the common myth they propose that atheism is not a belief. They say they believe in science which is based on facts. Just ask them for their scientific proof that God does not exist and they are usually silent or defensive. What about the “ism” in atheism? From dictionaryreference.com ism is a “suffix loanword from the Greek, used as a productive suffix denoting action or practice, …, a usage or characteristic, devotion or adherence”. So atheism is not beyond belief -- it is a belief.

One of the speakers at both events was Richard Dawkins, noted atheist speaker and writer. He was introduced in a video I listened to of the Rock Beyond Belief gathering, as one of the leading atheists in the world. I found this quite disingenuous as after the introduction Mr. Dawkins jumped right into his diatribe against religion, primarily Christianity. One statement was, “There is no good, honest reason to believe in a god…the only reason to believe something is that you have evidence for it.” But who is honest? He accepted the adulation of the crowd as their atheist evangelist but in the Telegraph, February 24th, 2012 there was an article Richard Dawkins: I can’t be sure God does not exist The article speaks of a meeting Dawkins had with the Archbishop of Canterbury where he admitted he considers himself an agnostic not atheist He said he was 6.9 out of 7 certain of his beliefs. That works out to a 98.57% certainty of no God so that is not a 100% atheist. If he was honorable he should have told the crowd he was speaking to of that fact he considers himself an agnostic. Instead he went on a diatribe against religion hinting that Christians belong in insane asylums to the cheers of the small crowd. In the video I listened to he gave no scientific proof that God does not exist. Of course he can’t as atheism is a belief just as Christianity and other religions are beliefs.

So what does this have to do with Easter? In the resurrection of Christ I believe in a risen Savior who reveals to us that God is not dead. Think over this as you look over the words to a song by the Newsboys. As usual if you click on the title you can look at a video The Newsboys created for the song. It is very well done.

God’s Not Dead (Roarin Like A Lion) Newsboys

Let love explode And bring the dead to life A love so bold
To see a revolution somehow Let love explode
And bring the dead to life A love so bold To bring a revolution somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom And this world I'll overcome
My God's not dead He's surely alive He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

My God's not dead He's surely alive He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

He's roaring He's roaring He's roaring like a lion

Let hope arise And make the darkness hide My faith is dead
I need a resurrection somehow

Now.. Now I'm lost in your freedom
Now.. And this world I'll overcome My God's not dead

He's surely alive He's living on the inside Roaring like a lion

My God's not dead He's surely alive He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

He's roaring He's roaring He's roaring like a lion
He's roaring He's roaring

Let Heaven roar And fire fall Come shake the ground
With the sound of revival Let Heaven roar And fire fall
Come shake the ground With the sound of revival

My God's not dead He's surely alive He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion

My God's not dead He's surely alive He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion...

Their song is a bold proclamation of their faith in a living God. Hope arises through this faith that we have in the risen Christ. Their proclamation reminds me of the verse, Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” In a world where atheists label believers as crazy we can stand and boldly respond to their secular religious faith. The verse says, “it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Yes it all boils down to belief. But as we read through the Pauline epistles we understand it is a belief based upon sound reasonable arguments. Just because I can’t place God in a test tube or beaker does not mean He ceases to exist.

God’s clear existence is seen in the lyrics, “He’s roarin like a lion”. The lion is a symbol of God. In Revelation 5:5 Jesus the Messiah is pictured as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The atheist declares where is God? Why is he silent? Is the lion’s roar silent? I hear the Lion’s roar of God when I’ve seen the majestic Grand Canyon, looking out at the waves of the Pacific Ocean, or seeing the changed lives of Christians. Going back to the Easter story, look at the changed lives of the disciples. There is no rational explanation other than the resurrection of Jesus that the cowering, fearful disciples should have turned around with most of them boldlygiving up their lives for the message of the gospel.

One other thought, hearing of the Roar of the Lion, for me is seen at the beginning of the song. That is seeing Christ’s love work through His people. “Let love explode And bring the dead to life A love so bold To see a revolution somehow Let love explode And bring the dead to life”. John 13:35 states, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. I read a story on The Blaze the other day of how an atheist, Patrick Greene in Texas has been affected by the love of Christians in a small Texas town, pouring love out to him during his time of sickness. It is making him change his perceptions or Christianity. This is because he has been trying to stop the Christmas display in town so in his eyes he felt the Christians should hate him instead of love him. That is a pretty loud roar!

Reflection: This Easter think over the roars of God you have experienced in your life. If you journal jot these down for your memory sake.