Is it “smart” to be an atheist?

I was told of an atheist who said to a friend that he was an atheist precisely because he was smart and when one is very smart does not believe in fairy-tales.

I did not want to feel dumb, so and I went to the dictionary to find out the definition of smart which is an adjective. It gave me several meanings and synonyms like:  mentally alert, bright, witty, clever, shrewd, knowledgeable —by the way, in English I use Merriam Webster COLLEGIATE Dictionary, 1993 edition —. Of course I did not see any “atheist” as one of the meanings, so, I looked it up and it simply said: one who denies the existence of God.  It did not say “smart scholar”, or “bright person”, or “witty professional”, or for that matter, it did not say the opposite either.

Knowing the place of origin of the person, I just knew his reaction was a reflection of what he learned in an atheist school and it made me sad for his apathy. The worst part, though, was the fact he’s a Christian off-spring.  Maybe he thinks the parents are not “smart” enough for embracing a point of view that gives them the joy of knowing that no matter what, they have hope of being loved by our Lord and Savior, Creator of everything that surrounds us. And in His love, He wants us to enjoy His inheritance with Him. Like Jesus said: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to My self, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

I am NOT going to say that anyone who does not believe in God is not smart enough, but if they really were knowledgeable, like the dictionary says, first of all they would study the Bible to find out why we Christians believe, and not only in  the Bible which is the most sold/read book in the world with the predictions of hundreds of years in advance, and later the stories of the happenings; the amazing miracles that took place; the historic and astounding acts of deliverance. . .are they all really fairy tales?  Then our whole existence is a fairy tale because it is full of facts that prove everything the Bible says is real. Some facts are the life long dispute between Jews and Arabs, the finding of paintings and scrolls over the years in the caverns and other places in the old country, the historic mosaics of their true characters, the chronicles of the old empires’ history, and everything else like live testimony of millions which only prove veracity of them. Why does Jesus birth set a division for the world of BC and AD?  Why did an important Roman emperor like Constantine legalize Christianity when it had been a “doomed” religion? Why did the veil of the temple was torn in two and the earth shook when Jesus died? (Mathew 28:51)  And many, many more facts I have no space to mention.

I am sorry for the atheist, we love them, but if they do not study, they will not pass the exam in wisdom.

Yet, Jesus said to Thomas after He arose from death: “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see and yet believed.” (John 20:29)

What is more important the WHAT (we are) or the HOW (we perform it)?

 

It is obvious that anybody can say they are “whatever” and not be able to perform what it involves or implies. Just because a paper says you are something, does not mean you will be able to perform it if you do not try it first, or have some kind of practice. That is why it is said that “Practice makes perfect.”  Some people may know their thing but they simply do not try it. Some even say “Do as I say and Not as I do” because it is easier to know something, than to do it. That seems to me that the HOW is more important than the WHAT.

That seems to work out in most instances on thinking creatures. Although it does not mean, that you could get a very important job, for instance, without "the little paper from the university, which endorses you as a professional". I meant that in many cases what people say we are is not necessarily true unless we can prove it with our performance. And if rumors threaten with ruining our reputation think that our performance might prove otherwise. The performance could be overcome, though, with the motivation.  And if we are in the right track our motivation will always be good and our performance will be great, no matter what we are. In other words, if we are in the right track (in the truth of God), our motivation (the love of God) will make us act well, no matter what, or how many times we failed in the past.

What are we? Sinners, all of us: As it is written: “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE, ”. . . “DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN. THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” (Romans 3:10-12, 16-18)

That is why the WHAT God did for us without the help of our HOW, becomes the most important of all. That is why we should remember, in this month we celebrate LOVE, the greatest WHAT and HOW of God’s which demonstrates all the love in the entire universe:

 But God demonstrates His own LOVE toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

We do not have to be perfect or earn salvation from God. The WHAT and the HOW Christ Jesus already did for us. All we have to do is believe:

For, God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17) .