Does everyone have anger issues?
Tonight I went to my book club and it was great. We read White Noise by Don Delillo. The book was an experience, not a book. He has the ability to make the plot seem primary, secondary, or (here is nice word) tertiary. What was the book about? Death maybe? Was it a satire? No, but it was certainly satirical. Was it funny? Might have been the funniest book I have ever read, and yet had some of the most quotable lines i have ever seen on sex, death, adultery, masculinity, parenting, etc.
Anyway, I saw a friend of mine named James at the bar. It is the second time I have seen James in a week. James has a friend named Tom, and about 13 seconds into my meeting with Tom I find out he is a somewhat angry atheist. I told him about getting a drink with Chris Hitchens and how much I respect Hitchens' robust rejection of Christianity. It was very clear that Tom did not think I was free-thinker, or had anything to advocate for.
He then went on a rant against religious people who want to have their cake and eat it too in the form of rejecting miracles, but affirming Jesus' resurrection. I couldn't get a word in edge wise to tell him how much I agreed with him. So few "agnostics" will reach any argumentative closure, such as "Jesus must have been a total lunatic" (Hitchens is the first I have ever heard - OF ANYONE - to affirm C.S. Lewis' classic 'Jesus must be a liar, a lunatic, or the Son of God' argument).
Anyway, I think we left it well, there was some discussion of pre-suppositions and miracles, the laws of physics, etc. Maybe he will come to On Tap (which is this Thursday ontapdiscussion.blogspot.com - you should totally come).
The really funny thing is, I think Christians deserve the anger of most agnostics/atheists. It is hard for me that I have to convince my friends who do not believe in God that I capable of critical thinking, but it is mainly hard because I know how many insensitive Christians that they have talked with... How many who have berated them, told them they are going to Hell, etc. I wonder how Tom grew up, I wonder what he reads (the bar was closing so I didn't get a chance to find any of this out), I wonder what his fears and dreams are, I wonder if he cares what mine are?
4 comments:
1. i'm glad i'm not you, because those conversations are really hard & scary for me... i get very squeaky.
2. i love that you get into those conversations all the time. and that you really do care what his life has been like & what Christians have said/done to him.
3. you should totally come to On Tap.
I have had many of these at school mostly with people in the gay/lesbian community and it frustrates me to no end the stories of why they hate christians so much. To top it off my girlfriend is agnostic because of the catholic church she went to. Do some christians not understand that by looking down on people and telling them that they are going to hell (my girlfriend was 8 when she first heard this) that they are pushing them away and making it harder for christ to enter their life?! Obviously I am a bit bitter about this seeing that it has created an obstacle in my relationship.
Sorry for the vent...
I hope the anger gives you compassion at all times Blake. Coffee soon...
The word tertiary makes me smile.
Isn't there a balance. Meaning, there are jerks attached to every belief system, but people seem most angry at Christianity. That makes me think that there must be more to their anger than poor behavior. Plus, I feel like that gives us too much power.
That is not a fully formulated thought. I'm still working on it.
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