Advice for the atheist and Christian.

I had a great conversation with a friend of mine yesterday that reminded me that we are all in process and none of us have arrived at the finish line of figuring everything out.  Let us look at it two ways:

Atheism:  It would be refreshing for people who have come to the conclusion that there is no God to discover that conclusions are usually overstatements.  We think we have arrived at this new 'destination' as if all that we have been looking at is now finally answered in this one discovery.  

It is sort of like a set of scales and evidence keeps accumulating to the one side and it tips the scales so that forever onward I am an atheist.  The problem of course is that we are always learning.  Life is like being in a giant coal mine.  There are days we drill and only get dirt.  Sometimes we hit the mother lode.  Sometimes we find coal, sometimes we find granite, perhaps we might hit gold or diamond - but we are always discovering new things.  Perhaps even things that are contrary to the stuff we have reached a conclusion about.  

When we come to a conclusion that there is no God, it is like shutting the machines down and no longer asking the question.  We should never conclude anything - we are all digging in the dark, and we should be open to whatever today's dig results in.  There is a chance you might find things that screw up our hypotheses of today - but that is the fun in digging!  The key to honest living?  Never stop digging!

Christianity:  Oh brother.  If only Christians would adopt the same method - never stop digging.  Hold loosely your ideas and let your honest search for answers bring you new revelations about yourself, people, the world and God.  

Too often believers hear others speak and create a worldview that is based on 'orthodoxy' or 'theology.'  As you dig through life, ask God how to sift through things.  Theologians are smart diggers, they can certainly point you in a good direction, but they are in the same mine as everyone else.  Let the Words of Jesus inform your life and go live it.  Be open to being wrong.  Change when you know you are wrong.  Be humble.  Ask questions.  Keep digging - it is almost assured that the idea of God you have right now will need correcting in heaven, so don't sweat being wrong.

Get used to the phrase, "I am not sure, but this is what I think about . . ."

Listen to other's thoughts and treasure learning from people NOT like you.  They help you grow.

Okay - enough writing.  I gotta go live this now.