Atheism as a moral choice

Did the title get your attention?

Some may know that for a few years, I was at Brian McLaren's church. He is a great guy, who asks great questions, though he and I may disagree on many of the answers that arise. Though I left the church to move, like many around the time that did leave because of a "revisioning" of the church under his successor, I would have left as well anyway.

Still, I came across this video and found it very intriguing. I knew early Christians were often labeled atheists due to not following the state gods, but casting modern atheism as a moral choice, to think of it as not believing in "this god" or "that god". To me, it sparks some questions on how to view evangelism, and creates some sympathies for atheism. How do we introduce people to a god they don't know, the one revealed in Jesus Christ? How do we separate the view of the true God from the one that bears a resemblance to him, but is one of war?

I know a great many Christians who have much of the doctrine, theology and dogma right, but their god is not one of love. It is one of moralistic judging. of rules. of separation rather than community.

Such a view does not necessarily mean a kind of universalism about things. We can love, and welcome others to our communities, and in those communities introduce them to the God of love. When we intrigue them with this God who is love, then we can talk to them about what separates them from relationship with him. But first, we need to reject the false gods who faith in justifies war and hate. That's not to say that war is not sometimes necessary to rescue many from a few oppressors. But the war and violence spewing from judgment and condemnation ... this is not from a God of love.

God is a god of love ... and redemption.