Greetings From
An Apologetic But
Very Open Christian!
Steven Wright
From: "Steven Wright"
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Sent: March 04, 2004 10:48 PM
Subject: hello, about your website
Hello,
I really like your site! I've been reading over just about every inch of your website. I am an apologetic Christian who studies somewhat in philosophy as in existentialism. I've read a lot of Bertrand Russell, Sartre, and others like them. I completely disagree with almost everything they say, but I do respect you and whoever else made the website, its constructed very neatly.
I'll be reading over and examining every single atheistic and agnostic quote on the website (and there are a lot of them, too). I admire the fact that you can openly proclaim to be atheists. I respect an openly "confessing" atheist much more than anybody who claims to be Christian but will not fully commit to the doctrine or to follow after His will.
I'll look forward to hearing back from you, because you sound like a very nice and amiable person.
Hopefully this is another reminder that not all theists are completely irrational, zombified, stupified idiots (ha-ha)!
Take care! If I see anything in particular that I'd like to comment on, I will be sure to send you another e-mail, but I haven't spotted anything yet. Everything I've read I've enjoyed. Epicurus is one of my favorites.
I know you have probably accustomed yourself with C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, Phillip Yancey, Lee Strobel, and many former atheists, just as I have associated and "learned" of many former clergymen. I hope we can both learn from each other!
And I hope you know that although I disagree with almost everything you say, I still highly respect you.
Look forward to talking with you shortly.
Sincerely,
Steven Wright
Cliff responds:
I respect an openly "confessing" atheist much more than anybody who claims to be Christian but will not fully commit to the doctrine or to follow after His will.
Most expressions of Christianity demand the public asmission of one's faith. Atheism, however, is essentially indifferent toward the affairs of theists. Not wanting to busy himself in the affairs of others, the consistent atheist tends to be, to atheism, what you resent in some Christians: private and unconcerned about one's own atheistic views. For this reason, the vast majority of atheists seldom if ever think about their own atheism. Why? Because our atheism speaks of what we are not, rather than what we are; our atheism speaks to what others are, not what we are. For most of us, atheism is the way we distinguish ourselves from theists when the need arises -- which is very seldom.