We all know that atheists are people who hold the active belief that God Almighty does not exist. Of course some of us suspect that those who deny God On High are really just angry with Him. But what of those poor souls who are raised by wolves or, worse, by angry God-deniers who keep all knowledge of God away from them.
There should be a way of referring to those who simply do not believe in the exulted one because they've been denied the opportunity to make His acquaintance. My suggestion would have been to call them "pre-theists". But it turns out that not every 'pretheist' is receptive to receiving the Good News.
It is as surprising as it is confounding and yet it is true. Many pretheists will respond exactly the way God deniers do, with puzzlement and requests for evidence. Some will even look upon those eager to let the light of His love into their hearts askance, as if it were we who were the odd ones.
For that reason I've decided to rescind my proposal that we seek a word to differentiate between those who do not know of God and those who actively reject Him. We might just as well refer to the lot of them as atheists. But what do you think?
There should be a way of referring to those who simply do not believe in the exulted one because they've been denied the opportunity to make His acquaintance. My suggestion would have been to call them "pre-theists". But it turns out that not every 'pretheist' is receptive to receiving the Good News.
It is as surprising as it is confounding and yet it is true. Many pretheists will respond exactly the way God deniers do, with puzzlement and requests for evidence. Some will even look upon those eager to let the light of His love into their hearts askance, as if it were we who were the odd ones.
For that reason I've decided to rescind my proposal that we seek a word to differentiate between those who do not know of God and those who actively reject Him. We might just as well refer to the lot of them as atheists. But what do you think?
