did you feel the mountains tremble?

i enjoyed reading Matt's comments on prayer: Prayer: What's the point and also some of the comments he received. While I find engagement with so-called "Atheists" energising and fascinating (they have usually thought abour their position far more thoroughly than most Theists have...) I am always curious about the experience of defining oneself by a negation - A-Theist... i.e. NOT-Theist. As a Christ-follower I define myself by what I am for. I am for the values that are embodied in the life and teaching of Jesus. An Atheist, presumably believes in something. I'm curious to know what an "A-Theist" has faith in (it's not God, of course...)

here are my thoughts, posted on Matt's blog:

you guys certainly spend a lot of time (and much passion) arguing against something that you regard as pointless.

i think it’s pointless to argue against something that is pointless.

i’m wondering what you are FOR. how would you define your position if it weren’t for religion? i.e. what is an “atheist” without theism?

have you factored into your reasoning the role of experience? for some, REALITY is not primarily constituted by physical existence alone. when i speak to you i have FAITH that there is something out there that i am interacting with. I have no proof of that. it could all be part of my own dream. but what I can’t deny is the EXPERIENCE of interaction, conversation, relationship. i would argue that my conversation with you and Prayer require exactly the same kind of “faith” - neither of them are more real or provable than the other.

the more significant thing for me is: what do i experience through the act of communication… (whether it is with you or with “God”)

i am enjoying writing this comment. it helps me to clarify my own position and it holds the possibility of surprising conversation (a response that makes me reconsider…) i.e. it’s a good experience.

I enjoy praying. for a variety of reasons. your saying “it’s pointless” a) won’t diminish the significance of the experience for me and b) simply stands in constrast to my assertion that it definitely has a “point” for me.

in fact, to claim that something is “pointless” suggests that the entity doing the claiming knows what IS NOT POINTLESS.

so, please let me know. what IS NOT POINTLESS? (so that I can reflect on how appealing the rational world you live in really is…)

:) thanks! for a cool post