What I Learned From an Atheist on the Today Show

What I Learned From an Atheist on the Today Show

On my recent appearance on the Today Show, I participated on a panel in a discussion on the place of faith in American culture.  One of the members of the panel was self-declared atheist, Sam Harris. He recently released a book entitled, “Letter to a Christian Nation” which was a follow-up of his first book, “The End of Faith.”

Here are some things I learned from talking with Mr. Harris:

1.    As we met, I found that he is a pleasant person, obviously an intelligent, well-meaning person.  Our conversation outside the discussion of religion was warm and sincere.  And under different circumstances, we might even be friends.  What does that teach me?  People are people.  They deserve to be valued and understood without the presence of super-charged words and agendas.

2.    I also learned that Mr. Harris is as dogmatic as he accuses religious people to be.  He loved using the words, “doctrine,” “dogmatic,” and other kinds of very definite statements that tend to leave us believing that all Christians believe certain things alike, in the same way.  That some how the Christian faith is a monolithic belief that can be labeled and neatly pigeon-holed.  The truth of the matter is, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am only dogmatic about a few very basic things.  I am dogmatic about the fact that I am obligated because of my love for Jesus Christ to love other people, to not be judgmental and divisive, to try to draw the circle large enough to include everyone, not small enough to exclude people.  So I found that both Christians and non-Christians can use dogmatic language in order to divide rather than to be understood.

3.    Maybe the most important thing I learned from an atheist on the Today Show is that at the end of the day, when we all spout back and forth our beliefs, our studies and tests and experts to bolster up those beliefs, all of life comes down to this: what are you willing to trust and who are you willing to put your faith in?  Scientists like to lead us to believe that theirs is an exacting science.  But it’s not.  Things scientists used to believe to be absolutely, irrevocably true have been proven wrong.  Scientists change their mind all the time.  We’re all dependent upon trust and faith.  I choose to put my faith in God.  I believe I have real, rational reasons to believe that this world was created by intelligence, that it is run by someone who is intelligent, and who is powerful and over-arching, and is in control of everything.  It is only through the revelation of Scripture that I find out the name of that person is God.  And it’s only through the revelation of Scripture that I discover what motivates that person, God, to be loving and gracious because it is His nature. It is nature to be creative and generous.  It is out of His love that words like redemption, restoration, reconciliation, recovery become the main topics of our vocabulary.  It is God’s will that the world be at peace, that people be redeemed, that evil be punished, and that one day all things be reconciled.  I believe that I have as many good reasons to believe that as Mr. Harris or other atheists do to put their faith in themselves, or into intellect, in their test tubes, or any other empirical deity they choose to create and worship.

Mr. Harris, during one heated exchange in our conversation, asked me this question, “Can you prove Christianity?  What is its product?”  And without thinking, I stood up and said, “I am the proof.  I am the product.  I am a changed life.  Christ entered my heart when I was 17 years old. I’ve walked with Him through a lifetime.  I have failed Him, I’ve mistreated Him, I’ve forgotten Him, and I’ve used Him to get my own way. I’ve been selfish and self-centered, I’ve complained, I’ve griped, I’ve hidden when I should’ve come out in the open and I’ve sat down when I should’ve stood up.
I’ve failed God in many ways, but not one time has He ever failed me. I am a satisfied customer. I am someone who is more in love with Jesus than ever before. Because I am the product, because I have experienced a change and millions of others can testify to the same thing, Christianity will always be relevant and real. When we make it personal and relational, we take Christianity out of the theoretical and religious realm into the real world where all of life is lived. This is what I’ve learned and will continue learning the rest of my life.

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