[Vision2020] Re: Eternal Life???

[Chasuk]

On 10/15/05, josephc at mail.wsu.edu <josephc at mail.wsu.edu> wrote:
> I avoid writing on the topic of eternal life whenever possible. I am only
> responding because Chas directed a question toward me and I respect him
> greatly. So here goes.

The respect is mutual.

But-

I don't really know how to respond to this, Joe.  I've never met an
atheist-converted-to-Christian before; I've met many on the opposite
path.  Of course, we have all met former atheists who are now
professing Christians, but who were never really atheists in the first
place.  They weren't atheists due to any sincere deliberation, but
because it conflicted with their hedonistic lifestyle, and, besides,
what kind of loving God would let [insert your topical tragedy here]
happen?  I think of these people as sophomore atheists, because they
are atheists for sophomoric reasons.  No offense to sophomores
intended.  I know that you weren't that type of atheist, so I'm a bit
flummoxed.

Other than C.S. Lewis, I've never encountered a real atheist who
backslid, and Lewis was only a gentlemen in a book, not someone with
whom I am actually in dialogue.  They call ex-Mormons "Jack Mormons." 
Are you a Jack Atheist?  :-)

Anyway, real atheists don't decide to go to church on a whim.  Was it
the "the hope of life
everlasting" that motivated you, or was it something else?  If the
reply is too personal for a public forum, my apologies.