#18 - Is it because you feel ashamed of being a believer among atheists (No valid proof)?

So we are back to  the next question from blog-post #3 where I asked you to reflect upon why you have difficulties with your belief in God. To day it's not only when one enters the University that one might stumble across people that make a bombardment of arguments about how little we can trust that there really is a God. You might even meet them before you leave high-school. It is not easy to be a believer and to be met with such arguments, because the nonbeliever is very clever to make one doubt.

I want to quote two arguments of all I have met in my life about why one shouldn't believe in God.

1. «Scientists cannot believe in god, because it is not to be a true and honest scientist to choose to believe in something you cannot prove».
2. «The arguments presented to me as indirect proof of the existence of a god, are not arguments that my scientific friends will accept.»

To the first one: To be a scientist is to know about the methods that are to be used, their strength and their limits, to be able to make a research with those methods and do that in a way that others can repeat to reprove the results. If you want to find out if there is a new and better drug to be produced to cure depression, that means that you have to do that correctly in a scientifically way. If you are an atheist or a believer will not have influence on your work, because it is a work were you have to show that you can master the methods correctly. The same goes if you are trying to find a cure for cancer or if you are looking for a scientific way of improving an airplane or whatever you are studying.

How can you answer a person that comes with such a ridiculous postulate that you are not honest? It's not easy, but there are some ways.

Examples:

 a) My mom and dad have told me that I came into being in the womb at a Friday. I have no way of proving that, but I have chosen to believe that my mother and father have told me the truth because they normally do so.

b) Do you mean that my belief in God has spoiled the scientific project that you and me have done together? If that is the case you have to show me were the failure is.

When the other person tells you that he is sure the weather will be fine to morrow when your group of students will be going for a local expedition, you can ask him how he can believe that without knowing for sure (no valid proof)?

There are lots of other tings you can do. Try to sit down and find some answers for yourself (answers that fall naturally for you).

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When it comes to the statements that no scientist will accept your indirect proofs of a god, the only way to go on is to claim that Jesus never promised to give scientific proof for his existence after rising from the dead. He said to Thomas who distrusted him: «Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed» (Jn 20.29).  To be a Christian is to believe that what is told about God is true without 100 % proof. To do scientific work has to do with using scientific methods to find out of things in the world (universe).

To be honest, the argument of not being willing to accept the arguments normally given as indirect proof of God because friends with scientific education will not accept it, is the most stupid I have ever heard. (My education is scientific).

People are different, some will never give in and be a daily plague to you by their insistence of scientific proof for a god (with the little 'g').

The point is that to such people it's very difficult for God to enlighten them because He has given them a free will to chose to believe and keep his commandments. To force faith on them is not the way of God. It's also important to know that people who have locked the door to God by refusing to stop sinning, do not have sanctifying grace inside themselves. Such people don't have access to God because of this. When such a person is trying to ridicule you, it is important to remember that you are talking to a person who is spiritual dead. The Holy Spirit is not inside her/him. Such persons are spiritual empty vessels and cannot be different. Please remember that you are standing at unholy ground when you are surrounded by nonbelievers. It's their chosen state of being. You can of course pray that God will give them a  moment of actual grace in the hope that that moment will help them to repent, but remember that they have to accept this moment freely. God can give them many moments of actual grace (a moment of spiritual enlightening to be received if they are willing to open up), but without cooperation from those given actual grace, it is like trying to feed a dead person. There is no entrance!

The best you can do when you are ridiculed for your faith, is to bear it with dignity. Beg God for His Grace to stay in this anti-Christian rain. You cannot leave you work if you don't are assured another job. When you have done your best to explain, you don't have to be a scapegoat for the people that won't understand that you don't need proof for your belief and that to be a good scientist or not has to do with how you relate to your project and how clever you are in using the scientific methods right. In stead you can remember in your heart that Jesus said: «And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off even the dust of your feet, for a testimony against them» (Lk 9:5).

As I mentioned in blog-post #3, I don't know you. You might, as an example, be full of anxiety or you might feel safe and secure in your relationship with others.

If you have it the first way (anxiety), the best you can do is  write down your arguments and practice how to say them at home until you feel sure enough. If you have a body-gesture that signals insecurity, try to look at people that look secure and copy that gesture at home. Use a camera to film your «secure gestures». That will help you to to remember how to signal security when you are among these confronting people. I have used videotape with some clients of mine. They were very satisfied to see that their anxiety didn't show outward.

Don't be ashamed of your faith. Try to find others at your age that share your values to be together with in your spare time. If you cannot find a proper group near you, try to find somebody at the Internet. That is better than nothing. Later on you can move were your real friends are. In the meantime pray for God's grace to keep your mood up!

Here are some resources for you if you need them:

«How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization» by Thomas E. Woods jr (a book were it, among others, are told how modern science grew out of the Catholic Church).

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/why-believe

http://www.catholic.com/radio/shows/religion-vs-science-7196

http://www.catholic.com/radio/shows/the-historical-jesus-can-we-trust-the-gospels-4655

Good Luck!