Here’s a nice column by Julia Dunn, religion columnist for the Washington Times that includes a mention of my book, “Losing My Religion.” Here are excerpts:
While vacationing in Seattle over Christmas, I read two books — one by a famous atheist who found God, the other by a journalist who gave up on God.
British philosopher Antony Flew shocked the world four years ago this month when he announced that scientific evidence had convinced him a mastermind is running the universe. Principles such as special relativity, which guides electromagnetic forces that enable everything from genetic codes to rotating planets, could have never happened by chance, he wrote in “There is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.”
[snip]
[Lobdell] details years of interviews he had with the broken people left behind; whose prayers God did not answer, whose lives are like shattered glass. In the end, spiritual burnout, the moral failures of many Christians and God’s apparent indifference to people’s suffering did him in. His faith withered and in July 2007, the Times published his 3,800-word front-page essay about his newfound unbelief. He got 2,700 e-mails, many from Christians admitting they are close to the edge as well.
[snip]
My own research leads me to believe there are a lot more people in Mr. Lobdell’s position – ready to ditch their faith altogether – than there are in Mr. Flew’s shoes. The number of Americans unaffiliated with a faith has zoomed from 8 percent to 14 percent in the past 10 years. The pat answers and spiritual bromides of the past aren’t working anymore.
2 responses so far ↓
1 judy // Jan 10, 2009 at 10:29 am
Sorry William,
I addressed you as Tim. This was on my mind because I had just read the article about Tim the football player. Please change the salutation in my prior message to correctly read William.
Thanks
2 judy // Jan 10, 2009 at 10:32 am
William,
You say you lost your faith. If so, it was not the faith the God gives. Your faith must have been a belief you had conjured up on your own and it didn’t work. My faith was given to me. Just a little at first, then over the years as I exercised it, has grown until there is no way I could ever give it up. I began to study his word at the beginning of my journey in my early 20’s. As I believed his words and practiced his ways, he increased my gift of faith over and over making it stronger and stronger just as his word promises. God has answered every prayer I’ve ever prayed. He has supplied all my needs and my wants for that matter. He has shown me some of his mysteries which I am not able to share because I can’t find words to express myself about these things. His word says that without faith, it is impossible to please him. But he gives the faith, so we are able to please him if we accept it and use it. He says that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. I’ve found this to be true for more than 30 adult years.
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