The Answer to Atheism: Part 6

The following article is part six of a six-part 

series written in response to Bertrand Russell's  

"Why I Am Not a Christian." 

For reference, I have included a link to his essay 

at the bottom of each article.

In conclusion, Jesus is the antidote to sin’s poison. He offers hope, where there was nothing but fear. Hope in a restored relationship with God; not a religion seeking to crush and enslave people with unbearable rules and regulations, as Bertrand Russell claimed.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”
~Matthew 11:28-30 New Living Translation (NLT)

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him,’ Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”
~Romans 8:15-16 New Living Translation (NLT)

(Abba literally means: daddy.)

Christians follow God’s commandments with joy because we want to; not because we are compelled to out of fear. If we are in Christ, then our salvation is assured. It is a free gift from God, and there is nothing we can do to lose it. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:38-39)

The best analogy I can give for why Christians live the way we do, would be the example of one man saving the life of another. Hopefully, the man who was saved would say something along the lines of: “I’m in your debt. How can I repay you?”
To which Jesus replies, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:1-11)

That’s why we obey God—out of love and thankfulness for what has been done for us—not fear of “damnation” and “hell-fire,” as people like Bertrand Russell would have you believe.

You see, people knew from the beginning that something was wrong with the universe; that’s why they created religions in the first place, to try and work their way back to God. (One of the root words of religion, ligare, literally means “to bind” or “to reconnect.”) But as I’ve said before: Christianity isn’t a religion; it’s a relationship with God. Religions are built around a strict set of rules and regulations that make people depressed and fill them with fear.

“If I do this will I be re-incarnated and have to go through life as an ant instead of entering nirvana?”

“If I follow all of the Bible's commandments, will it be enough to earn God’s favor?”

“If I do enough good, will it outweigh the bad?”

If …

See the pattern?

The good news is, there’s a way out. A way to be free of sin, judgment, and the burden of religion. His name is Jesus. (Ephesians 2, Romans 8:1-4)

Ultimately, the underlying question presented in “Why I Am Not a Christian” was this: Is God real? And, if so is God good? But it is clear from his writings what Bertrand Russell’s self-professed answer was. He was blinded to the truth because he did not want to believe it. And in the end, his anti-religious bias clouded not only his worldview, but also his judgment.

Bertrand Russell was not a “Father of Free Thought”, so much as he was a champion of close-mindedness; so consumed by his preconceived notions of God and Christianity, that he was willing to distort the truth in order to support his biased accusations, and lead people away from the one who could truly set them free.

He trusted in his own infallibility, lied about what he did not understand, and refused to believe that the truth was more wonderful than anything he could ever hope to comprehend.

“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

“If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

“You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”
~2 Corinthians 4:1-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

             Why I Am Not A Christian (Reference Material)

To read the entire Answer to Atheism series from the beginning, click on the link provided.

The Answer to Atheism: Part 1