The Atheist And The Believer

A few days ago I commented on an article in the Christian Post that complained about atheists putting up 30 signs in bus stop shelters out in Orange County, California. The main thrust of my comment was we've got more important things to worry about, why are we getting our skirts all in a bunch over this tripe. What really annoyed me was the headline "Atheists Storm Calif. Bus Shelters with 'No God' Ads" Seriously? They stormed the bus stop shelters? Sounds to me like they blew a few thousand dollars.


But what happened after I posted my comment was almost comical. 81 replies and 31 "likes" later the whole conversation turned into an atheist versus believer tirade. 

First of all I had no idea so many atheists read the Christian Post. I have no interest at all in cabinet making so I've never read a woodworking magazine, why atheists hang around a Christian site is beyond me (although it certainly can't hurt). Secondly, it became clear after reading the comments both for and against the existence of God, that both sides completely neglect the central role of faith in the debate. A wise friend once told me that the atheist and the believer arrive at their separate conclusions with an identical leap of faith, that there is no conclusive, unarguable, scientific proof  for or against the existence of God, nor is there ever likely to be one (although Christians have nothing to fear from science).


Now I'm not an atheist so I'll not speak for them on the amount of faith required to believe there is no God, but I know that to believe in Jesus you're gonna need some faith. I know that because, excuse me here Mr. Atheist, the Bible tells me so, read Hebrews 11. So why do we as believers get all defensive when atheists tell us our faith is childlike and based upon belief in things unseen when that's what scripture tells us?