An Atheist Steps Up....

[Cow Poke]

I know a number of people who are atheists who are pretty nice people.

One such friend heard me talking about the fact that one of our Church members who volunteers a lot at our Church will be unable to do so, because her husband has become critically ill, and has been brought home from the hospital for hospice care. He may not live more than another month or so.

This friend (we'll call him Tom) stopped by my office and made a very gracious offer. "I know Helen can't get away much from Roger, and I also know how much it means for her to be in Church..... could you tell her I'll be happy to sit with Roger any time she needs to be at Church, or wants to do her volunteer stuff?"

I've talked to Helen, and she did not immediately say no, which is a good thing. (She's quite old fashioned, and I expected a bit of pushback)

Tom told me, "if she hesitates, tell her I'll even read the Bible to him".

God is SO good.

[Teallaura]

[Sparko]

cool.

[Cow Poke]

An interesting aside to this... my youngest daughter is a hospice nurse, and she lives right around the corner - literally - from Roger and Helen. She has been assigned as Roger's hospice nurse. The only downside of that is that neither she nor I can share information with the other regarding Roger, except in the most general terms, due to patient confidentiality.

[Tassman]

I know a number of people who are atheists who are pretty nice people.

One such friend heard me talking about the fact that one of our Church members who volunteers a lot at our Church will be unable to do so, because her husband has become critically ill, and has been brought home from the hospital for hospice care. He may not live more than another month or so.

This friend (we'll call him Tom) stopped by my office and made a very gracious offer. "I know Helen can't get away much from Roger, and I also know how much it means for her to be in Church..... could you tell her I'll be happy to sit with Roger any time she needs to be at Church, or wants to do her volunteer stuff?"

I've talked to Helen, and she did not immediately say no, which is a good thing. (She's quite old fashioned, and I expected a bit of pushback)

Tom told me, "if she hesitates, tell her I'll even read the Bible to him".

God is SO good.

Actually, I think you mean 'Tom' is so good.

[Teallaura]

Tom, unlike you, evidently knows how to play nice. Why do you have to be like that?

[KingsGambit]

There are also atheists who are pleasant people. You are not one of them.

[Tassman]

Tom, unlike you, evidently knows how to play nice. Why do you have to be like that?

Tom the atheist seems a decent guy who does kind things without reference to God; he's an atheist after all. So why give credit to a deity? Tom wouldn't and nor would I.

[Spartacus]

Tom the atheist seems a decent guy who does kind things without reference to God; he's an atheist after all. So why give credit to a deity? Tom wouldn't and nor would I.

Because CP is neither Tom nor you. The only explanation I can imagine for your apparent lack of comprehension is that you just plain don't understand either theology or normal people.

[Tassman]

Because CP is neither Tom nor you. The only explanation I can imagine for your apparent lack of comprehension is that you just plain don't understand either theology or normal people.

Whatever!

[Cow Poke]

Actually, I think you mean 'Tom' is so good.

No, Tom is OK. God is Good. God is using Tom to accomplish God's purpose.

[Cow Poke]

Tom the atheist seems a decent guy who does kind things without reference to God;

You don't know Tom. OR Jack. Tom is showing great respect for my faith, and seems to be "softening" to the possibility that what we have is real.

he's an atheist after all.

Not for long.

So why give credit to a deity?

It's like my former Executive Assistant who was an atheist lesbian Jewish liberal... one day she came into my office and closed the door, and asked, "What if you're right and I'm wrong?" There's HOPE!

Tom wouldn't and nor would I.

Tom might -- I suspect you never will.

[Juvenal]

There's times to argue against religious belief. When those beliefs are providing comfort to someone with a dying spouse ... not so much.

I may be a jerk, but I'm not a ... yeah, that line from Seth to Katie at the end of From Dusk Till Dawn.

[Cow Poke]

There's times to argue against religious belief. When those beliefs are providing comfort to someone with a dying spouse ... not so much.

Well said.

And this is a case that has come on rather suddenly. Her husband (they'd been married probably 50+ years) had recently acquired (developed?) dementia, and was getting quite difficult for Helen to handle. He would be enraged when he would wake up from a nap and discover she had gone to Church, either for worship or to volunteer. She would even leave a note in a prominent place, but he would never see - or admit to seeing - it. This all started happening just in the past few months. Prior to that, Roger would have been at Church WITH her, but something "snapped" in his head.

As a matter of fact, it was discovered that he had a brain tumor, and was being examined for that when he suddenly had a heart problem during the exam, and had to have a pace maker installed. From there (a little over a week ago) he just "went to sleep", like a self-induced coma or something. The doctors say there's no real medical reason for it -- it's like he has just given up, and is not fighting. His kidneys are shutting down, his breathing is abdominal instead of chest.... hence, hospice.

Tom is an interesting case. Although he claims (claimed?) to be an atheist, he seems to really enjoy being around me. I met him through my position as Police Chaplain, and he was my self-appointed antagonist. He's a retired fireman, now volunteering as a reserve police officer. He loves needling me about my "religion", but he keeps hanging around me, and has taken a very active role in a mission project we're doing for a retired couple needing some construction.

He simply has a heart to serve.

[JimL]

Well said.

And this is a case that has come on rather suddenly. Her husband (they'd been married probably 50+ years) had recently acquired (developed?) dementia, and was getting quite difficult for Helen to handle. He would be enraged when he would wake up from a nap and discover she had gone to Church, either for worship or to volunteer. She would even leave a note in a prominent place, but he would never see - or admit to seeing - it. This all started happening just in the past few months. Prior to that, Roger would have been at Church WITH her, but something "snapped" in his head.

As a matter of fact, it was discovered that he had a brain tumor, and was being examined for that when he suddenly had a heart problem during the exam, and had to have a pace maker installed. From there (a little over a week ago) he just "went to sleep", like a self-induced coma or something. The doctors say there's no real medical reason for it -- it's like he has just given up, and is not fighting. His kidneys are shutting down, his breathing is abdominal instead of chest.... hence, hospice.

Tom is an interesting case. Although he claims (claimed?) to be an atheist, he seems to really enjoy being around me. I met him through my position as Police Chaplain, and he was my self-appointed antagonist. He's a retired fireman, now volunteering as a reserve police officer. He loves needling me about my "religion", but he keeps hanging around me, and has taken a very active role in a mission project we're doing for a retired couple needing some construction.

He simply has a heart to serve.

And when Tom dies God will annihilate or eternally tortue him for his non belief. Its no wonder he doesn't believe in such a God!