What strikes me as different about professional mainstream atheists when compared to the average atheist, is that their adherence to atheism and their resistance to Theism (or at least Deism) is purely a matter of the will.
Oh, they claim it’s a matter of reason and intellect, but that can’t be so.
Since they are smack dab in the middle of the debate between theism and atheism they are thoroughly exposed to both sides of the argument.
If they were intellectually honest and willing to follow the evidence where it leads they would see the empirical, deductive and abductive superiority of the Theistic world view.
I’m not saying they would have to LIKE it, but they would have to admit that it better explains everything.
The average Joe atheist on the street is not regularly engaged in all sides of the debate. He is busy with his family, his job and the endless life maintenance tasks we all face that demand our attention.
I’m not saying that is an excuse.
I am saying the average atheist doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. Notice I’m not saying he CAN’T know what he doesn’t know, because he can and he should, because each of us as individuals is responsible for getting the evidence -the business of life is no excuse.
The point is this: the professional mainstream atheists DO know, yet they willfully CHOOSE to ignore the evidence! (Talk about faith!).
Worse than this, as leaders of their worldview they withhold or twist the evidence that would allow those who follow them to make up their own minds. They deliberately confuse or dumb-down their followers so as not to lose the power of their status and position.
Whoa! Stop the presses! Think about that!
Deliberate, conscious deception used to keep others in bondage to their power and authority.
Sound familiar?
They strut and fret their hour upon the stage in arrogant self-worship, yet in reality they are tragic caricatures of their master, willingly choosing to worship and pass along his deceptions and lies for a wisp of power and glory -for the price of their soul and as many others they can take with them.
By the grace of God they have that choice. So do we.
Pray they see the deception in their own hearts and the consequences of that choice before it’s too late to change it. Pray their followers realize Jesus is the only leader to follow.