No Longer An Athiest

I found Lea Libresco’s interview on CNN – a very intelligent interviewee, capable of explaining her position without hesitation. I was interested in why this atheist now accepts as reality of Jesus Christ as her savior, especially when she wrote this last year:

A lot of the experiences that Catholics suggest to me (Adoration, prayer, etc) seem to be behind a firewall of faith.  It’s supposed to have discernible effects, but only if you’ve already bought a little way in.  I’m willing to keep trying some of these proposals, to make sure I’m covering my bases, but it seems like a lot of these are an effort in futility even if I’m wrong about atheism.

That’s a screen capture of her holding her sign at Reason Rally in March of this year.  It’s on a blog where she responds to a skeptic. Her blogs are personal, well written, often with phrases and concepts I have to research. Her intellect is well exercised.

Yet, she passed through the “firewall of faith”, though some atheists attribute that to an emotional romantic breakup or physical stroke. They do not understand change in her life and look for a reasoned cause.

Faith, that substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen, is what Christians live with daily and are still unable to explain fully to the nonbeliever. I met such a person a couple of years ago – another blogger who understands:

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? (Matthew 18:12 KJV)

There are members of Christian congregations who leave that membership and become agnostic, atheist, Buddhist, Muslim – and members of those beliefs who become Christian.  The movement from one belief set to another is not a confirmation or validation of either choice.  The decisions are personal, individual and cannot be changed by any other person.

However, their decisions can be made with a greater depth of knowledge if all share our own testimony and witness.  Leah’s is very public and has incited a great many web discussions. Reminds me of Paul standing in Antioch, Athens, Corinth, even Rome, starting conversations (and arguments) among his hearers that opened faith for thousands.

As a Catholic convert, Leah and I have doctrinal differences, but we’re both still learning – she after a few months, me after half a century plus. Our walk with our Lord remains a learning process until we are home with Him and we know.

Until then, I will read His word, pray for His guidance, enjoy the fellowship of like-minded (and slightly differently-minded) believers that know:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:14-16 KJV)