I came across a letter to Billy Graham in an Alexandria Louisiana paper, thetowntalk.com, in which a lady asks if there are more atheists today. She mentions that her cousin has been reading some books and “decided to become one” - an atheist. Is that like when you decide to be a homosexual and then you sign up some where?
Anyway, Billy said this, “An atheist is a person who believes that God doesn’t exist (in contrast to an agnostic, who says he doesn’t know whether or not God exists). But look carefully at that definition: An atheist believes God doesn’t exist. He can’t prove it; he can’t verify it; he can’t demonstrate it. He lives only by faith -- faith that he is right, and everyone else is wrong.” Notice how Billy works in the faith thing. I guess he hasn’t talked to many atheists as faith doesn’t enter into how atheists look at the God question.
I don’t have “faith” that there is no God. I just haven’t seen evidence FOR the existence of God. Show me something and maybe I’ll give it more thought. I don’t accept anything on faith and most atheists are the same way. I look for evidence. This is an old ploy by Billy to plant the seed in Mrs.. J. Q.s’ mind that atheism is just another religion relying on faith. Those atheists must have faith in their belief of no God, Billy contends. Maybe she needs to read the same books that her cousin has read.
Billy also thinks that atheists have examined ALL the evidence and concluded there is no God. Not true. You can’t prove a negative. The issue is that there is a lack of evidence FOR God. As soon as there is credible evidence FOR the existence for a God, that might change my and other atheists’ mind. Then the Reverend has to put in one final jab about atheism that has been debunked many, many times in the past. Billy says, “But it’s also no accident that some of the worst atrocities in human history were committed by regimes that were based on atheism.” The good Rev. Graham needs to read more closely about Hitler and the fact that he wrote often how he was doing the work of the Lord by eliminating the Jews. Billy conveniently forgets about all the other atrocities that were committed in the name of religion. Remember the Crusades and the Inquisition, Rev. Graham?
But I’m glad that Billy, at the end, told her to pray for her cousin. I’m sure that will help her cousin see the light!