Religion

MineralMan

(146,325 posts) Wed Dec 20, 2017, 05:35 PM Dec 2017

How a French Atheist Becomes a Theologian

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/november/how-french-atheist-becomes-theologian.html

If French atheists rarely become evangelical Christians, how much rarer it is for one to become an evangelical Christian theologian. So what happened? One might argue that with 66 million French people, I’m just a fluke, an anomaly. I am inclined to see it as the work of a God who says, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy” (Rom. 9:15). Hearing the facts may help you decide for yourself.

...just a teaser. To read the entire article from Christianity Today, click the link above. Or not. Up to you.

12 replies

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Highlight:

How a French Atheist Becomes a Theologian (Original Post) MineralMan Dec 2017 OP

is that our Gilly?? Angry Dragon Dec 2017 #1

I have no idea. MineralMan Dec 2017 #2

Quiet a common name SCantiGOP Dec 2017 #3

Wine. Act_of_Reparation Dec 2017 #4

I believe you. guillaumeb Dec 2017 #6

And what memes would those be? Act_of_Reparation Dec 2017 #7

#5 contains two. guillaumeb Dec 2017 #8

Are these atheist memes? Act_of_Reparation Dec 2017 #10

If the author felt such things when he was an atheist, guillaumeb Dec 2017 #11

Many a useful sociological phenomenon has been described with an n10. Act_of_Reparation Dec 2017 #12

Absinthe makes the wine get stronger. Voltaire2 Dec 2017 #9

Recommended. guillaumeb Dec 2017 #5

Angry Dragon

(36,693 posts)

1. is that our Gilly??

Reply to MineralMan (Original post)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 05:42 PM

Dec 2017

MineralMan

(146,325 posts)

2. I have no idea.

Reply to Angry Dragon (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 05:47 PM

Dec 2017

Probably not, though. It's not an uncommon name, Guillaume. I happened onto that link while searching for a topic related to Calvinism, earlier today. I can't imagine that a rather erudite author of a couple of theological books would bother with us on DU, frankly. Just a coincidence, I'm pretty sure. A funny one, though.

SCantiGOP

(13,873 posts)

3. Quiet a common name

Reply to MineralMan (Reply #2)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 06:12 PM

Dec 2017

Guillaume is French for William.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

4. Wine.

Reply to MineralMan (Original post)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 06:20 PM

Dec 2017

I'm thinking it's the wine. Or the absinthe.

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)

6. I believe you.

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #4)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 06:32 PM

Dec 2017

Really, I do.

But it was an interesting article, especially the repetition and acknowledgment of various seemingly popular memes among some atheists.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

7. And what memes would those be?

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #6)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 06:38 PM

Dec 2017

That sex outside of marriage is a perfectly acceptable human activity? Because he dedicated a lot more copy to his sex life than he did his atheism.

Or at least I think he did. Difficult to tell, seeing as I can't read.

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)

8. #5 contains two.

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #7)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 06:44 PM

Dec 2017

The post at the bottom of this thread.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

10. Are these atheist memes?

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #8)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 10:06 PM

Dec 2017

Or are they Christian memes about atheists? Inquiring minds want to know.

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)

11. If the author felt such things when he was an atheist,

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #10)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 10:26 PM

Dec 2017

I would call them atheist memes. And I have read similar condescending things from some here who identify as atheist. Does that make them universal among atheists? Not in my opinion. If 10 atheists tell me that they feel that theists are unintelligent, that tells me nothing about the 11th atheist, or any specific atheist.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

12. Many a useful sociological phenomenon has been described with an n10.

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #11)

Thu Dec 21, 2017, 12:31 AM

Dec 2017

I guess.

Voltaire2

(13,123 posts)

9. Absinthe makes the wine get stronger.

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #4)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 09:19 PM

Dec 2017

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)

5. Recommended.

Reply to MineralMan (Original post)

Wed Dec 20, 2017, 06:24 PM

Dec 2017

I found this to be an interesting bit of reflection:

What good reason was there to think God exists, and what good reason was there to think atheism was true? This step was important, because my own unbelief rested comfortably on the fact that the smart people around me didn’t believe in God either.

So, intelligent people do not believe. Except, of course, for all of the smart people who do so believe. The first example of atheistic condescension.

And then I read this:

I drove to an evangelical congregation in Paris, visiting it as I would a zoo: to see exotic animals that I had read about in books but had never seen in real life.

Another example. An example that is seen often here in the posts of some who condemn Christians for intolerance even as they constantly demonstrate their own intolerance.

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