“If there is a God, why is there suffering?” “‘God is just another concept of comfort created by man to alleviate his suffering in the world.” “I don’t care at all.” These were statements of my friends who did not believe in God, and they called themselves atheists. What is Atheism? Just for review purposes, Paul Draper of The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines Atheism as “the proposition that God does not exist (or, more broadly, the proposition that there are no gods).” (Draper 2017)
My dear readers, the objective of this article is not to push you into Christianity. Instead, this article is to share my conversations with atheists and to review how constructivist principles of learning helped in teaching such a “non-existing topic” to “non-believers.”
Listening to atheists has been interesting because I want to hear their unique points of view. Firstly, I am interested in how their train of thoughts about God run. Secondly, I am ecstatic about how the God I personally believe in will make them stand in awe and in wonder. This is the reason that my heart smiles every time someone tells me he is an atheist. These steps in teaching God to atheists are based on my coffee talks with friends who used to believe that God does not exist.
1.) Respect. This word means acknowledging that the way my friends think is not the same way I think. I might agree or disagree to their ideas, which are not personal attacks. Their ideas are based on their worldviews and belief systems.
2.) No judgment and no condemnation. Condemnation means no accusations or blame. I am not asking questions or listening to my friends’ responses just to judge their character and call them insulting names. I am not talking with my atheist friends just because I want to prove myself right.
3.) Ask first. In starting a conversation with atheists, ask them if they don’t mind talking about God. Start with a question like, “I am interested to know what you think about God. I know a lot of Christians who can say many things about God, but your ideas can be unique, and I want to hear them out.”
By saying that I want to hear them out tells them that I am willing to listen to them. This act is giving them a voice. Everyone wants to be listened to. Everyone wants to speak out their own voice. Hence, asking first with appropriate words is a good way to open a conversation about God with atheists.
4.) Listen with your heart. By this time, since the conversation is already open, my role is to listen intently with my heart. By listening I mean doing non-verbal communication like eye contact, nod, voiced reactions (i.e. yeah, right, aha, I see, okay, etc.). At times, I may repeat what has been said just to emphasize that I am listening, and I understand the point.
5.) Ask the right questions. Since I am listening carefully, I can ask the right questions. Some of the questions I asked my atheist friends were:
“Why do you think God does not exist?”
“Why do you think it hurts when we love? If we cannot see love, then why do we feel the heartache?”
“Can we still suffer even if we are in a loving relationship?”
“Do you think God is like the concept of food—something that comforts when we are hungry?”
Again, asking questions is not for me to raise arguments that will prove my points right. These questions are to lead my atheist friends’ to think more and beyond what they currently know.
6.) Raise a healthy argument. Agreeing and disagreeing is a sign of a healthy conversation. When I listen and understand my friends’ points of view, I can raise a healthy argument based on their statements. For example, here is one argument I raised with an atheist friend, a psychologist who used to believe that God is just a concept created by man. I explained about God’s existence in my life this way:
“I cannot convince you that there is a God. I cannot teach you God because God is not a concept nor a philosophy. God is an experience—a life and heart-altering one. So no matter how much I tell you about God, how much He loves you, and He cares for you, you can still choose to not believe me because my experience is not yours. You will not know all these ideas of a loving and caring God and the reality of a God unless you experience Him yourself.
Just like when you tell me that your girlfriend loves you, and she cares for you so much, and she will do anything to help you—I cannot believe this concept because only you experience her love and care. This concept is your experience not mine. Hence, I can choose to say that I don’t believe your girlfriend loves you. Or, I believe that your girlfriend’s love does not exist.”
A healthy argument makes both parties re-think, re-evaluate, and eventually, decide if change of belief is necessary and beneficial at the end.
7.) End with a smile. Any quality conversation will always make people smile at the end. What is a quality conversation? It has no spirit of fighting, but it is composed of questions that stir the mind to birth new concepts. A quality conversation has conflicts of ideas but still has respect for each other’s belief. Ending with a smile after the conversation shows that nothing has been taken personally, and friendship is still there.
What constructivist principles were applied in the steps to teach God to Atheists?
Constructivism is learner-centered. The steps mentioned above are all focused on the learner (the atheist). He has a voice; his ideas are heard out; his arguments are valid and not judged; his belief is not condemned. Constructivism is facilitating learning instead of imparting knowledge. Asking leading questions help facilitate the learning process about God’s existence. No knowledge is enforced or spoon-fed. Instead, the teacher asks questions that challenge the learner’s mind. Constructivism creates disequilibrium in the mind. Introducing the proposition that God exists to someone who thinks that God does not exist creates this discomfort in the mind of the learner. Such discomfort will eventually lead the learner to seek more information and knowledge until he reaches equilibrium—a sense of balance between what he knows and what he still doesn’t know about God.
As our brain is exposed to extraneous information, developing personal belief systems as we grow is natural. However, we need to know that our brain’s attention is limited. Our memory is limited. We can only absorb and study so much. Hence, we can always choose what to allow our brain to process and to store. We can choose the belief systems that will shape our worldview; and eventually, will shape who we are. I just hope that whatever idea we allow to enter our brain will simply make us better.
In the end, we all want something better.
Reference:
Draper, P. (2017). Atheism and Agnosticism. Retrieved on 26 March 2020 from: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/#DefiAthe
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