It's been a long time since I posted here, and I do want to remind everyone that I'm an atheist, but that I respect this faith. For a brief bio on me, my first post can be found here.
Anyway, I wanted to share something with you all. I hope you will find it respectful. Please let me know what you think! A brief article I wrote just tonight, in honor of my wife's faith. Please let me know what you think....
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Where Are You, God?
In this note, I want to talk about something that really struck me while watching “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carey. This is neither something new nor profound, but something I simply wanted to write from my own perspective, with my own twist. However, when I say it’s not profound, I suppose in my mind it was. It was a light bulb moment.
In the film, Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momson) sings a beautiful solo titled, “Where Are You, Christmas?” (Faith Hill) The first lyrics are:
Where are you Christmas?
Why can't I find you?
Why have you gone away?
Even though the story is of a girl who wants to see more in Christmas than simply spending money on gifts and putting up lights, it’s very closely related to an ex-Christian’s questioning during the deconversion process. Where are you, God? Why can’t I find you? Why have you gone away? Later in the film’s song, the lyrics are:
My world is changing.
I'm rearranging.
Does that mean Christmas changes too?
…
I'm not the same one.
See what the time's done.
Is that why you have let me go?
Again, I could see my own deconversion right here! My world view was rapidly changing, and I was growing from childhood dream to reality. Does God change with us as our minds change? Does God look different? I think it is wise to see it that way! Why NOT change? Why keep holding on to old concepts as our minds grow and understand new, more complex ideas? It’s probably the reason for many liberal Christians today (and I see nothing wrong with the liberal Christian mind set). At the same time, if a mind is not ready to expand yet, I see no reason to push it until it’s ready to start growing on its own. Even then, gentle nudges are best.
Back to the song. As in the lyrics above, I also wondered if God had abandoned me. Perhaps he abandoned me because of my doubt. Because of my thirst for knowledge. But did God abandon me? Or did I abandon God (or my fundamental view of him)? Once again, I want to turn to the song’s lyrics:
I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love
These lyrics, coupled with the film’s plot, is what I want to focus on. Cindy Lou Who and all of Whoville (including the Grinch) discovered the true meaning of Christmas, even without all their gifts and lights. They were able to celebrate together in a way they never had before! Now, let me explain how I see the characters of the film in the realm of our reality. Please feel free to voice your opinions…
In this film, I clearly saw the Grinch as the atheist. The one who despised Christmas and all of Whoville, who worshiped Christmas. The Whos are theists, Christians specifically. They represent the greatest number among us and they (for the most part) worship Jesus and revere him as God. There are different kinds of Whos, and the most recognized is the Mayor, who is the equivalent of the Christian fundamentalist, since he wants nothing more than to keep Christmas just the same, and still has that child-like passion for it. Christmas itself is symbolic of God (or Jesus). And finally, Cindy Lou represents the doubting Christian. The one going through the deconversion process. Not quite an apostate, but not a fundamentalist, either.
If you’re with me so far, keep reading. If you already disagree, the rest will be more disagreement. But please feel free to comment.
Throughout the film, as Cindy Lou questions things, she begins to look at the Grinch as a character of good, rather than bad, as the rest of Whoville sees him (especially the Mayor). She wants to know more about him and why he sees the world as he does. She soon learns that the Grinch himself was once into the Christmas spirit, but had some bad experiences surrounding Christmas, including negative treatment of some of the Whos. The Grinch has separated himself from Whoville, but still visits it once in a while, mainly to stir things up in the community. He’s seen as an antagonist in the beginning, but is simply misunderstood. It’s because of this misunderstanding that he lashes out against the Whos. Yet even though he is misunderstood, does not mean that he doesn’t have to make changes.
The Grinch is not the only one who needs to make changes. All of Whoville does, also. Especially the Mayor, who resists change the most. In the end, all who make such changes are able to unite and truly see each other. And Christmas is still Christmas, but with a new meaning to some. So, let’s all learn from the Grinch and Cindy Lou…We atheists can learn to see what good there is in Christians finding happiness in God, if that’s what they really need, just as Christians should see that atheists are good people even if we don’t share the same view of who (or what) God is. The Christian fundamentalists are no doubt going to have the hardest time with this new sight, but it needs to happen! That’s when we’re united! It’s when we respect each other that we can truly celebrate! Atheists can see “God” in the happiness and joy of life. And this is where I can say:
I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love
I’ve found “God” again, and my questions during deconversion have been answered! However, I’m still an atheist! God is still “God”, but with a new meaning. “God” is my family, my happiness and joy in life! Certainly there is much more to it than this, but that’s the heart of “God” in my life! Can Christians respect this? Can I respect Christians if they still see God as a literal deity worthy of worship? I certainly hope so! I think as long as we are tolerant of each other, we can celebrate together!
“Where are you Christmas
Fill your heart with love”
Anyway, I wanted to share something with you all. I hope you will find it respectful. Please let me know what you think! A brief article I wrote just tonight, in honor of my wife's faith. Please let me know what you think....
--------
Where Are You, God?
In this note, I want to talk about something that really struck me while watching “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carey. This is neither something new nor profound, but something I simply wanted to write from my own perspective, with my own twist. However, when I say it’s not profound, I suppose in my mind it was. It was a light bulb moment.
In the film, Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momson) sings a beautiful solo titled, “Where Are You, Christmas?” (Faith Hill) The first lyrics are:
Where are you Christmas?
Why can't I find you?
Why have you gone away?
Even though the story is of a girl who wants to see more in Christmas than simply spending money on gifts and putting up lights, it’s very closely related to an ex-Christian’s questioning during the deconversion process. Where are you, God? Why can’t I find you? Why have you gone away? Later in the film’s song, the lyrics are:
My world is changing.
I'm rearranging.
Does that mean Christmas changes too?
…
I'm not the same one.
See what the time's done.
Is that why you have let me go?
Again, I could see my own deconversion right here! My world view was rapidly changing, and I was growing from childhood dream to reality. Does God change with us as our minds change? Does God look different? I think it is wise to see it that way! Why NOT change? Why keep holding on to old concepts as our minds grow and understand new, more complex ideas? It’s probably the reason for many liberal Christians today (and I see nothing wrong with the liberal Christian mind set). At the same time, if a mind is not ready to expand yet, I see no reason to push it until it’s ready to start growing on its own. Even then, gentle nudges are best.
Back to the song. As in the lyrics above, I also wondered if God had abandoned me. Perhaps he abandoned me because of my doubt. Because of my thirst for knowledge. But did God abandon me? Or did I abandon God (or my fundamental view of him)? Once again, I want to turn to the song’s lyrics:
I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love
These lyrics, coupled with the film’s plot, is what I want to focus on. Cindy Lou Who and all of Whoville (including the Grinch) discovered the true meaning of Christmas, even without all their gifts and lights. They were able to celebrate together in a way they never had before! Now, let me explain how I see the characters of the film in the realm of our reality. Please feel free to voice your opinions…
In this film, I clearly saw the Grinch as the atheist. The one who despised Christmas and all of Whoville, who worshiped Christmas. The Whos are theists, Christians specifically. They represent the greatest number among us and they (for the most part) worship Jesus and revere him as God. There are different kinds of Whos, and the most recognized is the Mayor, who is the equivalent of the Christian fundamentalist, since he wants nothing more than to keep Christmas just the same, and still has that child-like passion for it. Christmas itself is symbolic of God (or Jesus). And finally, Cindy Lou represents the doubting Christian. The one going through the deconversion process. Not quite an apostate, but not a fundamentalist, either.
If you’re with me so far, keep reading. If you already disagree, the rest will be more disagreement. But please feel free to comment.
Throughout the film, as Cindy Lou questions things, she begins to look at the Grinch as a character of good, rather than bad, as the rest of Whoville sees him (especially the Mayor). She wants to know more about him and why he sees the world as he does. She soon learns that the Grinch himself was once into the Christmas spirit, but had some bad experiences surrounding Christmas, including negative treatment of some of the Whos. The Grinch has separated himself from Whoville, but still visits it once in a while, mainly to stir things up in the community. He’s seen as an antagonist in the beginning, but is simply misunderstood. It’s because of this misunderstanding that he lashes out against the Whos. Yet even though he is misunderstood, does not mean that he doesn’t have to make changes.
The Grinch is not the only one who needs to make changes. All of Whoville does, also. Especially the Mayor, who resists change the most. In the end, all who make such changes are able to unite and truly see each other. And Christmas is still Christmas, but with a new meaning to some. So, let’s all learn from the Grinch and Cindy Lou…We atheists can learn to see what good there is in Christians finding happiness in God, if that’s what they really need, just as Christians should see that atheists are good people even if we don’t share the same view of who (or what) God is. The Christian fundamentalists are no doubt going to have the hardest time with this new sight, but it needs to happen! That’s when we’re united! It’s when we respect each other that we can truly celebrate! Atheists can see “God” in the happiness and joy of life. And this is where I can say:
I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love
I’ve found “God” again, and my questions during deconversion have been answered! However, I’m still an atheist! God is still “God”, but with a new meaning. “God” is my family, my happiness and joy in life! Certainly there is much more to it than this, but that’s the heart of “God” in my life! Can Christians respect this? Can I respect Christians if they still see God as a literal deity worthy of worship? I certainly hope so! I think as long as we are tolerant of each other, we can celebrate together!
“Where are you Christmas
Fill your heart with love”
