Atheism, the Radical Left, and Pursuing Truth

December 30, 2011 by OneBillionStories.com
Filed under Archive, Converts, Testimonies

2 Comments

‘Faith without works is dead.’ Today’s story sheds light on this reality. Even though the words were penned millennia ago, they apply so well, even in 2011. The beginning of Aaron’s story starts in South Dakota; it is a story of being bullied as a child, which led to this thought process: ‘ if this is what Christians are like, I don’t want anything to do with them.’

Today’s Story

Being raised in the 1970s was an interesting time to experience adolescence, since that era came on the heels of the 60s. The combination of bullying, poor Christian formation, and a cultural movement toward liberalism, led to a crisis of faith in his life. Without a doubt, this man hit tough times growing up, and his problems did not shy away from following him to Denver as an adult. To escape the big questions of life, ‘why am I here’, ‘is there a God’, or ‘why is there pain in the world’, many people turn to the chemical highs produced in the physical body, and enhanced through drugs or alcohol. Click play to hear his experience on these issues.

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In addition to drugs and alcohol, combatting these big questions of life may take place through philosophical seeking. It was the radical left that eventually captured the mind and heart of Aaron; and then he came to Hegel, which led to the question, ‘how could the Catholic Church survive for 2,000 years?’

Aaron is very transparent throughout his story, and you can watch part II next week by returning to the site. Click on the logo, ‘Fish Eaters’ just above to connect to an apologetics website that may answer some questions about Catholicism. Comment below if you have something to share.

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Yesterday’s Story

Readings for December 30th 2011
First: Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3
Responsorial: Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, Joseph

Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries
1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning of Thorns
4. The Way of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death

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Tags: Alcohol, Atheism, Conversion, converts, Drugs, Lutheran, Martin Luther

sjdemoor

I find it very interesting Aaron that Hegel and his writings influenced your decision to eventually stop being an atheist, I find that very fascinating. I also think that your experience with Marx and Thoreau is very very common for many college students who are studying the Liberal Arts at any public university these days.

Anyone have that experience like I did?
Romanmissiles

Hegel presents a theory of history which seems viable except for the abarasion of the Church, that hit me as an Athiest but it didn’t change my mind. Also consider Darwin, whereas one has progeny after progeny mutating faster and faster to keep up with the surrounding environment and yet the “fittest” remains the origin of the “species”.
I actually didn’t receive any help from my University in the way of Socialist Dogma. I was a Sociology major who’s adviser was a “born again” Christian. He had stopped teaching about Marx and Communism the previous semester as they had failed, this was shortly after the fall of Communism in CCCP and the Soviet Block. He also taught the section on Christianity like a Bible study and when he came to the section on Taoism, which was a love of mine, he said, “Noone can understand this.” and went on. He pushed me towards my personal studies by making me extremely mad.
My Political Science teacher was a Constitutional Monarchist.
I had read Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” as a Junior in High School and it resinated and it woke me up. I was put off by the Transendentalist view of an “oversoul” however and Marx was the next logical step for me, not to mention it’s widely distributed enough that I could get a copy in the middle of SD in a time before the internet
By the time I went to University I was reading Anarcho-Syndicalist literature and was looking to Anarcho-Punk for my attitude.

Thank you very much for everything,
Aaron Chick-Jones