I work in the technology sector. This can sometimes be a difficult place for a person of faith. This week I was working at a customer site with several partner companies. In all the week was good, everyone got along well, and we made progress.
It was in the small spaces between meetings where things got interesting as topics such as politics and religion are raised. Always a minefield, particularly with a group of technologists and even more so when they range in backgrounds from California, Georgia, and various countries of Europe. This is when you start hearing phrases like "religion is a man made structure to promote society", "the Bible is just a book written to help control a group of people", "what kind of God sends people to hell because they don't do what he says", and "religion tells people not to think".
At some level I understand these arguments and likely have used them in the past before I believed. It is odd hearing them from the other side and recognizing how people judge without investigation while at the same time promote the scientific method. All things I am sure I have been guilty of as well.
Always be ready the Bible says, and I must admit I was not as ready or eloquent as I would have hoped.
I tried to explain that God does not send people to hell and that hell is separation from God. It is an individual's choice to be separate from God and not God sending you away. God is always ready to take you back when you choose to show up, but you must choose.
The good news is that we were able to have these discussions and still come out the other side able to respect each other; although I must admit I wonder if I have lost some level of respect in their eyes as one who believes in a "fairytale".
As a reminder, I will be traveling to Haiti in March and am still looking for funds to help support the work there.
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Location:Atlanta,United States
