Pastor Ryan Bell often prayed for help when his life affairs went amiss. However, for the next 12 months--the year of 2014--Bell has resolved not to, and will "live as if there is no God."
In less than a week, Bell has lost two jobs at Christian schools near his Los Angeles home. A man of 42 with daughters of 10 and 13, Bell faces the possibility of poverty.
"There have been times, usually late at night and early in the morning, when I think: What have I done? It really undermines the whole structure of your life, your career, your family," Bell said. However, to his aide came an unlikely demographic: atheists.
Politically and theologically liberal, Bell had faced a resignation request from a past job as pastor of a Seventh-day Adventist congregation for advocating for the church to allow gay and lesbian leaders (along with other dogmatic disagreements). This shook his faith, but the loss of his church allowed him to more openly and freely question his religious beliefs without fear of troubling those around him. This lead him to think: "what if he tried out atheism, and lived with no religion at all for a year." So began his "intellectual experiment."
Bell "would interview atheists, attend gatherings of nonbelievers and read through the canon of skeptics," such as Nietzsche, Spinoza, Dawkins and Hitchens. He would record his journey in a blog called "Year Without God." Bell has been surprised by the amount of publicity and feedback his blog has spurred on.
Detailed on his blog are his efforts to make ends meet after losing several jobs due to his experimental atheism. Hemant Mehta, a prominent atheist blogger and Illinois schoolteacher, sympathized with and admired Bell. So, he set up an online fundraiser for Bell on Tuesday, and already, over nineteen-thousand dollars have been raised. Contributors include Christians, atheists and agnostics.
I've no quarrel with atheism. Many of my good, good friends have yet to be beguiled by it, and the fashion in which Bell has resolved to live in 2014--secular--is the fashion in which I want my government to function. Instead of praying for misfortunate friends, Bell has decided to "do something tangible and practical and supportive for them." Indeed, this is the proactive spirit of progress. Praying will not eliminate disease and poverty--medical advancement and positive action will.
Exposure to new ideas--culturally, socioeconomically, politically--have reshaped my character and ideals. Attending an arts school, exceedingly rich in diversity of all the aforementioned fields, and particularly accepting upon the expression of differing opinions, has helped me learn more of society's views as a whole.
The cultural diffusion caused merely by exposure to the different branches of society is an important part of becoming a well-rounded, understanding and intelligent person. When one refuses to absorb, or at least examine, any external ideas or belief systems, one cuts off the ability to grow outside one's own dogma. And those who cry out against exposure to ideas other than their own, hinder their ability to see why it is important.
This is not to say that all one loves must be forgotten. It is just to clarify the necessity of an open mind.
Bell is making a brave choice. And, as a ridiculously wise friend of mine once told me, the ability to doubt is naught but a sign of strong faith.
Article: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/08/pastor-learns-the-price-of-atheism/?hpt=hp_c3&replytocom=2873565#respond
Link to Ryan Bell's nifty blog: http://yearwithoutgod.com/
This is an interesting experiment. It's nice to see that other people are trying to support him, because he has his family to support as well, and this would be very difficult to do without a job.
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