The Death of a Friend
I know that I’d promised DagoodS a lively discussion about God’s incongruities, but something else has come up that I feel I should address.
I received word that a young man with whom I have been having an ongoing conversation regarding Christianity has recently committed suicide. This young man was a passionate and committed atheist, and he and I sparred over many Christian teachings, from the existence of God to the deity of Christ. I’m still gathering information about the whole thing, but according to the reports that I’ve heard, this young man took his life on December 26th.
What I won’t do. I refuse to resort to a tactic that so many of us would utilize in our evangelism; this man’s death does not defeat atheist claims or reinforce Christian claims. There was more going on in this man’s life than an abandonment of God, and although this factor may have made him unhappy, the reality is probably more complicated than his worldview. Many atheists live long and seemingly happy lives, and I am not going to jump on the opportunity as a way to anecdotally prove that the atheist worldview is futile and its only logical outworking is suicide. At an emotional time like this, those words would just plain oppose the Christian Gospel.
Christians commit suicide all the time as well, and for me to suggest that this means that the Christian worldview is false is equally illogical.
What I will do. I will suggest to you that each of us can experience true and satisfying happiness in the person of Jesus Christ. No one is obligated to die this way; there is no level of unhappiness that the light of Christ cannot dispel. Perhaps you are entertaining thoughts of suicide. Let’s lay aside all the intellectual arguments for a moment. I’ve dealt with suicidal thoughts and mind-shattering bitterness, and I can tell you that the only lasting peace that I have found lies within a relationship with the God of the universe through His son Jesus Christ. While this is not an argument for God’s existence, to me this is how I have experienced God in my own life, and I have witnessed no sufficient argument to lead me to conclude that I shouldn’t trust my experience.
God is waiting to be experienced, and I am confident that if you will honestly and earnestly cry out to Him, He will delvier you from whatever oppression you are being placed under.
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January 2nd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
My condolences to his family and friends…
I have never had suicidal thoughts, but I have gotten discouraged and disheartened. When those times come, and I seek help from God, His peace lifts me up. I truly believe that God loves His children – every person who has ever been or will be born on this earth. And He doesn’t want us to be unhappy. He wants us to be happy.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ (LDS Church), said, “Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us – even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.”
God, our Father, will lift us and comfort us, no matter what the circumstances may be, if we turn to Him in prayer and faith. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all our pains and sorrows can be taken from us, whether it be feelings of inadequacy, emotional stress, or other trials; even the loss of a loved one.
Again, I leave my heartfelt condolences with family and friends.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
I am that young man’s pastor. This event has truly rocked our church. He was an extremely bright kid that I have personally known since his birth. His family is obviously devastated, but their resolve is to be firm in their commitment to help others discover the joy of following Christ even in the midst of their own pain. The young man wrote worship songs and was involved in several drama productions in our church as well as his active participation in our youth ministry. After graduation he went off to college, and came home…different…confused…just different. It has only been in the last 6 months that things began to change, and he began to espouse atheism. Please pray for his family, friends, and church. His family are some of the strongest Christians and the kindest people I know. They are struggling to make sense of all this. I want to thank you for your concern and your efforts to reach out to someone who is away from God. Thanks