Originally Posted by
Bookman
I'm reading an autobiography now of a famous editor. He was raised a non-practicing Jew by his atheist parents. Here's what he says about his beliefs:
"I've simply always lacked even the slightest religious impulse--when people talk about their faith, I can't connect with what they're talking about. This isn't a decision I came to, or a deep belief or principle; I'm just religion-deaf, the way tone-deaf people hear sounds but not music. I suppose my religion is reading."
I maintain Scripture and human experience confirms that some people are never drawn and thus never deliberately reject God. They simply are never drawn to Him in the first place. Hugh Downs says the same thing. He says as far as he knows, he has never once in his life prayed. There is a spiritual blindness in operation in such cases. And odd that he used the words "religion-deaf." It brings to mind Jesus's words, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Not all have ears to hear.
John 3:16-20 (Amp.)
(16) For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
(17) For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
(18) He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name.]
(19) The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.
(20) For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.