Depart From Us, for We do not Desire the Knowledge of Your Ways

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Atheism became nowadays a somehow common problem that faces many youth all over the world. The word atheism is derived from the Greek word (atheos) meaning "without God". Some atheists dare to proclaim their disbelief in God and explicitly acquire the identity of an atheist, while others are implicitly behaving as if God is not present without explicitly expressing the rejection of God from their lives. To both categories is applied the verse saying, "Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways" (Job 21:14).

Actually the percentage of true atheism, true conviction that God is not present, is not so high. Man is created on the image of God who breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Therefore the knowledge of God is automatically programmed in his whole being, including his mind. "You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you" (St. Augustine). The majority of atheism oriented people are mainly motivated by psycho-spiritual motives. Atheism is for many people the apparently pacifying answer to the dilemma of pain and lack of justice on earth that puzzle their minds. One who was subjected to deep suffering as he had faced sexual abuse, rape, war, terrorism, death of a beloved one, or debilitating illness falsely accuses God of being the source of all these calamities. He then becomes angry at Him and decides to reject Him from his life. One who wants to be indulged in pleasurable sins does not accept God who will judge his bad deeds. One whose ego is inflated and wants to be the sole master of his own life does not want any divine authority in his life.

Poor man who does not know the true nature of God, which is love! He actually rejects a fake image of God. He believes Satan who intentionally distorts the image of God to make him rejects his Creator, the real Source of his being. How can one claim that God is not present while he, at the same time, is angry at Him? Isn't his anger, in itself, the true evidence that God is there? Contemporary man cannot understand that all what puzzle him in life are mere consequences of man's free will God granted to him. Actually the separation of man from God seeking a false freedom brought to him all pain and captivity. Therefore atheism is nothing more than an added suffering and misery to the man. However, in spite of all these transgressions against God, He always remains love and salvation to all those who come to Him.