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| "Bane," alias 'Q'? |
Q's parents were, confessionally, Christian theists. At least nominally so. In fact they were hypocrites who took Q to "church" but opened the door to the pit of hate-filled hell in their home. Q was no rocket scientist, but knew enough to know he would reject "Christianity" because of his parents.
Q hated his parents and all they stood for, which was: nothing worth living or dying for. When Q engraved "I am an atheist" on Facebook it was a revolutionary act more than a logical conclusion. Q's "atheism" had no reasoning behind it. It was a reaction intended to punish his parents. "Get thee behind me, parents!"
Some crazy reasoning emerged out of the neuronal goo of Q's hippocampus.
1. My parents are Christians.
2. Christianity hasn't done my parents (or me) any good, since they are evil.
3. Therefore, I reject Christianity and declare that God does not exist.
But 1 is false. Q's parents did not follow Jesus. Q's reasoning was irrational. But very, very visceral. Very spontaneous and feeling-ish. Q feels its truth (though false), and rages against the machine. Q volcanically erupts against the religious machinations of his parents, who have no clue of that which they do.
Q is angry. He despises religious people. Q hates the "god" he no longer believes in. Only retrospectively does Q release his google-skills to quote-mine, cut, and paste atheistic slogans to support his new faith. Q is singing a new song in a new choir. "I believed," confessed Q. "Now support my unbelief." Lord Google came to his rescue, because the heart has reasons it knows not of. (Understanding not needed; only basic word recognition and clipping ability.)
I met Q when he was a student at Michigan State University, where I worked. I meet Q in my philosophy classes. I meet Q on the Internet. I meet Q as he finds me on the Internet and becomes "Bane" to me, because my "religion" killed his parents and destined him to a life of pain.
Recently Q called me. We got together.
"I am an atheist," he told me.
"Why?"
"Because of the hypocrisy of Christians."
"You disbelieve in God because Christians are hypocrites?" I asked.
1. Christians are hypocrites.
2. Therefore, God does not exist.
How ignorant.
After our conversation, months went by. I saw Q in a restaurant. Q was sitting with some ex-Qs from our church.
"Well," said Q, "I did it."
"Did what?"
"I am now a follower of Jesus."
Incredulous, I asked "Why?"
"Because," Q said, "I've been loved and accepted by these fellow rejects who know Jesus."
Good. The real question was love. Even Bane shed a tear when his mask got fixed and he was reminded of his past.
