The Rite

 "Choosing not to believe in the devil won't protect you from him."

Such is the claim of the voice over on the trailer for the new exorcism movie The Rite. I wasn't watching the TV while the trailer ran, I just happened to catch this statement. It gave me spine shivers, and I looked up from what I was doing. But I wasn't able to focus on the rest of trailer. The phrase kept replaying in my mind--and it hasn't stopped since.

What a powerful thought.

That's how much bigger this life is than most of us choose to believe. I'm a nearly insignificant blip on the radar of this world. I often talk about "my beliefs," "my values," "my opinions," what I think is true. Like any of that matters. What I believe makes no difference to whether it's right or wrong. I have absolutely nothing to do with the existence of something else. Satan's (and God's) existence is in no way dependent on my beliefs. Or anyone else's.

I reflect on my own evangelism. My attempts to convince an atheist that just because he doesn't "believe" in God, he is not safe from God's final judgment. Of course, I then receive a sympathetic pat on the head and am told my time is up. Enough Bible beating for today, I'm told. It's fine for me to believe in God and miracles, I must lack logic and common sense of atheists and agnostics, and Christianity is merely a coping mechanism for those not strong enough to face reality.

I've heard all the excuses for unbelief. They discourage me, leave me unfulfilled, empty, and make me want to plead with God to save the unbelieving soul. Occasionally my own doubts creep up--I don't know that much about science, could I be wrong about creation? Is there really that kind of evidence out there? What if I am just using Christianity as a crutch? Or trusting it because it's always been a part of my life? Am I trading common sense and logic for blind faith?

And then I remember that the choice to not believe in God (and/or Satan) doesn't save anyone from anything. Choosing not to believe in Satan won't protect you from him. My faith is logical and founded. No matter how many choose to ignore God, it doesn't affect who I am and what I believe.

Without God, there would be no atheists.