House to House/Heart to Heart Reaches Charlie
I am pleased to introduce myself. I am Charles Lumpkins; feel free to call me Charles or Charlie. I have been on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University since 2006, teaching history-oriented courses in the Department of African American Studies and a writing-intensive history course in my home department, the School of Labor and Employment Relations … I entered the program after working twenty years as a professional librarian.
In spring 2017, a heated discussion ensued in my #AfricanAmericanStudies class over several social-cultural issues of the day. Three or four students said disparaging words about the Bible and Christianity. At that time, I had been a practicing #atheist for at least forty years, and I did not care what the three or four said. Yet I could tell they were uttering talking points out of ignorance. I believed if a person expressed a hatred of a #religion, then he or she should explain the #hatred by pointing to specifics in the sacred text of that religion. But what was worse, despite my upbringing as a Roman Catholic, I was ignorant of the Bible and unable to refer to specific passages in the Bible to correct the students’ misunderstanding.
I decided that I must attend a church Bible study group to learn what the Bible says. I thought of a nondenominational church one of my sisters recommended that had a Bible study group for adults that met on Sundays. I did not go to that church because the Sunday bus schedule was inconvenient. (I owned neither a car nor bicycle.)
More importantly, I felt overwhelmed by my wife Rita’s hospitalization in December 2016 and in March and August 2017. With each hospitalization, the doctors said she was near death. Of course, I used her illness as an excuse not to go to any Bible study. I was challenged to be a caregiver for Rita who became thoroughly exhausted from her ordeal. For several months, she used a four-wheel walker and a cane for mobility and had visiting physical and occupational therapists instruct her on adjusting to her new situation.
In September, I became embroiled in a running family argument over money matters between two of my sisters and one of my brothers and his social worker friend. My sisters abruptly stopped talking to me. Then I fell ill for several days with the flu in October. Being that sick was unusual for me. I felt something—maybe God—was telling me to get serious about attending a Bible study group. I no longer felt that Bible study was an academic exercise but a form of emotional or spiritual healing. I needed to get serious about attending a Bible study.
Early in November, I glanced at an issue of the #HousetoHouse periodical that the State College Church of Christ mailed to residents in my neighborhood. This time I read the issue and noticed the schedule of church worship services and Bible study groups. I decided to attend the Wednesday night Bible study in mid-November. The irony is that I had often walked by that church since I moved to the neighborhood in 2006 and never thought about attending Bible study there until I read that magazine issue.
The men and women in State College Church of Christ Bible study group were very welcoming and curious as to what brought me to the Bible study. I got involved in the study and asked numerous questions. I continued week after week with the study. In retrospect, the members of the group were very patient with me, knowing that I was spiritually a baby inside an adult who desperately wanted to become spiritually matured ASAP.
I became excited about the Bible, but I needed much guidance. In December I invited two married couples, Todd and Tricia and Kelley and Maria, to my apartment where Rita and I could have Bible study with them. I struggled emotionally, feeling awful that I had neglected God for over forty years—forty spiritually wasted years. I started attending Sunday morning worship service at the State College Church of Christ in late December and Sunday evening worship in January 2018. Then I made the plunge—no pun intended—to be baptized in February. By April, I began to participate in Sunday worship service by giving scripture readings and opening and closing prayers and later serving the Lord’s supper and collecting offerings. In time I assisted as a facilitator, not as a teacher, in Bible study sessions on Sundays at the church.
I believed I had to make up for the lost years. Nonetheless, God is patiently guiding me and making sure I pace myself.
etsop95 
Hello Charles, I’m down here in Harrisburg. i’m an atheist of about 30 years or so and was a Christian, Presbyterian before that. I read the bible a couple of times, as a believer and as not. I also prayed not to lose my faith and nothing happened. Just like what happened for every other prayer I said.
You appear to be raised as a Christian so it isn’t particularly odd that you would return in your older years, seeing your mortality. Many do. Did you try to read the bible on your own rather than being told what it “really” meant?
I do want to ask: Why have you chosen to worship a being that commits and commands genocide and kills children for no fault of their own? I found those stories to be part of the reason I left Christianity behind, the lack of evidence for any of the essential events also being part of the reason.
You left Christianity because of “the lack of evidence for any of the essential events also being part of the reason.” But I am not sure what you mean by this.
You speak of genocide, but you have not identified precisely about that which you speak. Is there an objective / transcendent moral law by which people can judge the actions and intentions of a person or people to be wrong?
Give a syllogistic argument for why you are an atheist, with the conclusion, “Therefore, I know God does not exist.”
Ron, I’m not sure why you seem to be playing dumb. There is no evidence that any of the esssential events in the bible happened. No exodus, no flood, no day where there was a darkened sky, a major earthquake and the dead wandering around Roman-occupied Jerusalem.
Your god repeatedly commands and commits genocide in the bible, in the OT, and in Revelation in some “future”. You try to claim an objective moral law from your god, but funny how Christians don’t agree on what that is. And if some action is objectively moral or not, it shouldn’t matter who does it. If you allow your god to do it and not a human, then your morality is no more than might equals right.
I’m happy to say that it is subjective morality that says genocide is wrong. Humans had to get to that point, but we are finally here.
Why should I bother with some artificial form of an argument. There is no evidence for the actions claimed for this god, therefore this god doesn’t exist. Or would you like to claim that the bible is lying about those events?
So, you cannot give a reason or reasons for the conclusion, “Therefore, I know God does not exist.” You accept morality as a subjective standard, based on the thinking of man. Therefore, if the thinking of man in one area is completely opposite of the thinking of man in another area – both are right! Thus, there is no wrong, right, only chaos, and might makes subjectivity right. According to this approach you have adopted, what you ascribe as genocide (without explication) is not really wrong at all.
What BLM (Antifa) does violently and what the KKK does, both are right – as far as your standard approach is concerned.
funny how Ron wants to lie and claim I didn’t give an reasons or reason about how I know that his god doens’t exist. I did. “There is no evidence for the actions claimed for this god, therefore this god doesn’t exist. ”
Why did you decide to lie about that, Ron? Your god doesn’t like liars.
Yep, I do accept morality as subjective. Nope, both are not necessarily right since one set of morals is more beneficial than another set. You’ve failed again, Ron.
Ron, if you have no problem with your god killing children and committing genocide, but you do have a problem with humans doing it, all you have is “might makes subjectivity right”.
I know that genocide is wrong since I have empathy and compassion. Is that subjective? You betcha! and my morals can always get better. You are stuck with the ignorance of 2000+ years ago. You and your god aren’t needed at all. The BLM did not do what the KK has done. So again, you lie and I do not find them equal. the KKK tried to prevent equal rights. The BLM has tried to give them. I’m quite happy to be anti-fascist, my dear wannabee theocrat.
But a TrueChristian(tm) like you hates that idea. Such a shame, but it works with a religion that says everyone who disagrees with it should be killed.
Your “evidence” is not evidence, it’s only an opinion. Your opinion (assertion) does not warrant the conclusion “I know God does not exist.” It is obvious you do not know what an argument is; a syllogistic argument has two premises, followed by a conclusion (for a total of 3 premises or propositions). You do not have this, thus, no argument, just an assertive opinion “I don’t want to believe.”
1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
2) The material universe has a cause.
3) Therefore, the material universe has a cause.
The argument. Now the proof. First, axiomatic. Second, the Laws of Thermodynamics do not allow for the material universe to be an eternal entity (Dr. Jeff Miller, “Science vs. Evolution”, p. 34). Third, the conclusion is demanded.
That is established to this point.
Second, you have no moral code except that which you conjure up in your mind. You call it empathy. Empathy is not a standard of right/wrong, it’s a response to another, nothing more. Consequently, with this feeling in place, whether an action is right or wrong, you only have a feeling about it. You can’t say a single thing is right or wrong, you only have a certain response to it. This warrants your destructive life. Moreover, one can empathize as the trigger is pulled! In your antifa approach to life, are you and your group benefitting others (all) by destruction of property and harming/killing people? https://nypost.com/2019/08/06/dayton-shooter-may-be-antifas-first-mass-killer/
Your god kills and maims in the name of politics and so-called social justice and it is, evidently, okay with you and those of your persuasion; I guess it benefits a segment of society to reverse so-called injustices.
This is established to this point.
In your theocrat desire of life, the BLM, KKK, and Antifa are separated by degrees. It’s all about your ideology, not people, not right and wrong. The one you reject, in due time, you will answer to Him. There are no dead atheists; they are only atheists in this life. You are not anti-fascist, but a pro fascist. Yours is a political philosophy that exalts race, economic chaos, destruction, murder, and whatever else that justifies the means to your desired ends. Yours is a religion of here and now.
Ron,
There is no evidence for your god or any other. This is why I do not believe in your god or any other. The lack of evidence is not my opinion. It is reality. Evidence is what indicates something exists. There is no evidence for Ron’s god. Therefore, Ron’s god does not exist.
You use special pleading as always. You assume only your god doesn’t have to begin to exist and you have no evidence otherwise. You cannot even show that your god exists at all. And you can’t even write a coherent syllogism “1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 2) The material universe has a cause. 3) Therefore, the material universe has a cause.”
For this to work it needs to say “1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 2) The material universe had a beginning. 3) Therefore, the material universe has a cause.”
As usual, you are an ignorant Christian. The laws of thermodynamics do not prevent the universe from being an eternal entity. The laws of thermodynamics require a closed system and we have no idea if the universe is closed or not. A shame that Dr. Miller finds he must lie about something so easy to point out.
Alas, you find you must lie again when you claim I have no moral code and that it is simply conjured up in your mind. Nope, I have a moral code and it is a common one in civilization. Empathy is my standard of right and wrong. It might not be yours. You have to invent a god that agrees with you as your standard. Empathy is indeed a response to another that guides me. All you have are feelings too since you can’t show that any god supports your morality. Indeed, no Christian can and you all disagree about what morality your god wants, all claiming some holy spook tells you that you and only you are right.
Yep, I am anti-fascist and likely your older relatives were too, unless they were pathetic wannabee Nazis. I can indeed say things are right and wrong, no Ron or his god needed. I have anything but a “destructive life”, Ron. I have a loving husband, parents, pets, friends, etc. I donate to charities and help people when I can. I don’t need your imaginary carrot and stick to do so. I do love when Christians like you cite the liars at the New York Post. Gee, dear, don’t you want to cite the Washington Examiner too or Newsmax? 😀 Alas, you have invented the bogeyman “antifa” since your poor lil’ wannabee Nazis have been called out.
Alas, I have no god, dear. And I love how you claim hat slavery was a “so-called injustice”. But heck, your god says never to try to be free from slavery so your go is pretty much a jackass.
Oh dear, you try so hard to claim I have some god and am a theocrat like you are. Such wonderful incompetent schoolyard whining. No, the BLM aren’t separated by “degrees” they are complete opposites. There is no group called “Antifa”. There are indeed anti-fascists, and poor Ron has no idea what fascists are. I love the sadistic fantasies and such classic psychological projection of himself on others. There are plenty of dead atheists and there are plenty of dead theists too. That’s what happens. It’s hilarious to see a racist, like you Ron, claim that other people “exalt race” and claim economic chaos, destruction and murder when you and your kind do all of these things. The Tulsa Race Massacre is just one example of what people like you do.
I have no religion and I think its hilarious that someone who follows one thinks that is such an insult.
religion: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious (relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity) attitudes, beliefs, and practices – merriam-webster
I am putting this article in our bulletin for June 13th.
I, too, was impressed by it, Don.
I think one area that causes many to ride down the “wrong” paths, if we may call them that, is each person’s reliance on their intellect. Some people, myself included, have had difficulty with admitting we don’t have all the answers, but then, in faith, realizing our Creator does have all the answers. Then, someone might ask, why aren’t the answers shared with us, but I might say, perhaps they are. We’re just not listening. Or too busy thinking.