The Wisdom of an Atheist
I learned one of my greatest lessons through studying the atheist Friedrich Nietzsche. He complained about how religion caused people to enjoy this life less. His solution? Enjoy every moment. Love it. Live it.
He had a point about some aspects of religion. I’ll speak for Christianity because I know more about it than others. We have a proud, rich history of ascetics (self-denial fanatics). Our saints used to live on poles/pillars for days at a time. We used to (and some still do) lacerate ourselves in the name of Christ, with some people reenacting parts of Jesus’ torturous final days.
We have a proud history of extreme monks and nuns. We’ve shunned all worldly pleasure to go find God in the wilderness. Why? Why the madness? We sought eternity on earth. We wanted heaven and God’s holiness more than this world and its wickedness. We did not want our puny lives anymore, for God will give us more in the ages to come.
I have to say, the zeal is inspiring. The love for God is provoking. However, I must also say that we were wrong.
Why Are You Alive?
Friedrich Nietzsche was right. That fanatical interpretation of Jesus and His words does lead to a life of “holy misery,” as if the more miserable you are, the more righteous you’ve become.
You are darn right we will suffer in this life. Jesus Himself speaks of it (John 15:18). We will be hated, hunted, and killed for Him. Personally, I will die for Him if that is what He wants from me. This life is full of pain, injury, misery, violence, and death.
However, this is the crux of the matter (see what I did there?). God is also the God of pleasure. Jesus was a partier who could hold His alcohol better than Thor*. The God of the Bible promised the Israelites eternal physical prosperity if they worshipped Him. If you read the blissful descriptions of the New Earth** in the eternity to come, there is gold and jewels everywhere. You want to talk about extreme luxury, read about the “riches” God has for us in Jesus’ parables.
However, pleasure is not what you do or own. It’s embracing every single moment. It’s enjoying your life and the journey. Tell me, do you enjoy your day? Your walk to work, your school assignment? Do you enjoy the everyday interactions you have with people? This is what it means to truly embrace living.
Right now, I am writing this post in a McDonald’s. I look around. I see people chewing (ew!). I see police officers ordering food. Some jazz and R&B is playing softly in the background. And you know what? I’m content with my life. I’m soaking this random moment in a life full of them. As I breathe in for another of my countless breaths, I’m appreciative of the fact I’ve been able to live a (relatively) normal life.
The wisest man of all time (other than Jesus) one said, “There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, NET)
What Nietzsche did not realize is that those Christians were wrong to seek out a purposely miserable life. God gave us the ability to feel pleasure. He created alcoholic possibilities in nature. He created us as sexual beings with tons of nerve endings (for non-sexual pleasure, too). He gave us family and culture. He wants us to enjoy our work, and to enjoy the company of others as we eat and drink delicious things.***
However, like I wrote earlier, the potential for pleasure does not mean you are living the good life. Do you enjoy every moment? Are you content in all things? Do you appreciate everything that happens to you eventually?
This was one of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned, and it was from an atheist. Even though he was wrong about Christianity overall, he had a good point. He sought to live life as best he could because this was it for him. If he wasted this life, he wasted his existence.
I seek to live my best life because God created me to do nothing less.
*Thor is a fictional character, and thus can’t hold any real alcohol. See what I did there?
**Extreme ascetics also have their theology of earth and eternity wrong. The coming Heaven will simply be a New Earth. We will have physical bodies along with physical pleasures. We won't be floating spirits living on a ghostly ethereal plane... even though that was cool to type. The physical is no more or less sinful than the spiritual.
***Again, this doesn’t mean Christians won’t suffer. We will be in for some rough times if we live as we should. However, that doesn’t change the fact that we can still embrace every moment and make it our own.
