Let them Fly!

Read this article on Houston Chronicle's website about atheists flying banners over public events on July 4th:

http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2011/07/flying-over-texas-god-less-america-atheist-banners/

My response: Let them fly.  Let them take to the skies to announce what they believe.  I've no issue with that.  Maybe, just maybe, it will incite enough Christians to get the word out about our faith as well.

Unfortunately, I can already see the headlines and hear the stories:

 "Minister Denounces Atheist Fly-By's"

Brother Rye Chusss used very heated rhetoric to denounce atheist groups who paid to have messages flown over public events this July 4th.

"These people need to  understand this is a Christian nation founded upon Christian principles.  They are trying to rewrite history, and we should ignore them because they are all going to hell anyway!"

Chuss lambasted their use of signs including "God-LESS America" and "Atheism is Patriotic."

"God-LESS America, indeed!" Chuss iterated.  "To think they would bastardize one of the great hymns of our country sung by senators of every state on 9/11.  Do not pay any attention to these folks.  It's not God-LESS America, it's God Bless America!"

Insert a few more comments by Brother Rye Chuss, the obligatory response by an atheist calling Chuss ignorant, and then add another comment by a mainline protestant pastor who doesn't know whether or not to defend the faith or be politically correct, and you have the rest of the article down pat.

Almost makes you want to puke, doesn't it.

But what if Christians responded in a different manner?   What if Christians see the messages these atheists are putting forth and then decide to go in a different direction?  What if they say, "We will not respond in kind to such a thing; however we will take bold and daring action."?  What if Christians become motivated to go out into the world and engage their neighbors and their communities, praying for people, addressing their physical, mental, and spiritual needs?  What if Christians show their churches are more than places for gathering for worship on Sunday mornings but are places where they are empowered to look, feel, and act differently in a world that increasingly uses and abuses people for its own interests? 

If Christians were doing such things in their daily lives, would atheists even have a leg to stand on?  What if our actions matched the actions of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  Would there even be a debate as to what needed to be said? 

I think not.

Upon seeing a sign, "God-Less America," those who knew our actions and our deeds would respond, "I don't think so.  We have seen God bless Americans through the actions of the church and empowered Christians.  I wouldn't like to even think about a country where God was absent."

So, let them fly.

Maybe, just maybe, those of us who believe will find inspiration.