HomeHere are some letters I wrote to a prominent local aethist. I have replaced the aetheist's name with the expression <Aetheist> in all the letters, even though the one to the newspaper was a matter of public record.
The first is a letter I wrote to him personally, to explain to him why he's on the wrong track and to lay the groundwork for the introduction to the Gospel in the following letter.
The second was the letter I sent to the Union Leader and the Keene Sentinel as a rebuttal to the letter this fellow had written. In his letter, he listed a number of what he called, "free-thinkers, secular humanists, and aetheists" and then said that he was in "fine company" to be philosophically associated with them. I asked God to give me the wisdom to address this affront to Truth.
After some time, he responded by sending some humanist and aetheist literature, or tracts, ridiculing belief in God in general and the Bible specifically. The tracts used medieval writings and drawings juxtaposed with Biblical passages to maximize their mockery. The tracts were accompanied by a very short note encouraging me to "enjoy." My response to that is the third letter below.
I pray you find the content of these letters edifying.
Nov 21, 1996
Dear Mr. <Aetheist>
I have sent to you an abridged copy of the letter I sent to the Keene Sentinel. They did not publish it, so I clipped it here and there so that I could submit it to the Manchester Union Leader. It's still more than 200 words, so it is not very likely that they will publish it, either.
Please allow me to take this opportunity to say that I have read many of your missives in the Keene Sentinel and the Union Leader. Though I admire your style, and though I am edified by some of the content, I am dismayed at your antipathy and disparagement of people of faith. I understand your mistrust of "religion" and the misery religion has foisted upon the world.
Yet, a personal relationship with the creator God is not a religion. Secular humanism and aetheism impart a nihilistic outlook, because they teach that life is an accident, a cosmic happenstance. Furthermore, with death, there is only extinction. Therefore, life ultimately has no intrinsic meaning or purpose other than that devised by the living. The best one can hope for is a few thrills and a painless extinction.
We have seen the increasing cynicism, pessimism, and nihilism in the violent and hedonistic behaviour rampant in our culture, and particularly in our youth. Though you may find it silly and stupid and superstitious, I am praying for you, Mr. <Aetheist>. I pray that you can come to know the joy and peace of a real relationship with Jesus Christ, not a "church", not an organization, not a "movement", but Christ Himself.
Regards,
Anthony Camuso
November 21, 1996
To the Editors
I was intrigued by the list of free-thinkers, secular humanists and aethists provided by Mr. <Aetheist> in his letter (#2047) published in the October 13 Union Leader. Among them was Margaret Sanger, infamous eugenicist and founder of Planned Parenthood. In her book Women and the New Race she wrote, "the most merciful thing the members of a large family can do to one of its infant members is to kill it." She also espoused extermination and sterilization of "genetically inferior races." Planned Parenthood has never disavowed any of Mrs. Sanger's rhetoric and even today boasts that its leadership clings to her ideology.
Another on the list was Charles Darwin. The complete title to his landmark tome on evolution was The Origin of Species by the Process of Natural Selection and the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. It was published around 1860, at a time when some folks were looking for a good reason to regard certain races as inferior enough to justify their ownership as farm animals and pets.
Omitted from the list were free-thinkers, secular humanists, and aethists Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, and others who believe that things like race, ethnicity, class, or ideology can be used to identify throwbacks.
Indeed, religious zeal for secular ideologies has caused much more suffering than any religion.
In contrast, the Bible says that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men," and "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer," and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
Christianity is not a religion. It is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ growing from the realization that there is nothing we can do on our own, no rituals, no sacrifices, no good deeds, to make amends for the wrongs we have wrought. We can only be justified by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ in making that atonement for us, and trusting in Him to guide us in our daily lives. One who has truly made this kind of peace with God will exude that peace and exhibit compassion and a desire for personal purity.
Respectfully
Anthony Camuso
This was written in response to the humanist and aetheist tracts Mr. <Aetheist> sent me, ridiculing the Bible and Christianity.
One's intelligence can be measured by how he deals with his ignorance.
June 4, 1997
Dear Mr. <Aetheist>,
Thank you for the amusing doggerel. Because it confuses Biblical Christianity with some medieval superstition, I thought for a moment that you had mistaken me for someone else. Your literature also takes poetic and figurative passages from the Bible out of context to hold them up to ridicule; a sophomoric practice at best. I'm sure I could easily find plenty of ridiculous material in the rantings of history's more infamous humanists and impute their folly to other humanists by association. I wouldn't even have to take their ravings out of context, as they were not intended to be poetic or figurative.
If you are correct in your philosophical assumptions, the worst thing that awaits me is eternal extinction. However, if the Bible is correct, the consequences for you are much more dire. In the meantime, those of us who live the Christian Walk enjoy a life almost devoid of the social pathologies that plague the culture at large; a life replete with family and fellowship, hope, thankfulness, love, internal peace, and joy, even through our trials and toils.
Life is not a natural process, but a supernatural one. Indeed, we expend much energy staving-off the natural process that threatens our volatile lives. The natural process completely overtakes our bodies when we die.
You are in my prayers.
Regards,
Anthony Camuso