(The following QA was hosted in Huffington Post, August 26, 2013)

How would you respond to Dr. Stenger?

Victor John Stenger, PhD (1935-2014), was an American particle physicist, outspoken atheist, author, philosopher, and a popular religious skeptic. He published twelve books for general audiences on physics, quantum mechanics, cosmology, philosophy, religion, atheism, and pseudoscience. His 2007 book God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows that God Does Not Exist was a New York Times bestseller. His last book was God and the Atom. Dr. Stenger popularized the phrase: “Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings.”

1. What do you say to someone who comes to the realization that this is all there is, there is no personal God?

Stenger: Deal with it. It’s a fact of life. Look at the bright side. You no longer have to worry about eternal punishment. Your life is now your own, not governed by external forces except for those imposed by the fact that you are a physical being in a purely physical world.

“Pampered bodies grow sluggish through sloth; not work but movement and their own weight exhausts them. Prosperity unbruised cannot endure a single blow, but a man who has been at a constant feud with misfortunes acquires skin calloused by suffering; he yields to no evil and even if he stumbles carries the fight on upon his knee.” (Seneca)

Those who struggle are stronger than those who do not?
Easy living makes for weak living?
Does this explain a lot about the weakness of comfortable christianity?

I woke up with another older hymn in my heart. Especially the words about how Jesus (God with us) walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. Some people may find this strange, but for me Jesus is my invisible mentor, my friend, my accountability partner, my ‘New Life Coach’. The Spirit of Jesus in me teaches me, rebukes me, corrects me and trains me in right living, so that I am fully equipped for living a good life. Not saying I am living the good life perfectly (far from it), but I am confident that with His help I have everything I need to improve. My life is not what it should be, but because of Him, neither is it what it was. Day by day with His help I am working to be more and more like Him.

I serve a risen Saviour, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.