What happens if we believe in nothing

I’d be surprised if my column readers have read many of the books or articles written by the late Italian philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco.

Eco gets credit in some circles for inspiring Dan Brown’s bestselling heretical novel The Da Vinci Code. Since Eco renounced his own belief in God and cut his early links to the Catholic Church, he might have welcomed such credit whether it was true or not.

In an article in Touchstone magazine, Jesse Russell wrote that Eco “made a good living by telling beautiful lies.” Russell said that in his later years this lapsed-Christian novelist was showing “the wearing signs of a life spent believing in nothing.” Evidently his loss of faith did not bless him.

C. S. Lewis learned this the hard way. During his early academic career, Lewis was an outspoken atheist.

In his autobiographical Surprised by Joy, this famous author tells of the blessings that filled his life when he left the cold, hopeless world of doubt and rediscovered true faith in the Creator.

Psychiatrist Dr. David Larson was warned by his teachers that he would damage his patients if he tried to mix Christian faith with his psychiatric practice.

Philip Yancey says that Larson later learned that less than half of his colleagues believe in God and 40 percent of them see religion as harmful to their patients’ mental health.

Larson discovered, though, that instead of causing health problems, religious commitment often reduced them.

He concluded that “in essence the studies empirically verify the wisdom of the book of Proverbs.”

He found that “those who follow biblical values live longer, enjoy life more, and are less diseased.”

People who get too smart to believe in God rob themselves unknowingly of resources they can’t find anywhere else.

As Jesus talked one day with his men, he looked heavenward and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (Luke 10:21).

He was right.

Some of us are too impressed with ourselves to see the most obvious truths revealed by Jesus or to see the Father he came to reveal to us.

Dwight Moody got it right when he said, “God sends no one away empty—except those who are full of themselves.”

Gene Shelburne may be addressed at 2310 Anna St., Amarillo, TX 79106-4717 or at GeneShel@aol.com.

Get his books or magazines at www.annastreetchurch.org. His column appears weekly.