For this week’s “Thursday Question” we’ll be taking the first part of the email I received from “Bill.”

I get on to facebook every fortnight or so, so it had been a while. I noticed on one of your post a mention of beer in a positive light, so I figured you must not be pastoring… at least not with the SDA church, ha ha. I got around to reading your blog and why you left the church and no longer believe in God. Sounds like it must have been an agonizing experience. I guess I don’t know what to do with the silence. I have experienced silence myself.

Yes, it was an agonizing experience and yes, I think that beer is a wonderful thing when it is in moderation or in moderate excess and when not abused by an alcoholic. It’s amazing how when you remove a religious prohibition against something and try it how you can see that it isn’t all that bad.

Currently my wife and I are working as missionaries in a country with very few if any atheists. The reason I believe this is true is because they don’t get very much ‘silence’. Their gods are very active in the life of the community. Have you ever seen a box with a whole bunch of silver masks and colorful ribbons move itself? I have. Many times I have seen these things express their favor or disapproval by different actions clearly not moved by human instrumentalities.

I have always found it interesting that there is so much “spiritual” activity in the developing world, but once you get to industrialized nations it vanishes. I wonder if it’s the higher level of education, better medical and psychiatric care, increased availability of resources, or feeling more secure about ones own survival that “silences” the spiritual realm. If you look at the statistics around the world, the higher the standard of living and less people have to worry about survival (often through welfare programs and improved access to health care) the religiosity of the area diminishes.

I have never seen a box move itself. However, I do know that slight of hand and other magic tricks are quite popular for entertainment here in the states. It shouldn’t be surprising that many of these magicians are skeptics and atheists, people like Harry Houdini, The Amazing James Randi, and Penn Jillette. Once you know how the trick is performed, it’s no longer magic. Your moving box sound no different than something an American magician would do and unless you know how its done it would appear to be moving on its own.

Next week we’ll address demon and other spiritual possessions.