Noners as "religiously devoted" non-believers

An eminent apologist for the Christian religion, as well as a great mathematician and experimental scientist, Blaise Pascal, helps to provide the needed explanation (about who the book is written for).  He divided all mankind into three groups.  In his view, these comprised:

1.) Those who know God and love him

2.) Those who do not know God but seek him

3.) Those who neither know God nor seek him

Clearly, persons in the first of the three groups are not pagans; they may be either religious Christians, religious Jews, or religious Muslims.  They are persons who believe in God and participate in the worship of him.  Persons in the second and third group do not believe in the God worshipped by religious Christians, Jews, and Muslims.  By that negative criterion, they are all pagans, but with this important difference: Persons in the second of Pascal's groups, while not believing in God, are openminded pagans- at least to the extent of their being willing to consider the question whether God exists.  Those in the third group are resolutely committed pagans, as resolutely committed as are the religious persons in the first of Pascal's group.

Mortimer Adler, How to Think about God: A Guide for the 20th-Century Pagan, 6.

I am thankful my wife just purchased this book for me.  I so enjoy thoughtfully written books and articles!

I think this short section explains well what I have discovered in the last 25 years of being a Christian apologist.  

There is a growing group of "religiously devoted" non-believers.  

These folks like to say they are more advanced and sophisticated than people of faith.  When faith is brought up, they smile condescendingly and say how they are glad that religion works for you.  When I see this look, I know continuing the discussion is pointless.  No information, no argument, no presentation will even be considered.  They have rejected the very possibility of ultimate Truth and the existence of the God of the bible.

I am sure that those in group two and three also feel that many religious believers have that same condescending smile and look when these non-believers bring up cultural issues and religious doubts.  How many people of faith reject both the message and the messenger because we refuse to even listen to honest questions and perspectives?

How much better would the world be if religious believers and religiously devoted non-believers would be willing to seek after truth and investigate all evidence?  Unfortunately, we have arrived at a cultural place where listening for and seeking after truth is a forgotten virtue.  We have become a culture of cynics who rely upon our own judgment for truth, and we gather information only from those who agree with us.

Today's post has more questions than answers.  That is what Mondays are for!  I do wish for a movement of the Spirit to move many non-believers to the second group from the third.  I also wish the Spirit would move upon those who know God and love him so they pursue knowing God and his truth in deeper ways.  I long for a world where the condescending smile is absent!