Thanks so much for taking the time to add a response. And not at all, I took no offence from your comment and actually welcome debate on many of these issues.

One thing I will state right away, is I think you are right to question my comment on balance. Whilst I do think Donna was offering an opinion (very eloquently), I guess it is not really my place to directly question her opinion this particular forum, when the purpose is self development and not necessarily debate.

However, I would like to add that I was not judging Donna – nor anyone else for that matter – with regards to their faith or opinion. But what I was saying is that, I don’t believe that the following comment can be taken without question:

“…God providing the solution he had searched for for fifteen years was a fact being stated…”.

I am glad for any person who has recovered from such a position and honestly, if their position is that God helped them – then so be it. But, respectfully Chad and in all sincerity, this is not fact. It can not be proven. It can be believed and felt by an individual but that does not make it true. And I think that stating truth without evidence can be a dangerous thing to do.

Maybe we have to agree to disagree and that we both hold beliefs from a differing point of view. However, one point of note is that from my perspective, yes indeed I mentioned God but to me, and maybe this was not conveyed properly, I am questioning the idea of God – not denying, nor talking about it.

I can understand that those with beliefs in God feel that some atheists are in fact now neo-fundamentalists themselves. That is something that I would partly agree with but for me that comes from frustration at those who believe in God who will not accept the lack of evidence, the doubt, the possibility that God might not exist.

Anyway, I have gone on longer than I intended but wanted to thank for your response and also to wish you continued success in your recovery. Whether God exists or not, I hope you recognise the success in yourself for that achievement.

Best wishes, Matt

Sorry if this offends you, but you critique falls short of any sensibility.

The alcoholic gentleman had tried to change for fifteen years, as mentioned in the post. Yet you suggest he may have found an alternative solution through the passing of time? A religious hypothesis was not being offered to something that couldn’t be explained. God providing the solution he had searched for for fifteen years was a fact being stated.

As for “the hope of grace beating the alternatives” – the author never said the alternatives related to God – you did.

There is no lack of balance in this article because it’s not a news piece, and she’s not promoting an opinion. She is simply relating the beauty of what grace truly is.

The author mentions God two times in this article – once in a quote, and the other in a non-religious manner. However you mention God four times from an atheistic viewpoint and go on to state that you thought one of the tenets of religion is to not judge others?

I’ve been in recovery myself from alcohol and drugs for seventeen years, and I know for a fact that the people who survive happily in recovery have a faith in God. Of all the people I’ve seen die from alcoholism or drugs – not one of them was willing to accept Gods gift of grace. They all believed they had the capacity to recover on their own.

Over the years, I have learned to appreciate and learn from atheists – they spend more time talking about God than just about anyone else.

Similarly – “…That’s the hope of grace speaking and it beats the alternative any day…”. Why does carrying on beat the alternative? If there is such a God and such an over-riding plan – surely the people who take the alternative action are the clever ones? I don’t think it is balanced to say that people who make positive changes are through God, and those who make other choices have made wrong decisions. I thought one of the proposed tenets of religion is to not judge other people – but it appears this does not seem to extend in some circumstances.

Apologies if this has gone slightly off topic and the fundamentals of this post are good, but there is a lack of balance in the post which I think detracts from it’s value.

A absolutely LOVE this article.

With all that’s going on in the world, you have revealed what the lesson can, and should be, to all of us. In spite of every challenge, adversity, and affliction – there is a divine grace inside each one of us that only needs to be discovered. We all have more than we could ever need – we just need to be reminded of it.

Thanks!

What a fabulous piece of writing! This reminds us that we have to take 100% responsibility in everything we experience in life. And there’s a simple formula by Dr. Robert Resnick that we should all abide to:

E + R = O
(Event + Response = Outcome)

An event is something that’s beyond our control, but we surely are in control of how we respond to it. This will directly affect the experiences we will create for ourselves. Regardless of the whether the event is positive or negative, if we respond positively, we will create a positive experience for ourselves. Though the positive outcome may not be felt immediately, it will come eventually. Patience is also grace.

Cheers~

Mark