Jack Became a Committed Athiest at Age 12 when Admired School Teacher Annouced His Atheism
A Faith Worth Sharing, Kindle Location, 732
No one could have started further from God than I did. When I was young, my father’s death convinced me that the world was empty and without God. When an admired schoolteacher announced his atheism, my rebellious and angry heart responded. I became a committed atheist at twelve years old. But over the years the Lord had challenged my atheism. He used different experiences to change my hard heart into a prepared heart.
One fall day when I was fourteen, I was walking through the woods near my home. I stopped to admire a scene where a small creek edged its way out of the ancient rain forest and past a meadow. I had often paused just here. But this time, as the tall Douglas firs, the golden maples, and the moss-covered rocks captured my attention, I saw something that had escaped me until that moment.
It looked as if this scene had been designed to make a beautiful picture. Everything fit together in a way I’d never noticed before. I went away wondering, Could this perfect design be the result of chance? I wasn’t sure.
I had more questions a year later when I was hunting north of town. I met a magnificent buck on a craggy ridge above the Rogue River. We were face to face and less than one hundred feet apart. I raised my rifle to shoot him. As he bounded away I had a perfect bead on him. But I did not shoot. I was so awed by his majesty that I could not pull the trigger.
At the time I did not think God had anything to do with my decision not to kill the buck. I only knew that I couldn’t kill such a glorious animal. But if the buck had just evolved by chance, why would I care?
Miller, C. John (1999-09-01). A Faith Worth Sharing: a lifetime of conversations about Christ (Kindle Locations 733-747). P&R Publishing. Kindle Edition.