%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 14 0 R /I2 15 0 R /I3 16 0 R /I4 23 0 R /I5 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20241219100257+00'00') /ModDate (D:20241219100257+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1614 >> stream xWMoFW1 h%%d&l16`-%t7yՔ9- [DVzu&Y_y@2W+Q.훊aGW]dw$urt:}'MQbWf-f7uj#u6)/.:E>X7qrkF5ִt4FTKڐ]BN6Do5A_ZuD*^Y^RR`XDrQ(`Aۉ~ﭣ2h"u)EQTtXw/":IG[N lU3m*j-hSw ўIOE;gl:ݷu)6Eg@~A ڍ}?lu ΡZ::m}_}Eb6zX<&Х,nd yjxNIj^m*b:5̷ΞxS!d3]D ):<뫃Zm * _N:t_P`jujGpq3vrɓHIŅ2,5;wK0ncn#Xq߅$%*P\=/y`;2>;6%ê(*KM A4nddd]hP&S<' "{3u2KPʒsd+[tH 8 RʕMMz?kD5 Vt}y&V#3lel3p9X-O;n:RAC> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 125 /Height 125 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Filter /DCTDecode /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5637>> stream JFIFC    !'"#%%%),($+!$%$C   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}}" -;hgr*u,>Q1_jkeSk۲mL8-f5&r=e ht0{ưuNT@XY7ݯ&MkqPɧ3K@^Eg%RO fޑ75|`oKjQՋqt>yd-{(0!ɫ,kNA !kc)ϖ6ȿY 6Pcƾw , ieo8tB3`I2?#j|r V1o7{?~*~\%X InW%dl۪G=;'yuD@Hp͉JuZdA9 2+8A֛YLxٙ/dɮX8yYbF0A$q n4>|&gCC^18X&& SÛ>pe~Mo:6d^55yWοMab|ēٗ|-//mI=.AuUriF<']dk+INN4,$ )!<%7]HBv%8*I-y$xq ćYFr\\z]II^05gC3OF &%I@Q;tCJLi#.#潤*yndB)O*Z|pV;|) uI cH$cΒN Ib̓-x) p$q3\2>gbsO5'X"%Jc>A] drUwI !1QA?r?I7 Ǹm7oDFeUïlZo~nh)} nN7Q2,z$NjY/ju^+hY/uFvcZ MF(p1xߚP!7rՐA#Ee2 Lws[|=*9N.`[U{<ʰPwyUcu,'J\!aNB;@^YL+Ŭuyk0|geq!]tFFd9P'r g,?IWDZ' Ms g(MvwMsl}nSs:.TOciIʵL?mJR@oԯtSP>tP0r|X&eXb\4+lܧNQ!(0%*y{q ϗ1Zt]T(E|ڒUʑ7F#IG³Tѓjloj\erQPk*a|@ Sn =UQW9uQD3k8C'S<]\z&C׏0 %HGЂ·: hY @ZF/3 r մhaB#0]a[ؐK(#*f5eHWXב 8e6b) dHw=KBwz4TP^, UBc3rL+r{r=E5lG5JŤ 2 9'/}0[w Z]B&js)Ӄ$ó.P{C@6}ws+j59iF&JZD*ݘ?3̮/c_Vr04ŠP0FvP 4FW`Lk}TCcL~epp"42zDQ `G5ǻ(f0ʥx01f)V*͵pȪ2N *0qOVPgX ":5j_ *gKPmFy;_Fj-fPMO_#(Tp[F9m53/9nRw3ʙ x^1(wuZ<y  }=Ȫؼefr_|bO٢kYH_JŻAۛ S\rl `j,;/&-ֳk4G>S|39Fp ;]=( hTIfy.dyPW7/L_p@\^ENg ;>_YnȜI` ʌJwpۨU ޓo3!1AQ a?;Ԝ-vl3οdm'݃ Cg I}c%e Ltl,! nƬů!!A1Qaq?؄$dxGQ1ɾ nv `[/SGes G1(CPF|EdGuX2t>s^>rW3ˏrQ<>6IXk$!1AQaq?b D>ΰO'eu;f[rDA3b9l|iƾ 9NtLdlO}Sr0f/]C_]zމ ZBa"w|M;W.z*k1(o!QըcDB*w) eא &BA)M 73+;Ƀkmu4ië@ S+Uz[O7G!N%h]r k?\/bx~ͺy!)1byEbh, 5*/,y<检ҜUPǤzkkXiraTr.òLtneMuLJgX |a kc{6h˻†k( ot)@g+C8*;m]:40Ch&\o*UDžÝ\PȷGLpBɍ%ٮ2ØSF$A_ԷytD%%z4Q4])qf_h1EcMLx ^2hꊀ `UBy6=qmeG5SZO#(i'g hbL^lWge;y/ktCz-~GOQOX5VP"~@Pٽ  AMm7j3íŕC`BU#2R8rاp>" k=4'laUnx0: z}e{8Y1]nݛ8ݱܳ}`UX{Hmg2I+iJp4*׌7Y@^F"`h/_,XRXͿ97" H񞦼 ăđ33YXqJ|a#Ӂq5m}b -k  endstream endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1318 >> stream xVMs6W챙a~KNRǝi֞+c`Ȳ3j {oqr~uڞ^{"$W> 4lN RnWDզkoʡ!i]`O۟틠<UVE^r-VSxے\Zj&T^6LiѨl:[K{£97ODM-ެ[i~Pr;4lG6qnSÚFcǂ35A;ǐȳ,-w2 ]o*$DE,z6,DU=SJ>-czVua%}+%փ~)m옜Is1*֧-Պk4u:;ҵ(lly#tT KOBQ5=-wS?{{mGtA;:ݜ R1Kct:m%{ŭ(ÃbwmqHDw^^Ÿs>IEVoL @tLʉMz=/xZB!Q7`*1QHUD-}SCB=Q|ٿaG<;yK&TM@dOW9wE1/>ZAE:M$}ӫh\{y= 4ʡ̇*\B#DQzO5,P_P Z}S1_4Ѷf;&DGdK?:@:% l=+p+APT(u0P@fDwXsف_?dٰĔx*?Lo-wǰS^a2yW63|i3@G33lLpQ `\W֢8*Fn@, 6n\p8B`b0 ȲMk4d ȷ>>I)+̲\DM̺__J(CDGF^x'Eϱ9MUZ-Vw6p? g{.=JTA4CU 6fM endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002437 00000 n 0000002544 00000 n 0000002652 00000 n 0000002762 00000 n 0000002875 00000 n 0000002991 00000 n 0000003020 00000 n 0000008825 00000 n 0000014400 00000 n 0000015531 00000 n 0000015590 00000 n 0000015649 00000 n 0000015754 00000 n 0000017146 00000 n 0000017203 00000 n 0000017260 00000 n 0000022835 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 23966 %%EOF Reflections of a Former Atheist | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Former Atheist cover

Reflections of a Former Atheist

byBob Docter
May 2, 2013
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

The story of one second chance is captured in a new Frontier Press title, Reflections of a Former Atheist, by Major Glen Doss.

In it, Glen tells a story of the war between belief and nonbelief. How does one move from a childhood belief system, fully accepting Christian principles, into a posture of atheistic nonbelief and total rejection of the prior belief system?

Growing up, Glen read major works by major authors in his deep, hidden sanctuary within a “patch of woods” near the family’s southern Arkansas farm. He wrestled with deep thoughts, trying to make sense of life and of God.

“Few things are as intoxicating as a teenagers first taste of arrogance,” he writes, realizing that his “new god was none other than—myself.” He made what he describes as an exhilarating leap both into maturity and to atheism.

Much of the book deals with Glen’s life in the military, where he was stationed with the Air Force from 1967-1968 at Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

In major battles, wherein he saw “hoochmates” killed, his responsibility was often to carry the dead or dying to an aid station. As the battles raged, some soldiers sobbed, screamed and cried. “And then there was Joe;” as Glen describes: “When the world around us seemed to be falling apart, Joe went about his day unperturbed.”

Glen said to him once, “While the rest of us are shaking in our boots, wondering if our number is going to be up next, or getting drunk at the club—doing just about anything to keep our sanity, you sit calmly reading your Bible, maintaining that steady, unworried demeanor. Why is that?”

“I place my trust in God, and I believe he will do what’s best, and he knows what that is far better than I do. So, why should I worry,” Joe said.

Glen replied, “Okay, that may work for you; me, I don’t believe in God.”

So I’ve heard,” Joe said. “I know—and how is that going?”

Glen writes that he immediately felt angry: “He challenged my assumptions, my fundamental worldview—and suddenly I grew insecure.”

After the war, Glen’s absence of faith made him feel powerless as his travels as an editor/reporter for Stars and Stripes brought him into proximity with desperate and hurting people. He did not like himself, and seemed disgusted with his arrogance.

Time moved on. Now married with two children, Glen brought his self-contempt home, unable to show much affection, lost in his own loathing.

Battling the idea of suicide, Glen checked himself into the Naval Hospital in San Diego. A year later, with his family gone, his anxiety and discontent elevated.

By summer 1986, Glen’s resources were exhausted and he recognized that the “death wish was winning.” Then Scripture came to him—Be still, and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10a NIV).

Repeating the verse, he writes that the experience was “a warm, warm feeling of familiarity.” A bolt of “sheer energizing power” shot through him, and “I was overcome by waves of refreshing grace.”

The new convert needed a church, and it had to be one that existed for “helping hurting, suffering, broken people—not simply to preach and pastor.” Through an article in People Magazine that described the election of Eva Burrows as General, Glen found The Salvation Army.

He researched the organization and began attending the San Diego Citadel Corps where he was introduced to all things Army. Within a few years, Glen felt a call to full-time ministry and entered training. Ordained and commissioned two years later, Glen began putting his own “practical Christianity” into action.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like