CONTINUING YESTERDAY'S explanation of the real meaning of The Legend of the Cherokee...
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is forbidden to share the experience—particularly the part at the end, where he finds out that his father was protecting him through the night.
We, of course, will not find out for sure whether there is a God until we die, and then it will be too late to tell anyone.
But the analogy holds for those who fail the test—who are not capable of facing life by themselves, and so call out to God in spite of the fact that he has asked us to go through this life blindfolded.
Those people are under the same gag rule as the youth in the parable. They must tell no one their beliefs about God.
They must not participate in evangelism, trying to drag others down to fail this rite of passage as they have.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!
"...never removing the blindfold." In his ignorance the boy understands the importance of atheism. He knows that he can never become a mature person by leaning on supernatural aid. In his desire to achieve manhood, he puts away childish things, and faces the night alone.
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
God watches over atheists, protecting them from harm, because he has created this world specifically for the atheistic experience, as a place for us to grow up, and become mature beings who no longer lean on him.
God's care is not dependent on belief, or prayer. In fact, he wants us to avoid both. Even a little faith is fundamentally dangerous. If the boy had even suspected his father was sitting right there the rite of passage would have become meaningless.
And, once the night is over, when the boy has made it through the night alone, without calling out for intervention, he has earned a new status. He has become what the father who watched over him in secret is—a man.
Likewise, the atheist, when life is over, will become a mature god, like the one who watched over him in secret.
The poor person who fails the test—who does not rely on himself, but calls out for God's help, will not die, of course. God will protect him. But he will go into the next life a spiritual child, and will never achieve divine status.
That's what the parable says, if you interpret it faithfully.
At least, that's what I think today.
