Turning from the Truth: The Sad Case of Madalyn Murray O’Hair

Breakpoint with Charles Colson ^ | July 27, 2005 | Charles Colson

[Mr. Silverback]

Why would anyone deliberately turn his or her back on the truth?

I found myself asking this question many years ago, after an encounter with America’s most famous atheist, Madalyn Murray O’Hair—a story that I tell in my new book, The Good Life. You probably will recall that it was O’Hair who brought the court case that eliminated official public school prayers in 1963.

Mrs. O’Hair and I had been invited to debate the topic of Christianity on David Frost’s NBC variety program. I was aware that she knew the subject well, because she graduated from an evangelical college, and she had a close knowledge of the Scriptures. So I decided it would be a good idea to take my Bible with me. It proved handy when Mrs. O’Hair claimed that the Bible “is a brutal, horrible book.”

I held out my Bible and asked her to read to us the passages she was talking about. She backed away as if I held a weapon. All that she would say was, “It’s full of hate and murder,” even though her refusal to defend her views clearly cost her the sympathy of Frost and the audience.

After the debate, I approached Mrs. O’Hair to tell her that I, like many other Christians, was praying that she would find the truth. She retorted, “Well, I don’t pray, but if I did, I’d pray that you will lose. You will lose, Mr. Colson. You will fail.”

The whole experience left me with the impression of an angry, bitter woman. But I found it interesting that she couldn’t just leave me alone to what she thought was my superstition, or even laugh my views off. My conclusion was that Mrs. O’Hair couldn’t leave me alone because she really did know the truth and had turned her back on it.

Sadly, the story of Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s last days illustrates what can happen when someone deliberately rejects the truth. You may recall that O’Hair and her son and granddaughter were abducted and killed by one of their former employees.

When the family first disappeared, many of those who knew them suspected that they were going into hiding to live off illegally funded foreign accounts. O’Hair’s crooked financial habits were well-known to several of her closest associates. She had surrounded herself with an atmosphere of secrecy and suspicion for so long that few were surprised or concerned by her disappearance. The police did little; the organization she had started carried on as usual. Even after her son eventually filed a missing-persons report, it was years before the dismembered bodies of the Murray-O’Hair family were discovered.

Am I saying that all atheists are doomed to be murdered? No, of course not. What I am saying is that Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s willful defiance of God, and her often-mentioned contempt for her fellow human beings, translated into an abrasive manner and a criminal lifestyle that turned people against her and, in the end, caused her gruesome death.

Madalyn Murray O’Hair once said, “I hope I live my life in such a manner that when I die, someone cares.” Tragically, her own rebellious, selfish will led her to a very different fate. The lesson? It is sin to reject the truth, and when you do, you become yourself the very thing that blocks the truth—that is, evil.

[Mr. Silverback]

What I am saying is that Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s willful defiance of God, and her often-mentioned contempt for her fellow human beings, translated into an abrasive manner and a criminal lifestyle that turned people against her and, in the end, caused her gruesome death.

I don't know about "caused" (I am not familiar enough about the case to make that determination) but did it contribute to her death? It's likely. If she hadn't been an embezzler, there might have been an APB out before she died, and maybe someone would have spotted the group.

BTW, Colson doesn't mention it here, but in an earlier commentary where he mentioned a debate with O'Hair, he said that virtually every time it was his turn to talk she tried to distract him by making obscene gestures at him behind her podium. I'm not sure if the debate in question was the one of Frost's show. The usual moonbat strategy: When youcan't win on facts, go with insults.

There are links to further information at the source document.

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[Mr. Silverback]

BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!

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[HiTech RedNeck]

The whole experience left me with the impression of an angry, bitter woman. But I found it interesting that she couldn’t just leave me alone to what she thought was my superstition, or even laugh my views off. My conclusion was that Mrs. O’Hair couldn’t leave me alone because she really did know the truth and had turned her back on it.

She had to be Queen of the World.

[staytrue]

When I was young, I was a 100% atheist.

Frankly, there is a lot in the Bible and in Christianity, that simply makes no sense.

Now it occurs to me that there is a lot in life, science, my own life and morals, and anything else in the world, that makes no sense and Christianinty makes as much sense as anything else.

I'm still not sold on Christianity, but I realize in the big scheme of things, I know almost nothing. In fact, the sum total of human knowledge is not all that great either.

[Graybeard58]

I remember her well. An angry, bitter, old woman.

My impression of her was that she was tortured from within.

[Sam's Army]

I seem to remember autopsy reports stating that she and her family were severly tortured prior to dying. One refernce was made to her finger and toenails getting ripped out.

Not trying to intentionally gross anyone out, just seemed really bizarre for a person who knew them to do this.

[rabidralph]

Humility is the beginning of knowledge and fear of God is the beginning of wisdom :-)

[GOP_Proud]

Non-believers just don't understand "faith".

[50sDad]

Dance with the demons and see who calls the tune.

[Fido969]

Well, and that is where faith comes in. It's pointless to try to "understand God," God is a billion times smarter than a human could ever be. So faith is NOT an intellectual pursuit - and many folks who think of themselves as "intelligent" have a lot of trouble with faith for that reason. Faith has NOTHING to do with how smart you are - the stupidest person in the world can have perfectly good faith, as a matter of fact, someone who think of themselves as "smart" is more likely to think themselves right out of faith - why should they admit that there might be something in the universe more powerful then them?

Until one is willing to put aside the ego - to consider for a second that they are not the center of the universe, faith is often evasive. By putting too much confidence in the power of your own self-importance, or need to reason and understand things you will always think yourself out of faith - and instead put your "faith" in your own powers.

Eventually, though, our powers fail us, and it comes to our attention that there is something else that is truly In Charge.

IMHO. Your mileage may vary.

[headodenton]

I have a sister-in-law like that. Her husband repeatedly volunteered for VN and finally divorced her to marry an oriental woman. Her first born committed suicide and her "baby" is in a federal pen. Talk about self-destruction! Even her siblings keep her at arms length.

[sine_nomine]

She was possessed.

[L.N. Smithee]

The usual moonbat strategy: When you can't win on facts, go with insults.

O'Hair was about as noxious a conversationalist as I have ever seen. She was the Fred Phelps of atheism -- or, on the other hand, maybe Phelps is the O'Hair of belief. I still remember in the seventies when she was interviewed by a local S.F. news crew before an appearance, and she referred to writers of books of the Bible as "bare-assed Jews." Mind you, this was the seventies, when one could still get away with saying "faggot" and "nigger" on sitcoms.

I'll never forget the ridiculous response her dwindling supporters gave to explain her disappearance; 'She doesn't want to say where she is because she doesn't want Christians to pray for her.' What soaring intellect.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

Somehow, you just know her last words were "Dear God" or something to that effect.

[little jeremiah]

Moral Absolutes Ping.

I was raised an atheist as well.

Finally the question "Does God exist?" became the most important question; I couldn't go on in life without knowing the answer. All other goals and ambitions seemed like dry dust, a pointless meaningless waste of time without knowing if God is there or not. I spent a lot of time praying in seclusion, begging to know.

He is in our hearts, and He always answers that prayer.

O'Hair did the world a great disservice by her utter rebellion and hatred of God; although now, after her death, we can read of her story and shudder in repulsion; so she serves as a bad example. Children's stories in the past used to tell of bad children and the bad ends they came to, as preventives. Obviously, every atheist will not get tortured and murdered. Not every atheist is filled to the brim with such outrageous hatred. But, unfortunately, every atheist will be terrified, lonely and lost at the time of death, and thereafter.

Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I was never a atheist, but, growing up, I too didn't understand many things about Christianity, The Bible and God.
So, in that aspect, I agree with you.
It was not until I was " Born Again " and filled with the Holy Spirit that the door of my understanding of God's word ( The Holy Bible ) and Christianity were opened.
Maybe this Bible passage can help you in your endeavorer to help you understand more.


I Corinthians chapter 2 verses 6 to 16.



6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:


“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”


10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.



I Corintheians chapter 1 verse 18 to 31.



18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written:


“ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”


20 Where is the wise? ... Where is the scribe? ... Where is the disputer of this age? ... Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ...

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[b] foolishness,

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Glory Only in the Lord


26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

[Prophet in the wilderness]

And they never will understand it because God deliberately frustrates ever plan and attempt for them to come to GOD in their own belief or own way.
God wants us to come to him on his terms and his way.

[TexanByBirth]

Madalyn Murray O’Hair once said, “I hope I live my life in such a manner that when I die, someone cares.”

I was living in Austin when Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her family disappearred....And I can assure you, no one in Austin (as liberal a town as it is) cared that this woman was gone!

[Aquinasfan]

Madalyn Murray O'Hair's life is as black and white of a morality play as I can think of.

[Aquinasfan]

Finally the question "Does God exist?" became the most important question; I couldn't go on in life without knowing the answer. All other goals and ambitions seemed like dry dust, a pointless meaningless waste of time without knowing if God is there or not. I spent a lot of time praying in seclusion, begging to know.

If we lived in quiet, most people would come to the same "crisis," which was actually God reaching out to you. The tragedy of our culture is that too many young people concern themselves with every question but this. Even our schools ignore the most important question of life.

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." --Jesus