Color

There is a curious little fact I learned, which gets even more curious every day. Ancient civilizations had no word for "Blue." The Bible called the sky "Amethyst", probably relating it to a "Sapphire", yet in this we get the prime distinction I'm trying to make. A blue Sapphire and a Blue Quartz would have no difference to the ancient eye, and neither would a Purple Amethyst and a Blue Sapphire. There'd be no distinguishing between the two. Not like today, where every single thing is categorized, color, gems, flora and fauna. 

We live in a unique age, where we can see the variegated differences better than any other. We can know the difference between two species of flowers; we can see and accurately describe all species, all differences. Yet, even we are blind. There are tribes in Africa which can distinguish between two sets of greens---so minutely different that my eye has to strain to tell---and yet cannot distinguish between a blue square and a green square.

This is so odd, yet I come to this that many of us endowed with knowledge of the Bible, and are rooted in its word, have a separate categorization for things, equally as objective, which perhaps the Atheist cannot see. He's not physically incapable of seeing it, but nonetheless, he doesn't see it, though the two things are as different as Blue and Violet, or Blue and Green. Or as other distinguishes go, some cultures cannot tell the difference between Green and Yellow.

Therefore, we must minister to atheists in a way in which we describe the things of God, "Good and Evil", "Love and Peace", "Justice and Mercy", for they are as estranged to these concepts as the tribesmen of Africa, who cannot distinguish between an obvious Blue and an obvious Green. But, much like those primitive peoples, the atheists have niche and often useful only to them categorizations which we cannot see. Such minutia of differences, which allows them to see the difference between two very similar shades of green. Yet, how does something so obvious, like an apparent Blue, go unnoticed by them? More so, the Bible doesn't mention Blue, it mentions "Amethyst", and an Atheist might criticize what I'm saying that God is blind to different colors, and is as primitive as the peoples I'm describing. It is not so. 

For, the Bible teaches us Words different than color, flora or fauna. In fact, "Amethyst" in that instance was also a blue color, as the tzitzits would be colored after the color of a sunny day, that with a pure blue and a pure white. Yet, I infer this because the Jews came from Egypt, where blue was understood, and secondly, that the dye the Jews used must be blue, as the pattern of the tzitzits would be that of the sky and clouds. I infer that because God reigns above the Jews, over the vault. Yet, the same word for "Blue" was the same word for "Purple", but it didn't stop them from distinguishing, still. Yet, it still doesn't change the fact that certain concepts are lost on different cultures.

Your average person will not know the difference between two birds, yet a bird watcher will know the minute differences and various sub-species. Just so, a Christian is given words which describe a certain thing which to the Atheist, they cannot see. Because the atheist refuses to see it. And some atheists find it, and walk away from it. And some atheists find it, and worship it, without knowing what it is. It is this that the Christian is educated on. The nature of Peace, of Plenty, of Love, of Joy, of Truth. We understand the better natured pleasures, the laws which conform men to be patterned after finding those pleasures in abundance. And where does it come from? Well, it comes from ordering oneself according to God's law. And also the mercy by which God forgives us when we do not accomplish it.

For, to the atheist, their sins are accepted by society. Homosexuality. Transgenderism. Adultery. Fornication. Bitterness. Envy. Greed. Covetousness. Lust. Anger. Backbiting. Malice. Revenge. To them, these are perfectly natural, and are in fact good. They understand the feeling it gives them, and this is the only good feeling they perceive. They only know this, and therefore, when they feel love or joy, it is like looking at green and yellow, and determining that both are indeed the same color. They cannot distinguish between the wholesome feeling of true love, and the slough that is infatuation. To them, it is the same shade, of the same color, and like the tribesman, they look at the two, and will only after much deliberation distinguish between them.

The good thing is, that it can be taught. And that is why one need be educated on the Word of God. For, through His word, one can begin to distinguish between the obvious colors. Blue becomes blue, and Sadness is not the same shade as Jealousy. Anger is not the same shade as Indignation. Bitterness is not the same shade as a broken spirit. Love is not the same shade as lust. Marriage is not the same shade as a close relationship. Heterosexual is not the same as Homosexual. Men are men. Women are women. And by that, men can be given to the greater pleasures of life, and be fulfilled and have their fill of life, for others will not be tempted to steal it from them. For when we understand Good and Evil, Good is not the same shade as Evil, and Evil is not the same Shade as good. And one does not call Love, Infatuation. And one does not make equal fornication with nuptial embrace.

Of course, the fact is these people could see blue, so perhaps also good; the only blindness is the modern age's desire to obscure clearly established truth.