These days I listen more to two individuals than to anyone else: my wife of 55 years is a fellow-Christian. And Phillip Adams – Australia ¢â‚¬â„¢s best-known public atheist.

Each week, on my iPod, I listen to the world ¢â‚¬â„¢s experts via Phillip ¢â‚¬â„¢s  ¢â‚¬Ëœlittle wireless program ¢â‚¬â„¢ on Radio National. And I learn a lot about Phillip himself  ¢â‚¬“ agreeing with him on just about everything, except his views on God.

Research indicates a correlation between most people ¢â‚¬â„¢s ideas about Deity and their childhood experiences. I had a secure, middle-class, predictable upbringing in a Brethren group which had answers-for-everything and discouraged stirrers. ( ¢â‚¬ËœDon ¢â‚¬â„¢t ask questions, Rowland. Just believe ¢â‚¬â„¢).

Phillip ¢â‚¬â„¢s, in contrast, was tough. His Congregational-minister father went off to the war, and he was brought up by grandparents on a dirt-poor farm. He says (it ¢â‚¬â„¢s in Wikipedia) his mother remarried to  ¢â‚¬Ëœa rather sleazy businessman ¢â‚¬ ¦ a sociopath who tried to murder me ¢â‚¬ ¦ I spent the latter part of my childhood trying to protect my mother from this psycho ¢â‚¬ ¦ ¢â‚¬â„¢

In his chapter  ¢â‚¬ËœOK, Adams, what do you believe? ¢â‚¬â„¢ in Adams versus God (1985), Phillip wrote:  ¢â‚¬ËœI have always believed that life is totally meaningless and that we have no destiny, no purpose, no author. We just are. For a little while, anyway. Then we aren ¢â‚¬â„¢t ¢â‚¬ ¦ I believe that religions are nonsensical, and ¢â‚¬ ¦ completely unnecessary ¢â‚¬ ¦ I believe in believing in as little as possible, particularly if belief involves signing a manifesto. ¢â‚¬â„¢

But in his final chapter on the Meaning of Life, he tells us he ¢â‚¬â„¢s learnt to  ¢â‚¬Ëœenjoy the company of people I disagree with ¢â‚¬ ¦ whereas I ¢â‚¬â„¢m frequently bored by echoing agreement. ¢â‚¬â„¢

I ¢â‚¬â„¢m with him there  ¢â‚¬“ and on the manifesto idea (I don ¢â‚¬â„¢t much like dogmas and creeds). And here:  ¢â‚¬ËœPessimists won ¢â‚¬â„¢t save us, while there ¢â‚¬â„¢s just a chance, maybe only a long shot, that the optimist will. ¢â‚¬â„¢

Now, Phillip, which optimist? Well, I haven ¢â‚¬â„¢t found an improvement on Jesus of Nazareth. When he gave his followers the opportunity to leave him (the story is in John 6) Peter spoke for them all:  ¢â‚¬ËœMaster, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We ¢â‚¬â„¢ve committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God. ¢â‚¬â„¢   I share Peter ¢â‚¬â„¢s confidence.

And as for dogma, I ¢â‚¬â„¢m with Sir Herbert Butterfield, formerly Regius Professor of History and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge:  ¢â‚¬ËœHold to Christ, and for the rest be totally uncommitted. ¢â‚¬â„¢

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Rowland Croucher is a Baptist pastor, counsellor and writer.