CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 73: DEBATE

The next day, I talked to Dedrick while we were on patrol.

"How old are your boys, Dedrick?"

"Five and two," he said. "They're a lot to handle, but I love them. It helps that I'm not the one taking care of them 24/7."

"Is your wife happy?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I just worry about them, and you," I told him. "The mafia knows you're my partner and I just don't want anything to happen. I was thinking... maybe we shouldn't be partners anymore."

"Are you serious? After you told me your secret? I thought we were a team."

"Yeah, but I don't feel right putting you and your family in danger."

"This job is dangerous. I knew the risks when I became a police officer. My family knows the risks too, but we trust God to protect us."

"I wouldn't," I said.

"Of course you wouldn't. You don't believe in God."

"I used to be a believer," I told him, "but God didn't protect my parents from the explosion that killed them. I wouldn't trust Him to protect your family either."

"I'm sorry that happened, Crypto. I truly am," Dedrick said, "but sometimes God allows bad things to happen for a greater purpose."

"What good could come from my parents' death? They were good Christians. They didn't deserve to die."

"Some things will be a mystery to us until we get to heaven. I just trust that God will always do the right thing."

"All the evidence is against that hypothesis."

"I have faith."

"Blind faith," I retorted.

"You can call it that, but I have internal evidence."

"What are you talking about?"

"Unbelievers are the ones who are spiritually blind. Your eyes aren't opened to the truth until you put your trust in Jesus and truly believe."

"I already did that and I didn't get any special revelation."

"Then maybe you didn't really believe."

"Oh, I did. I believed everything the bible taught."

"Head knowledge is not the same as putting your trust in Jesus."

"What's the difference? Isn't that what belief is?"

"It's one thing to say you believe you can fly and another to actually jump off a building."

"I went to church."

"Going to church doesn't make you saved."

"Then what does? Baptism? I've done that too."

Dedrick shook his head. "Baptism doesn't make you saved either."

"I've followed the Commandments."

"All of them?"

"Well, maybe not all of them. I've lied before, but everyone has. I tried not to though when I believed in all that stuff."

"So you admit you're a sinner."

"Everyone is," I said.

"That's exactly why Jesus died on the cross. He died for sinners like you and me. He was taking our place. If you want to be saved, you just have to accept his offer of salvation."

"I've heard it all before," I told him. "I used to believe that. I don't anymore. I can't believe in a God who allows death and suffering."

"Death and suffering are results of free will and sin. God isn't responsible for that."

"I thought God was all-powerful. He can't stop sin?"

"Would you like Him to?"

"Of course. If I were Him, that's what I would do."

"Do you want Him to stop you from sinning?" he asked.

"Well... I don't agree with His definition of sin."

"That's the problem. You don't see your sin the way God does."

"God thinks one small lie is worthy of damnation."

"Yeah."

"Do you think if someone lies, they deserve eternity in hell?" I asked.

"Well, it's not up to me," he said.

"But do you agree that it's the right thing?"

"I trust God, so yes."

"That's so sick and wrong."

"Well, God provided a way out through Jesus."

"That's such a cop-out. He damned everyone to hell just so everyone would have no choice but to believe in a man who, by the way, we have no proof that even existed."

"That's not true."

"God is just a narcissist who wants everyone to worship Him."

"He's the only one worthy of worship."

"I refuse to worship someone who allowed my parents to die when he could've stopped it."

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"I'm not gonna allow you to put your family's life at risk just because you believe in a stupid myth. When our shift is over, I'm going to ask the chief to find me a new partner. It's nothing personal."

"It feels personal," Dedrick said.

"I'm doing it to protect you."

"I would still like to be friends," he said.

"Why?"

"Because I care about you."

"...Alright. We can still be friends." I was surprised he still wanted to be my friend even though I hated his god.