Thoughts On Atheism and Atheists

[BibleStudent100]

On 10/1/2022 at 1:07 PM, Starise said:

I haven't seen a public recanting. I have heard of atheists becoming believers. Usually atheist poster boys for the movement never recant.

One of the most notable "conversions" from atheism to creationism is the case involving Professor Antony Flew (now deceased). For 50 years, this British philosopher was highly respected as an atheist by his peers. “Theology and Falsification,” his 1950 paper, “became the most widely reprinted philosophical publication of the [20th] century.” In 1986 Flew was called “the most profound of the contemporary critics of theism” But in 2004, Flew announced that he had changed his viewpoint.  What changed his mind was science! He became convinced that the universe, the laws of nature, and life itself could not have arisen merely by chance. 

About 10 years ago, I purchased his book, "There Is a God" and I refer to it periodically.  Perhaps later, I can share some of Flew's arguments.  But in general, I like to share just one item with agnostics or atheists.  One short and sweet bit of evidence for the Bible's authenticity is the following:  For many years, atheists criticized the Bible's veracity by saying that there was no evidence for the existence of Pontius Pilate, one of the main characters in the crucifixion of Jesus.  Then in 1961, during some archeological work in an ancient theater in Caesarea, a workman noticed a loose stone used in a set of stairs.  When turning the step upward, there was a clear inscription to "Pontius Pilate."  The Bible was correct all along!

 

 

[JohnR7]

11 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Peter preaches a sermon in the upper room? I was thinking he did that outside, were all the Jew of various language we outside for the festival!

Acts1:1 When the day of Pentecosta came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 

I was thinking after they left the meeting they want outside and they were still speaking in tongues where people could hear them. Because they thought that they had been drinking. They did not know about the new wine. 

[Starise]

Whenever I am faced with a person or persons who do not believe in God, I feel a lot like being charged with the delivery of a baby when I know absolutely nothing about how to go about it correctly. I mean, I know the basics. Baby exits the building. If it gets stuck in the exit door as they would say at NASA, " Houston we have a problem".

I feel a lot like Moses must have felt when God asked him to lead Israel to safety, "Who Me????" Are you sure you wouldn't really rather ask someone else?? 

I think a lot of it is because I don't like conflict and I know how I can be if attacked or demeaned. I mean, if they just want a dart board I guess any old dart board will do. Maybe I make a pretty good dart board, but sometimes this dart board is tempted to hurl darts back at the thrower. I know this is not a good thing.

OTOH I love to tell others about my faith if they are willing to listen and want to know.

Have you ever wondered why debates are really necessary? 

Atheists often pose a lot of situational ethics questions such as, why pray to be healed if you are going to heaven> Or if a nazi forced you to pick between a human embryo and a 4 year old which would you kill? ...and if all babies go to heaven, what is so bad about abortion? 

[Alive]

I do not believe there is such a thing as a true atheist. I generally think in terms of sharing the 'hope that is within me'. And that only Christianity answers all of the questions that man has and all of the problems that humanity experiences. Life, death and the hereafter.

[Who me]

20 hours ago, NCAP said:

Why would anyone think that God is there in an abusive Christian?

 

I am trying to say that just because some Christians are abisive does not prove there is no God.

[Selah7]

Good morning!  In Isaiah 40, even though the prophet Isaiah is primarily speaking to Judah and Jerusalem, it is certainly relevant to us as Christians in the world today. …but I can't help but hope that these powerful words, heard or read, might also soften the stony heart of an atheist who just does not know his Creator:

He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

- Isaiah 40:11-14,18,21-22,25-26,28-31 

Selah

[Starise]

There needs to be a place of acceptance and recognition, otherwise reading the bible to them means nothing. It does not have the impact on them the same as it does on us.

People who don't realize they have allowed themselves to be blinded see nothing to correct. The more content they are to stay in that blindness, the less likely they are to care about exploring anything else.

If they are convinced the things about the God of the bible just don't add up, they simply dismiss all of it. " The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit". 

Spiritual discernment is key and they don't have the key. This is because spiritual discernment only comes to those who are open for God to show them and admit they are what God says they are- Sinners like all of us. The journey to understanding begins with admitting and accepting we begin at Jesus Christ and His blood shed for us and confessing our sins.

Instead they think they are at the top, the very pinnacle of understanding. For them shunning what they see as this stupid religious stuff is the beginning of their journey to wisdom. To accept anything else looks like moving backwards to them.

Yet, the Lord uses the small things to confuse and thwart those who think they are so smart.

Pride is probably the thickest shell any man has ever worn and when it solidifies it can be almost impenetrable. And the funny thing about pride is it hides the greatest degrees of foolishness only to the wearer of it.

[Sower]

1 hour ago, Starise said:

People who don't realize they have allowed themselves to be blinded see nothing to correct. The more content they are to stay in that blindness, the less likely they are to care about exploring anything else.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

I believe that one tiny seed of light can shed enough light to reach their blindness to cause/implant a crack of doubt to let more light shine in. The word is God, and hearing the word, no matter how much the amount, is God drawing when their ears receive it. They can receive or reject. But they will remember.

It took only one verse (light) from a faithful believer to cause me to seek more verses (More light) and more till a child was born.

[Starise]

I remember your testimony @Sower.

That it was a funeral that opened some doors for you. More specifically what the pastor presiding over the funeral said. 

I thought back to various funerals I have attended. It surely is maybe the only time some people will ever set foot in a church. I have seen some funerals where it seemed to me the pastor overcapitalized on the opportunity. In other words, instead of it being a funeral, a large part of it was an evangelist service. Even as a believer some of these events made me very uncomfortable because it felt like a sales pitch looking for a fast decision instead of respect and memory of the dead. I remember having a burden for many of my lost family and at my mother's funeral I stood up and said I knew she would have liked nothing more than for the whole family to come to Christ. Obviously this was a tough day to get past, but I hoped maybe something said or done that day would cause a few of them to ponder it. Today most of my family are believers. How God did it, I will never know. I'm just glad they are believers.

While I hope my funeral or death has an impact on some, I really hope some impact was to be had long before it. If the most impact I will ever have for the Lord is only at my casket, this is truly sad for me.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Starise