An atheist left comments on two of my devotions in the same week.
On a devotion about sharing Christ, he wrote this comment claiming Christianity is without evidence: "Why not share the facts? Oh, that's right, you don't have any."
It's true that faith is "assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1), but we have abundant evidence of God's existence and goodness:
Referring to the story of Noah, he was implying that a good God would never destroy wicked men. First he claims God doesn't exist, then he blames God for punishing wickedness. He'd rather go down in the flood of human sin than repent and reach out to the loving God who offers him life.
Today let's take a moment to thank God we're "on the boat" and pray that this atheist and others like him will give up their foolishness (Psalms 14:1) and open their eyes to the evidence of God all around us.
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"Evangelistic atheists" have given me material for a number of my devotions:
Misery Loves Company
Responding to Atheist Arguments
Dealing With Existential Angst
Use Your Brain
Proud Fools - God Can Use Atheists to Teach Christians
Foolish Reasoning
Sheeple
A Fool's Understanding - Psalm 14:1
Seems to me you handled this very well, Gail. No sense arguing with someone who is not even in the same book let alone on the same page. God will do the convincing and correcting.
ReplyDeletePraying for him and for you, as God leads to you handle the situation.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the commenter is angry and searching for what he, himself, really believes. In other words, he may be testing his own faith or lack thereof. That tells me that God is at work!
ReplyDeleteThis is what I thought, too. He probably wouldn't have been motivated to comment if there wasn't something in him being stirred. Prayer is always an appropriate response!
DeleteMy dad has been on the atheist bandwagon for a number of years now. He has no tolerance for religion or God, and after many arguments, I now refuse to get engaged. He started one of his rants the other day on the phone and I just kept quiet. He called back the next day to apologize. It seems most of the "opposing side" simply want to argue or make you feel stupid. Or make themselves seem superior. All Satan's tactics, IMO.
ReplyDeleteHi Gail
DeleteWell, it sounds like you did the respectful thing, and perhaps that's why your dad apologized.
Maybe your silence got through to him more than any words could.
I also have been surprised by some atheists who have sought out my site or pins and written rude remarks. I've never gone to an atheist site to make rude comments : )
I pray your dad will acknowledge the Jesus he sees in you and accept the Savior who loves him.
Bless you,
Gail
WHY is that???? I want to "unfriend" my father and brothers on Facebook b/c of the never ending "attacks" on Christianity! They are always posting negative comments and jokes. I USUALLY try to ignore it, but sometimes they DO get me going. Once they do though, they go quiet, like all they wanted was for me to get all riled up! Like you both say, it seems like they just WANT to argue--I too do not go to atheist sites, or post atheist slamming cartoons on my page!
Delete" like all they wanted was for me to get all riled up!"
DeleteExactly. Let God handle it <3
I was watching a TV program today, and a religious man expressed his sadness over atheists' attacks, but he also condemned Christians who make rude responses to atheists' jabs. You are right in responding with grace, Gail. We can always speak the truth in love when people speak foolishly. But sometimes it's hard to know how to respond.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think biblical wisdom is in Proverbs 26:4 and 5. These two verses seem to contradict, but one actually builds on the other. We're not to argue with a foolish person on his own terms (because we can become foolish too). He will despise our words. Yet there are times when we need to respond to a fool or his words go unchallenged. In that case, we speak with truth, reason and wisdom. Our response depends on the situation and the clear leading of God. (A good discussion of this is at http://www.gotquestions.org/Proverbs-26-4-5.html)
I have an atheist "friend" , and two atheist acquaintances. I am trying to reach them, but I don't know how. Any advice?
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica,
DeleteSometimes the best way to share Christ is to ask good questions. The Holy Spirit can help you ask things that get your friends to start thinking, and hopefully they will see the flaws in their atheism.
For example, being sensitive to timing, you might ask your friends why they believe there is no God. You could ask them how they can feel confident in something they can't prove. Or you could ask them how they feel when they have problems they can't solve on their own.
If they have a problem, you might say, "I know you don't believe in prayer, but I do, so I'll be praying for your situation."
You might tell them about ways that God has spoken to your heart or tell them about an answered prayer or a situation that highlights some aspect of your faith.
I pray God will give you wisdom and creativity to share with your friends.
And keep praying for them.
you say you have never gone to an atheists site and made comments
Deletebut us atheists dont try and force you to believe what we believe, whereas you do
DeleteBrendan,
DeleteMy site is clearly presented as Christian, and no one sent it to your email box or forced you to read it.
But you and other atheists enjoy leaving comments on my Christian site seeking to discredit Christian faith. That's something I've never done on an atheist site and something I never plan to do.
Thanks for giving me and my readers such a great example confirming what I've written in this post.
I won't force my beliefs on you, Brendan, but I've prayed for you.
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ReplyDelete4. Doctors without borders, children international, the red cross, just to name a few. There are many charitable non-Christians. Christianity does not have the monopoly on morality. Also, please address the numerous parts of the bible that instruct murder, rape, infanticide and genocide. Although, I admit most (not all) of this is Old Testament, you do believe that the Christian abrahamic god is the same today, yesterday and forever. James states that there is no fear in love yet Matthew instructs us to fear the one who can destroy our soul (god). This is not morality.
ReplyDelete3. The most numerous religion on earth is actually Islam. Yet you say they are wrong. How about the millions of Buddhists, etc. Cultures generally create the gods based on their own understanding of the world. How can they all be wrong, yet you be right if it is just a numbers game. Why does not god prove his existence with fire from heaven to burn an alter of the pagans like he did for Elijah?
2. See response to number 4. Christians do not have the monopoly on morality. A simple question. Why do most Christians support Trump's wall. Does not Christ instruct all Christians to sell all their possessions and give to the poor? The fact most North Americans hate "socialism" alone proves that most Christian really do not believe, but base their faith on social cultural norms rather than true following of scripture.
1. Imagine with me the vary first inhabitants on North America. Imagine an Indian looking up at the glorious sky above him and said, "Wow, this is incredible this world must have been created by the great spirit." Now imagine with me a missionary approaching this man and telling him that there is a great spirit but they have it all wrong and that this spirit actual was Jesus a man that died and was raised to life by his other personality a god that lives in the sky and then when he left the earth he left us his other personality that we can't see but only feel. The Indian then looks at him and says...No I think I'll just believe my own eyes and have faith that this creation was made by our great spirit... According to Christians would this man be saved? No, only one way to salvation through Jesus. right? You want to put god in your own Christian box. I am a staunch Agnostic. There could or could not be a God, I am not narcissistic enough to claim that I have all the answers. But I am pretty sure that if there is a God, then he wouldn't need to be confined to your understanding of him/it/being.
Hi Terry,
DeleteI'm not sure why we are starting with 4, but here goes:
4. PLEASE NOTE: I never said secular organizations have never done anything good. Nor did I say that all unbelievers are immoral.
I said that Christian organizations have done more good than any other organization or religion in history.
Regarding your statement: "please address the numerous parts of the bible that instruct murder, rape, infanticide and genocide." This accusation is based on half-truths and out-of-context Bible verses, and if you genuinely want to read the truth about these half-truths, check out my archive "Hard Questions."
3. PLEASE NOTE: I never even mentioned Muslims. But I’ll address your statements.
Muslims say they are the only way, Buddhists say they are the only way. Muslims say all other faiths are wrong. Buddhists say all other faiths are wrong.
2+2=4. It doesn't equal 5 or 6 or 7.
The God of EVERY religion refutes the God of every other religion. They can all be wrong, but only one can be right. I believe along with millions throughout history, that Jesus is the only Way. You don’t have to agree, but don’t act like Christianity is the only faith making that claim.
About calling down fire from heaven: God doesn’t owe us any sign. He’s given us plenty throughout history. If we genuinely seek Him, we’ll find Him.
2. PLEASE NOTE: I never wrote anything about Trump or politics. But I’ll respond to it.
You can read everything on my site and you’ll not find a single thing about Trump, the wall, or politics. You’ve accused me of claims I never made and now you lump all Christians in a box. You don’t know what I or my readers believe about politics, nor is that the subject of this devotion.
It’s always helpful to know the context of a verse. Your references to Scripture in #1 and your reference here are out of context. The Bible never tells all Christians to sell all their possessions, although we should be willing to do so if He asks. But Jesus did tell one man, a rich young ruler to sell all of His possessions. But this is an excellent example of misusing Scripture, and using a half-truth which you’ve done repeatedly in your comment.
1. If you want to believe that every man decides for himself who God is and how to worship him, you are free to believe that. I am free to disagree with you.
But please don’t flatter yourself: You definitely think you have all the answers. Just because you don’t adhere to a particular religion doesn’t mean you don’t think you have all the answers. You’ve not only made it clear that you think you have a better handle on God and the Bible than every Christian who ever lived, you’ve presented your arguments quite arrogantly.
One last point, not being able to not prove something does not then make it mandatory to believe in it. That is complete faulty logic. I cannot, not prove a unicorn exists. I have seen stories of unicorns, there are pictures of unicorns and the unicorn is even Scotland's national animal. Since I cannot prove that a unicorn does not exist, should I believe in it? That is ridiculous. If someone said they believed in a unicorn, I would say prove it.
ReplyDeleteThis unicorn argument must make sense to atheists because I've heard it a bunch of times before. Is it on an atheist website?
DeleteIt really is a foolish comparison.
I can't "prove" God exists any more than you can prove He doesn't exist. But I have much more legitimate proof for His existence than you have for his non-existence. Your basic argument is that you haven't seen Him and neither have I.
We aren't talking about children's books or stuffed animals. We're talking about multiple, credible books written by intelligent authors recording the history of our faith. And we're talking about the changed lives of millions of Christians throughout history.
But please note that you really never addressed anything in this devotion. I hope that one day you meet the God who you have compared to unicorns. You will find His wisdom much greater than any atheist website and His love far greater than anything you have known before.
Terry,
ReplyDeleteI have received your additional comments, but I am not going to keep publishing them. If you genuinely want to understand the passages of Scripture you have quoted, I can give you resources for doing that. But I believe you are not genuinely interested in understanding those passages but simply in taking them out of context and beating Christians up with them. It's ironic to me that this devotion is about an arrogant atheist and your responses have been quite similar to his.
I believe there are humble atheists, but my devotion was about an arrogant one who felt he knew more than every Christian who has ever lived and had a right to rudely give them his opinion which no one asked him to give.
Titus 3:10 tells us to warn divisive people twice and then move on. I need to do that.
But I must point out your hypocrisy.
You are no different than believers who say Jesus is the only way. You have presented your view as the only right view even though you don't adhere to any particular faith.
Everyone lives their life according to their views about God....everyone. Some do so humbly, some do so arrogantly. But everyone has chosen an "only way."
GOD BLESS YOU GAIL.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that Terry, and other atheists bother to read your writings. They are searching for something other than there false beliefs that God doesn't exits. They know deep in their hearts that he does, but can't get past their arrogant and prideful attitudes in order to be able to bow down to the true Son of the living God. Yeshua!
ReplyDelete