Does this make my brother an Atheist?

Question

My brother and I were both saved at young ages. But as we got older he started to pull away from Christ. He claims he is not a Christian. Can he just decide to not be a Christian anymore after he has already been saved? I am really worried about my brother. He has fallen under the wrong crowd of people. I want him to go to church with me but he won't. Now he has moved away to college and I am afraid he will never go back to church. The main question is does this make my brother an Atheist, now? I sure hope not.

Answer 1

No it just means that he is thinking. He is young and may have changed his mind. Don't worry God is not stupid, he won't judge your brother for thinking.

Many people become closer to God by getting away from religion. Remember what brother Jesus told us. "The kingdom of the father is within us. God is not on a far off cloud called heaven or in a building called a church.

He is right where Jesus told us he would be. He goes with your brother where ever he is.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 2

Are Jews Atheist?

In case you don't know that answer, it's "No, your brother is not Atheist." Atheism is a belief that (in so many words) the power of God cannot be held by one being.

For instance, I'm Agnostic. It's like being Atheist, except I DO 'believe' that God exists; I just don't "know."

I can tell you here that I'm not Christian--though I'm a baptised, Confirmed Roman Catholic and a spiritual humanist minister--and then I can wake up Sunday morning and be as 'Christian' as any of the other souls there.

Anyway, being 'Christian' is just something the church decides. Now, if he comes to Sunday service and opens up Gatlin fire on the congregation; then no, he's not Christian.

Maybe in his heart he ~is~ an Atheist; but if you won't believe he is and I won't believe he is, then we've saved him with our hearts.

Answer 3

Well, regardless of your school of thought--some would say he lost his salvation, some would say he was never saved in the first place--it does look like he abandoned the faith he adhered to as a younger person.

Of course, this doesn't make him an Athiest. He may still acknowledge that God exists, even that Jesus is who he claims to have been, even that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, but he may be choosing to no longer give his allegience to him. In any event, he's just as lost and needs to get his heart right with Christ.

You need to confront him on it, and find out why he says he's no longer a Christian. Is he that steeped in the pleasures of this life? Has he found an alternative belief system? Or is he just flat out obstinate and rebellious. Whatever he has chosen, it is important to find out where he strayed to help bring him into the fold. Only until you find out where he is in error can you confront the error with the truth.

Answer 4

I don't believe in "God" , but I'm not an atheist.
I don't believe in Jesus as the son of God.But I'm not an atheist.
Religion nor Christianity will get in the way of my spirituality.
I believe in a power greater than myself. But I don't presume to "know" of understand that power.
I am not an atheist.

It's amazing how ignorant some people are. If you believe in Jesus Christ you ARE Christian. CHRIST=CHRISTian. Get it?
Baptists are Christians.Catholics, Protestants, Methodists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, etc. All Christian. I mean, you guys are everywhere in the USA. But don't get cocky. Christians are a minority in the world as a (w)hole.
Not being a Christian does not make you Atheist.
Atheist= "One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods." Houghton Mifflin Dictionary. There it is. Simple!
And if you don't subscribe to a particular religion, you are still not an atheist.
So "bandnerd". Lighten up! Your brother will figure out what he believes or doesn't believe. Sure you love him, but if you believe in your God then have faith. Remember Faith? It's not up to you or me. The "Power Greater" that I believe in (who I choose to call Lefty) will take care of what needs to be taken care of.
Read Mathews 5 (I think), the Sermon on the Mount.

By the way, Agnostic= "One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God. (or)
One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism." Also Houghton Mifflin.
Most of you have had that all wrong. I was agnostic until I opened my mind to the idea that it doesn't matter what religion I subscribe to. That's what I mean when I say, "I won't let religion get in the way of my spirituality." Enough! I'm done! Sorry!

Answer 5

If he doesn't believe there is a god then he is an atheist

You make it sound like being an atheist is something horribly wrong. like he's dead or something. He's probably more alive than you right now having his eyes opened to reality. It's actually kind of insulting to me (being an atheist) that someone would talk about a fellow human being in such a way just because he doesn't believe the same nonsense you do. But i do understand that your ignorance is not necessarily your fault, so it's sort of OK. Not really but... you know.

Answer 6

Whoa, hold on there for a second. Just chill out. Your brother is going through something totally normal and he's trying to see where religion plays into his life. You need to let him explore. When one of you is visiting, and it's Sunday or whatever do ask him if he wants to go. But DO NOT force him to go with you. A simple "Hey, church is going to start in an hour, you want to come with me?" will suffice. He is not atheist, he's probably agnostic, which is a simple way of saying he doesn't know where religion plays into his life yet.

Answer 7

Wise Guy gave a pretty good answer. I have one other scripture for you and then a message of hope.

"25 ¶ Yet ye say, The away of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
"26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
"27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die." (Ezekiel 18:25-28)

So, you brother's soul is in peril. However, there is also hope here as well. He may yet repent and return. Someone quite close to me turned away from the gospel of Jesus Christ in his late teens and early twenties. During this period of time he describes himself as being an Agnostic. (This is someone who says that they don't know if their is a God or not.) His family continued to love and accept him and he eventually did return to the faith of his youth. (It took his falling for a woman who was also a faithful member of that church to motivate him to seek God.) Now he is a very staunch defender of his faith.

So, there is hope yet for your brother. Don't give up on him. Don't be overly preachy to him either. This is more likely to push him away than to draw him in. Just continue to love him and encourage him in the good things that he does. Above all else pray for him. In the end, it will be your loving acceptance and God's influence that will help to draw him back if he is going to come back.

Answer 8

I'm not sure, because I am a catholic, I don't know what follows for being saved, but if he says he is an atheist, or doesn't believe in Christ, then, yes, unfortunately he is. I have an older sister, who is going through the same sort of thing. when she was sixteen, she ran away and lived with friends and relatives, she has burned every single one of her good friends and now does drugs, alcohol and birth control. through this whole experience, I have been pleading for her to come back, or at least to pray...she has also become a lesbian. its hard, you know, to watch someone you love so much slip away, but I have learned that you can't save everyone, in fact, she has to choose to want to be saved...or in our case, she'll have to go through baptism again, but I really and honestly think the best thing you can do is pray for him, and I will too, and, of course, it could take years, but don't give up.....never ever give up your prayers, there'll be results, as long as he is not hard hearted enough to not let Jesus in, but if had a christian past, then it is much better, because somewhere in side, he has guilt, my sister does too, they just hide it up, but that could be what changes them in the end...I really hope he finds his path....I'll pray for you both...

chelsea :o)

Answer 9

no that doesnt make your brother athiest he's just going through a change and no one should make him feel bad about that everything must and will change just because he does not want to be christian doesnt make him athiest at all he just needs to make up his own mind and be at peace with himself about his decision and also just because you dont go to church doesnt make you athiest either if im not mistaken GOD is everywhere not just in those superficial buildings they call the house of god he is in the air you breathe he is in this room right now...right?? if you afraid your brother will go to HELL don't worry sweetie we are all already there there is no inferno like the movies would like you to believe he's not going to burn for eternity when you die you either go to heaven or you stay here and thats all there is to it you have to keep reincarnating on earth (hell) until you get it right. some good books to read about religion and god and all of the questions that may be going through your head would be any book by sylvia browne she really puts it into prespective..

Answer 10

He's not an atheist unless he has ceased to believe in any god. That's the definition.

Many young people go through a few years of doubt. Most of them return to their original religion soon enough. However, you should be prepared for him to choose something else. The choice is his, after all.