Perhaps they can be filled with the spirit and not realize it?
2006-10-05 04:53:07 · 13 answers · asked by Cyber 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, it is possible...I consider myself to be atheist and I think I live my life like most religious people do... minus the praying and bible thumping...
2006-10-05 04:54:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
All Christians given God's spirit at confirmation, how active the spirit is depends on how religious the person is. If the person is an atheist and has not recieved confirmation then he would not be filled by the Holy Spirit.
2006-10-05 05:03:04 · answer #2 · answered by cdurn2000 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By definition, an atheist is making a choice NOT to believe in God.
I believe (and the bible supports) that God can work on anyone's heart/spirit and will. Does this mean the person is oblivious to what is happening? I think it is possible the person does not understand what is going on. I also think the person might see changes happening in their life that cause them to question their beliefs.
So, God can be present in the persons life (internally or externally) and the person might not realize it.
2006-10-05 05:07:53 · answer #3 · answered by txrealestateagent 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, not possible.
They are inadvertently subject to the will of God, but they do not seek it, and therefore they do not know it. Being subject to something and entering into it are two entirely different things.
In other words, God's will, will be done, no matter what. And yet those who seek him and seek his will are brought into alignment with his will and therefore are born into reality via their relationship with God...and they are active servants for God. Whereas one merely subject to God's will is existing outside of reality and will endure a whole other set of consequences.
An analogy to help clarify this goes this way: Students in a classroom are subject to the teacher. They can choose not to listen, not to do the work, to act out and get removed from the classroom, and all that. They will fail the class due to their lack of participation. Those who listen, study, and behave accordingly will not only pass but will enter into a realm of knowledge and experience because of their choice to participate. Either way, the material is being taught and the teaching is leading, but the experience and outcome is entirely dependent upon the student's choice to listen or not. Both students are in the same classroom, and the same thing occurs for each, just each experiences it in an entirely different way. Things that the listener gets, the nonlistener misses completely.
2006-10-05 05:00:45 · answer #4 · answered by Gestalt 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Atheists would call it being a good person and altruistic. Christians would call it following God. Whoever ends up being right in the end gets naming rights.
2006-10-05 04:59:18 · answer #5 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I fail to see you point. Typically religious people fill in the blank for anything they don't understand with god...what a lazy way to think.
2006-10-05 04:56:42 · answer #6 · answered by trouthunter 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
IF (<<<< key word) if a Supreme Being actually exists, he does not care what people are doing, or believe. The idea that something that had the power to create the universe would concern itself with who screwed whose wife is so ridiculous it isn't worth contemplating.
2006-10-05 05:00:08 · answer #7 · answered by Left the building 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
what? come on. stop reading that old biblical crap and read a book on how to improve and advance the human species!
2006-10-05 04:55:48 · answer #8 · answered by kramaster 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That spirit is called questioning faith and its normal
2006-10-05 04:55:03 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Since they are denying God and rejecting Him, I doubt it.
2006-10-05 04:56:08 · answer #10 · answered by Daniel K 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋