A question for Christians...?

Question

... does it ever give you pause for thought that most of the atheists on this board were formerly very, very committed Christians? That they thought about their faith and studied the Bible, but reached a point where they prayed to maintain their beliefs, and wept for them, before abandoning them? That once, they were exactly like YOU?

An easy way out would be, "Well, then, they were never true believers", but from what some of them say, that is no way true. So I don't think it would be dignified to accuse them of that. I wonder if some such atheists would attest to this (as it doesn't apply to me).

Do you ever spent any quiet moments reflecting that one day you will wonder whether what you have held to be absolutely true may be false? Do you wonder if your life may follow a similar direction to others who have believed as strongly as you do now?

I should say I'm not asking anyone to become an atheist. I genuinely wonder about the quality of your doubt - rather than your faith.

Answer 1

Sometimes those thoughts come to mind, but my faith in God is strong enough that those lies vanish quickly. I think everyone thinks about things like that from time to time, but letting yourself believe them is your choice!

Answer 2

Your question is respectfull, so I appreciate that. I have no doubt that many athiests have some sort of religious backround. However I find it really hard to believe that if somone genuinely knows Christ, they would be capable of turning their back on Him and reject Him. I really doubt they were Christians at all. It's most likely that they grew up with plain old religion and rejected it when they became adults. To people such as these Christ is nothing but dogma, so they don't really have a living personal relationship with Him. If it's nothing but dogma of course doubts will arise. And they will fall away from knowing Christ personally. As for me I have no doubt, I see the mercy of Jesus daily. And I ask it cause I'am powerless to change myself. Is Jesus in my life? Yes He is. He said He is "the truth, the way , the life". My opinion doesn't matter. If I changed my mind tomorow, I would be wrong because the truth is still the truth and it never changes. I do have quiet times reflecting, on Psalm 23 that is. I reflect on the fact that my life has purpose and it is a calling that I will fulfill. A Heaven sent calling empowered by Heaven. I don't know if this answers your question, but you asked if I doubt and I answered. And yes I know there a lots of people who don't know Christ. Maybe that's why the world is such a mess.

Answer 3

I can agree with you. As a teen, then a young adult, then an older adult who has lived quite a bit of life. I can tell you that I thought quite a bit about doubts. Being a thinker, and an avid reader, many of those questions entered my mind.
So I began to look for answers. I looked at naturalism, where nothing is real unless you can "verify" it. I looked at non-naturalism where the pain and bad things people do are an illusion, that the real world is "nirvana" or a place where you become one with the universe.
None of these, however, seemed to "fit" the reality that I saw, read about, or talked about or experienced.
It was not until I began to look into the evidence for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that things began to make sense.
In over 2000 years, there were millions of people who had my doubts. There were thousands of people asking deep theological, philosophical, and epistemological questions about His LIFE, but still, in over 2000 years, His life is still the most significant life on Earth. He was only here a little over 30 years, never travelled over 100 miles in any direction, was homeless, and only had a few true friends, but He has impacted even us today...the way we measure time, the curse words we use, the arguments we have, the "morals" we preach (even atheists) and yet, no one in over 2000 years has been able to overcome the impact of this one single life.
I began to study the evidence for His life, then when I was convinced of that I studied that old Bible. For this man, who predicted His death and resurrection, and did exactly what He said He was going to do, is the only human being that has ever done that. It was CHRIST, not Christians that said the Bible was God's Word. It was Christ who said the Bible was true. It was Christ who said that not a jot or a tittle (little tiny parts of the Hebrew Language) would pass from His Word till all was fulfilled. Jesus was crucified because He said He was God, but He came back to prove it ....I believe that...you got something better? We as Christians are more than willing to hear your evidence...not RHETORIC...but evidence.
If you are interested in evidence try reading C.S. Lewis, "The Case for Christianity", Lee Stroebel, "The Case for Christ", Frank Morrison, "Who Moved the Stone"....all of these men had those doubts. All of them set out to PROVE that God did NOT exist...their search for the evidence led them to Christ.
We as Christians are not your enemy, we are just the messenger. God ASKS us to do that. WE have no vested interest in the outcome other than to please the God who loves us. We can't get into heaven by works...no one can be good enough...so the only reason we tell you things is because, first we care about God, and second, because we care for those HE made...that would be YOU....and all those who you think we are offending.
I don't have to do this...I am assured of the "evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11
I am persuaded that HE not ME is able...I don't need your approval...I just care about where you will spend eternity.
God doesn't send people to hell....they go there willingly.
We as Christians most certainly have doubts...until we meet the PERSON who answers them...that PERSON is God in the form of Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

My family has a saying that we are open minded but not broad minded. We consider a lot but believe little. I have given my faith MUCH thought. Of course I was barraged with anti-Christian rhetoric throughout college and sometimes get my fair share of it now. However, I have figured it out, I have given much thought and study to the subject. I didn't just go with what was in my heart since that could have just been indigestion or heartburn and I didn't want to base my faith on something that was not logical.

As far as many atheists being former "very, very committed Christians", well Jesus tells us there will be many followers of Him that will never see Heaven...
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

You have always study the Bible and strive to live a life dedicated to God BASED ON HIS WORD -- not something I just THINK God would want me to do or say or ....

So what I would recommend to all the atheists and Christians alike ...
Look around you.
Is it reasonable that life can come from nothing? -- no proof of it.
Is it reasonable to think that the complexity and preciseness of the planet's orbits, the eco system and the human body (especially DNA) could come about out of randomness? -- again there is nothing we can see in nature that would make us believe this.
Therefore there must be an Intelligent Designer -- a God.
So nature tells us there IS a God.
Next we have to look for a something that tells us ABOUT God. I believe the Bible tells us ABOUT God.

If you use logic and common sense (although it is not so common in many people), how can anyone be an atheist????? It takes a lot of blind faith to be an atheist.

Just think about it -- figure it out!

Answer 5

I can tell you by my years of ministering to atheists that maybe 1% of them remotely knew anything about Biblical theology or the church. And when I ask about their faith they have no idea what Im talking about and show signs that they never had faith to begin with or it was grounded in something else but not in God. Unlike them, my faith as well as others are grounded in God and that is why we are believers today. Many people do leave the church but often it is at young ages and mostly because they lacked faith to stay in it.

Do you realize how many ex-atheists are in the church? Well I am one of those so the argument goes both ways. If atheism is so grand, why are they so few?

Most of them insist they were "believers" simply because they believed in God. Their criteria for classifying themselves as believers is shallow so of coarse they are going to say that! But there is much much more to following God then simply believing in him and going to a few sunday schools and youth groups. Like I said, most of these "ex-Christians" I talk to dont know the first thing about the Bible.

The thought of if we are wrong is as much irrelevant as it is ludicrous. As you begin a walk with God, he reveals himself and proves himself over and over to us. And besides even if we had not had proof, at least we could live our lives doing good and die at peace knowing we will be takin care of. The atheist has no such comfort. So who has more to lose? (70-90 years VS eternity)

The only doubts true believers have are not in God, but in ourselves sometimes in perhaps that we are not doing enough or are not good enough. Even though we tend to fail, God never does!

Answer 6

Key word is Faith...
Most people who fall from the Christan faith is mostly because they where asking from God something that was of a material Ilk. More Money, Faster cars, someones love... There will always be people who walk away from any discipline, be it religion or exercising every day. The religion or act shouldn't be bashed because of their actions.

Answer 7

Your question made me think of this - I often see people experiencing things and wonder "will that be me someday?" "will I understand that someday?" even though it's something I have no concept of right now. I think about that sometimes.

I, personally, have never believed in God, but was raised Catholic and had a terrible time reconciling that it was okay for me to not believe. I tried very hard to understand things through this God paradigm that I didn't believe. Finally I had to give it up. That was my ticket to freedom. So it's not like I didn't try.

Answer 8

Of course...I was atheist, then agnostic, wicca, christian, agnostic, and atheist....but for some reason, God called me back to him, and I know in my heart that I will never be able to be atheist again just because of the relationship I have with God. But for those who have gone from Christianity to Atheism, I hope they are truely happy.

Answer 9

Those who have no root, those who believe for awhile, and in time of temptation fall away (Lk.8:13 below) to renew themselves again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves Jesus afresh, put Jesus to an open shame (Heb.6:6 below).

They on the rock are they which when they hear, receive the word with joy (Lk.8:13 below). They do not fall away with the error of the wicked. They do not fall from their own stedfastness, but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pe.3:17-18 below).

Tares have no root. The church of God stands on the Rock.

Lk.8:13 They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

Heb.6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

2 Pe.3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

2 Pe.3:18 But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.



Pat (ndbpsa ©)

Answer 10

they are not Jews using fact Jew's don't have faith the messiah has come yet. they don't have faith Jesus so believing in Jesus and asserting your Jewish needless to say contradicts one yet another.... it rather is unhappy that there are those Evangelist Christians that decision themselves "Jews". end this custom now, your disgracing the two Judaism and Christianity.