Christians say that if you except God and let him in your heart, he will make himself known to you. Here's my question. Many hardcore Christians have left the church and became atheists. If these people at one time accepted God and let God in their hearts and God made himself known to these people, why would they convert to atheism. If God makes himself known to you, then there should be no question in your mind that he exists. Could it be that maybe he really never has made himself known to anyone and that everyone is just pretending in an attempt to fit in with everyone else? I think they should change the phrase on money that states "In God We Trust" to "In God We HOPE."
2007-06-10 11:19:13 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
thanks for sharing
2007-06-10 11:22:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question.
I have wondered the same thing and I have been a Christian for over 30 years. But, I have come to what I would like to be a conclusion.
There are those who become Christians because they liked what they heard or were convinced to come up and recite a prayer. There is nothing wrong with that, but in time, the truth will show itself. If a person continues to have a relationship with God, even through trials and doubt, they had a true conversion. If they have a superficial relationship, the trials and doubts will shatter what little they had, and this was not so much a conversion as perhaps an emotional experience toward an emotional decision.
Yet, many hardcore atheists have come to realize that God is real and Jesus is their Savior. Two I can think of are Lee Strobel, an award winning journalist formally with the Chicago Tribune and now an author and minister (see his book below) and Bill Murray (not the comedian), son of Madeline Murray O'Hare - he also wrote a book of which I do not remember the title.
I believe that there are those Christians who are true converts having given their whole life to God based on the evidence they were presented. Then there are those who just go through the motions only to be disappointed in the long run.
2007-06-10 11:36:24 · answer #2 · answered by TroothBTold 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, first of all, "letting God into your heart" is not scriptural at all. What makes a person a Christian is when they truly repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Christ alone. I trust that the atheist who where once Christians didn't do that. In fact, Everyone that I have met that claims that they used to be a Christian really wasn't in the first place. They were false converts. Jesus talked about false conversion in the parable of "The Sower and the Seed." Those that are faking it are the false converts, not the true believers.
2007-06-10 11:29:35 · answer #3 · answered by Jason M 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
first I'd like to know the figures, and where you found your information about christians who left the church and became athiests.
a christian can fall from grace, and back slide to there old sinful ways and become hardened toward God and religion. But if you have ever really felt the power of God you will never deny that feeling or power.
Now my question to you is why are athiests so down on christians? there is a thing called difference of opinion. You have your opinion, and I have mine, we won't change each others, If God can't change you a human surely can't
2007-06-10 13:44:04 · answer #4 · answered by kathy h 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge. He taught by using stories, many stories.
"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.
Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?" When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories.
"Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way. "The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. "And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."
Mark 4:1-20
2007-06-10 12:50:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You see the Devil is walking around like a roaring lion looking for pray. He love to steal, lie and cheat people. The thing is did these people really belong to Christ before of were they just the weeds Jesus have been talking about.My Hope and Trust is in God. God Bless.
PS. Money have nothing to do with believing of God. Mammon is just another false god.
2007-06-10 11:26:16 · answer #6 · answered by channiek 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The main reason that most atheists separated themselves from religion is that religion itself has proven false to the God is claims to worship and teach. Jesus warned this would happen and said that "not everyone saying to me Lord, Lord... will enter into the kingdom of the heavens." Religion is more responsible for seapration from God than secularism is because it has done many things... unscriptural things... in the name of God that he would never approve of. That does not mean that God himself does not exist.
2007-06-10 11:46:57 · answer #7 · answered by Q&A Queen 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I myself can't conceive why someone would turn from God and become athiest, however, the bible does say that many will say Lord, Lord and he will say I never knew you. There will be many that think that their good works will get them into heaven. Good works is not what it takes. What will get you to heaven is if you have asked God to forgive you and accept him into your heart.
2007-06-10 11:24:45 · answer #8 · answered by God's Child 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
What's all this rubbish about accepting God into your heart? the heart is a pump nothing more.
2007-06-10 11:38:38 · answer #9 · answered by JT 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
oh, no you don't.
It takes a SINCERE heart to ACCEPT Jesus into your heart. He shows Himself to me EVERY day! He is so wonderful to me--and has given me peace that passes understanding, joy, happiness, and TOTAL contentment--whatever is going on!
He will do that for ANYONE who is sincere, and looking for a real change in their life.
Asking for forgiveness FIRST --is the key to asking Jesus into your heart.
2007-06-10 11:22:25 · answer #10 · answered by bettyboop 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The thing is, only GOD knows your heart...
You can proclaim you are a Christian all you want...but if you are not in your heart...well, God knows, HE always knows...
2007-06-10 11:31:09 · answer #11 · answered by Kerilyn 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋