Christians: Why do you not offer a sermon to 21st century atheists?

Question

You could start by talking about how God left Eve alone with Satan in the Garden of Eden, then blamed Eve for being tricked by the Devil.

Then move on to how God threw a temper tantrum and destroyed the world with flooding, including all the babies and butterflies because they were "ee-vil".

Then move on to how Pharoah wanted to release the Jews many times, but each time God "hardened his heart" so as to give God an excuse to kill more people (like the first-born, including the first-born cows).

I am sure there are many more atrocities to discuss (II Kings 2: 23-24 comes to mind).

Then you can give us a description of what God wanted to have happen to his only son so as to give God an excuse to forgive humanity for being tricked by the Devil whom God allowed into Eden.

Finally, you can round out the evening with a stirring rendition of Revelations 21:8, where God basically says "Love me or I'll kill you."

Now then, if you -can't- explain how all of that is evidence of a supremely loving god who only wants the best for us, wouldn't it be better for you to scare kids in Sunday School than to try cherry-picking the bible in the hopes of fooling 21st century non-christians?

Answer 1

Great question. That about sums it up nicely. I would also add that God being all knowing, created Lucifer. If we are to believe the Bible, so this whole eternal hell mess is God's creation.

How can one worship such a beast?

I love the "God is to powerful to care about you answers. This type of response is usually followed by a sermon about how God wants a personal relationship with us. If God cared about us, he wouldn't have done any of the things listed above. If I was to have a relationship with someone, I would need answers to these points before moving forward. And probably wouldn't end up being friends, because cruelty isn't a trait I look for in a relationship.

I can't understand how Christians can justify statements like God is love. The Bible proves he isn't.

Answer 2

I think it's pretty interesting that you think you know the thought process behind the acts of an All Mighty God. I'm glad you were there to witness everything that happened and you don't care to understand the true meaning of some of the passages you have mentioned. Since you've got such a horrible attitude toward God, there's no point in reading your interpretations of the Bible because they are tainted with resentment.

By the way, this doesn't make me angry Captain Atheist. I'm just disappointed that someone with no respect for the Bible has the nerve to think he can rightly interpret it.

You can take a passage from any book and skew it to support a belief that you have. Try exegesis; don't read into the text, and it becomes clear what is really true.

Answer 3

Do you think I mind being asked this question?
Not at all. I'm honored that I can communicate with you now.

The Bible is logical, though it's full of so called atrocities. (I agree)
Imagine being God. What would you do. Let yourself be mocked upon?
If you could do something about it to show you are almighty, you would.
That's the same thing with God. And He CAN prove He's Almighty.

Luckily He doesn't (yet), otherwise many people's lives wouldn't be safe. He's patient (and don't say that's because He doesn't exist)

God's wrath is not shown as much as His goodness. He's my Lord, and He's good to me (He exists!). That's no joke. I'm not someone who likes science-fiction or fairy tales. I'm realistic.
A spiritual world exists.

Answer 4

Thank you! You have given a good sermon that God does in deed exist and that you believe He does. (after all you would not be trying to discredit something that does not exist)

No matter what anyone may think of what has happened or what He has done or why He has done it,

You have supported the fact that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

So no matter what you may think of what the Bible says has happened just remember that "God" is a fact and we will all stand before Him someday.

Do you really think you will argue your way out of His judgment whether He is the vengeful God or the loving God?

Answer 5

The sermon that God offers to mankind remains the same just like God who never changes. Here's the message.

God is perfect and holy and we are separated from Him by our sins.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

God is a righteous judge who has declared that the penalty for our sins is death.

Eze 18:20a The soul who sins shall die.

God is also gracious, merciful and loving. In order to satisfy all of these qualities along with his righteousness He sent his one and only Son to take our place and to pay our sin debt by living a sin free life and then laying it down in a public sacrifice for all who would by faith accept God's payment for their sin debt.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If we turn away from our sins and trust in Jesus for our salvation we will be saved.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God."

Answer 6

My sermon would be to the Theists about the Atheist reminding them of the blood on the snow in Moscow, St. Petersburg.

The purges of Stalin

The social revolution of Mao

Theists need to remember that they and Atheists share one thing incommon.

Leaving a stink in the potty room after you do your business!

Answer 7

i don't think of it has something to do with faith, I trust you that it particularly is a lust for capability, human beings are human beings and all of us have particular undesirable character characteristics, mendacity, cheating, killing, greed, egomania, sexual lust, lust for capability, etc. those issues have not something to do with ideals on something. faith or the shortcoming of would not mitigate those characteristics. it particularly is as much as us as persons to maintain the undesirable desires at bay, or at a healthful point.. occasion what if the Christians that bomb abortion clinics used that keenness for their faith for something else, like offering the health center's sufferers suggestions to abortion, particularly than in simple terms blowing them up... and that i comprehend fairly some athiests and am friends with them and that they look quite good human beings, they save their lusts and desires below administration, not with the aid of fact they think of God or Allah or whoever will knock them upside the pinnacle in the event that they don't, yet with the aid of fact they adhere to society's regulations. Even athiests comprehend precise from incorrect.

Answer 8

I actually have no desire to try and "convert" atheists. I have what is my own personal testimony and that is all.
Atheists are free to have their own beliefs and I am not asking them to believe as I do. As long as an Atheist can respect that I have the right to my own beliefs then that's peachy :)

Answer 9

or you could tell everyone, that there's nothing and they're all going to die in the end, and there's effectively no point to thier lives.

the truth, whatever it may be, is never going to be pretty. it doesn't make it any less of the truth, though.

Answer 10

God is Holy. He is to be feared. In our modern day thinking, we forget about how holy God truly is. In our current state, we cannot stand before God.

And when a holy man like Isaiah stood before God, he was a man who was considered to be one of, if not the holiest man in Israel. He stands before God and says 'woe is me, I am undone'. He was terrified of God. God is to be feared.

He doesn't stand with a carrot and stick, in my view. He's saying, choose the one way to me that allows you to approach a perfect and holy and feared God. We can't approach on our own, we cannot last in his presence in our current state. He is giving us an opportunity to approach. Without Him, the remainder is hell.