A serious question for atheists & Christians?

Question

First for the atheist:
I totally understand your position when it comes to God. I used to be a non-believer myself at one time. What is it that holds you back from believing that God Almighty truly does love you & wants to have a personal relationship with you?

For my fellow Christians:
Can you relate to the atheistic point of view....knowing that we too, were once non-believers?

Thanks,

Primo

Thank you for the sincere answers so far.......I disagree with most of you but.....I appreciate your honesty.

Answer 1

Hey Brother.
Can I relate to an atheistic point of view of not believing that there is a God? I could. If you never opened up yourself to God even a little then there is no chance of ever ever ever knowing Him.
There are many things that we do not see to believe that its there. Each and every breath that we take is a kind of faith that we take for granted. But its like us as humans to want to be assured of something or someone before we take any steps to trusting.

The thing that I do not really appreciate is their lack of regard for those who have actually touched somethign regarding God and His existence.
If I have never been to a certain part of the world and have never experienced it and then turn around and say to someone who has actually been to this part of the world that " it does not exist" based on my own limitations then that is not a good thing. Then on top of it all, to come out to say well.. because I do not believe that this country exists I can say whatever I want about it whether it makes me look foolish or not.

I can understand an atheist not wanting to have the belief of a christian shoved down their throats. I'd not want that either.. and for many of our brothers and sisters this is a real problem. The only gospel that we know is that if you believe into Jesus you will go to Heaven but if not then this Jesus is gonna burn you in hell.
THIS gospel is the lowest kind of gospel and satan has indirectly used us to turn many off from the real gospel. That man is made in the image and Likeness of God as a vessel to contain and express God. There is so much more to God than what we have presented to our atheist and gospel friends from seeing.

But in the end I suppose we can debate God's existence till we are all dead. Each person has to have that turn to the Lord and answer according to what we choose.
I honestly feel such sorrow in my heart for the way many have been turned off from God because we misrepresent and continue to misrepresent God to them.
For now all we can do is pray, pray that one day teh Light of the Glorious gospel of Jesus Christ will pierce any kind of darkness that prevents so many of our dear friends and families that still stand on the ground of disbelief.

There is a realm that God exists in Brother. To see and enter takes faith..... even a little.. faith as small as a mustard seed. I think our atheist friends need to realize that its ok to pray a prayer as" Lord I believe.. help my unbelief".. simple words uttered like that in sincerity go a long way.
God wants to be known by men and women... but are we willing to really get to know Him.

Good Q brother
ur sis
sandy

Answer 2

Hi-
I have been going to church since I was a kid so I have
pretty much believed in God all my life. I still think it would
be nice if some would just be like this- okay, I am an
Atheist and if you believe, that's up to you but I don't and
we will get along fine if we do not discuss religion. That
is how the Atheists at my husband's work approached him
about it. They all get along fine and have helped each
other out in times of need also. I guess I just do not see
the point in cutting down what people believe or do not
believe, it would be nice if some others felt the same way.
That includes some Christians as well by the way.
Have a good day.

Answer 3

I think the one thing that hit me the hardest was the fact that as a lost person I was an enemy of God. I would have fought you about that and believed in my heart that I did love God and believed everything I had ever been taught about Him. However when the Lord truly saved me I could see that I indeed had been just as the Bible had said that I was. I don't think an unbeliever constitutes Atheism. Saying to the world and in ones heart that they don't believe at all in God is what I understand an Atheist is. Do I think they are worse that I was as a lost person, no. Sin is sin in Gods eyes and I was just as lost as they are. But I think one must be careful not to cross a line that can't be crossed back over again. God does not always permit those who have boasted and made their claims of not believing in him a way back to him. Many people are unbelievers in the fact that they don't walk in the way of righteousness, with the Blood of Christ covering their sins. Who never say that there is no God. It seems to me that a lot of people don't understand that every knee shall bow and every tounge shall comfess the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether it is in this life or the one to come, every knee, every tongue.
Good question Brother.

Answer 4

To be honest, the only time I was an unbeliever I was too young to really "know" anything-- because I was raised in a christian home and gave my life to Christ at age 7...then again at age 9....( LOL there were many times I would pray for the Lord to come into my heart and forgive me of my sin as a child) I knew that you didn't need to continue praying for salvation- but I kept doing it for some reason until finally I realized "I am God's child!!" So I do not know what it is like to be at the age where you are accountable and NOT believe. Know what I mean?
I truly think atheists do not want to believe because then they would have to submit to God, and leave their sinful ways-- and many non believers like their sin. It is sad, but when you look around, that is how it seems. Then again the Bible says that many will just remain hard at heart. That is why it is awesome to see the light of Christ open the eyes of a sinner and turn them around. AMAZING! I rejoice at that!

Answer 5

Yes, of course I can relate to the atheistic point of view....knowing that I too, was once an un-believer!

BUT it offends me that these doubters are not looking for the proof if their Creator/God's existence!!!

Why do the atheists KNOW that there is no God, when they have no proof beyond their own opinion?

Why taunt us, when we try to show them proof.

Why did Jesus say "Don't throw your pearls before swine".??? (although asking us o spread the good news) Have we ever met the "swine" He was talking about?

Are they the atheists we are meeting here? If not , should we give up, and let them "stew in their own juice"?

It feels right some how. There's only one good thing about crashing your head into the wall of god-haters. It feels so good when you stop!

If you're not part of the solution, there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem!

Answer 6

What is it that holds me back? Total and absolute disbelief that any of the gods currenlty worshipped by humanity exist.

There's no hate. There's no turning away from anything. It is just disbelief.

There are no gods that love me or want to have personal relationships with me. No satan or demons, either.

My disbelief in gods is as great as my disbelief in the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the Mothman.

I doubt you were really a non-believer, if you're asking this question.

What does a "non-believer" mean to you, anyway? A different denomination? A "sinful" past? Not being "born again"?

Answer 7

I can not relate to the atheist because i was never a non-believer. I try to understand their need to have proof of a God because they don't believe. For me, I saw God's hand in my life always so to relate to a non-believer is impossible for me. I do try to understand their position but I also know my life without God, wouldn't be what it is I know positively their is a God.
Ann

Answer 8

What holds me back from believing that God Almighty truly does love me & wants to have a personal relationship with me is that I have no reason to believe that such a being even exists.
If I told you that there were giant invisible turtles living in your backyard that LOVE you, but will torture you for all of eternity if you didn't bow down and worship them, what would you think? Would you find that to be a logical or reasonable claim? Would you at least ask me to provide some evidence that those turtles exist, or would you take my word for it on faith, and devote your life to worshiping and serving those turtles?
"God" is someone else's belief. It has nothing to do with me. People tell me that I should blindly believe in their claim of this God, and that I should do this without them being willing or able to provide a scrap of evidence that such a being even exists. Why would I do that?

Answer 9

1) I am not convinced the universe was created or designed by an intelligent being.

2) Even if I was, I would be thoroughly unconvinced that the biblical description of him (or her!) had any basis in reality.

3) Even if I was, I would neither respect nor worship, let alone love, such a being. Starting from the beginning of the Bible, I stop at Noah's flood. God MURDERS almost ALL life, almost every single human being. End of story. What else is there to talk about? Such a being is worthy of only the highest degree of condemnation and contempt. To even contemplate "having a personal relationship" with such a being would be the highest personal insult to everything moral and good.

Answer 10

What Rev said. I wanted to be a believer, Primo. I really, really did. But it just never worked for me. I never felt like any god wanted a personal relationship with me. I felt nothing. Zilch. I'm even the kind of person that might be willing to believe in God if I did have some type of warm fuzzy feeling.. I'm not your typical atheist that is going to require hard evidence, although that would be nice. I just never felt anything. Felt like I was talking to myself when I prayed. After several years it all just seemed a bit ridiculous.