|
 Basic Description
Atheism is defined as “not having a ‘god belief’.” This
is important to remember, because it’s not that an
atheist doesn’t believe in god, because that statement
opens the possibility that god or a supreme being
exists. The atheist’s worldview is driven by pure
rationality, reason, and the scientific method. The
result of this is that most atheists hold the theory of
evolution to be true, and they reject the possibility of
the spiritual world and an afterlife. Most surveys show
that around 15% of Americans call themselves atheist.
What Andy Believes
About Atheism:
Andy believes that atheism is the most rational and
reasonable worldview, sometimes because of the ‘damage’
done by religion throughout the centuries, but mainly
because it seems to be the most consistent with the
observable world according to the scientific method.
About God:
Andy lacks a ‘god belief’.
About the Trinity:
Since Andy lacks a ‘god belief’, the concept of
the Trinity is totally irrelevant.
About Jesus:
Andy believes Jesus was either just an ordinary
person, or never existed at all. He will oftentimes
refer to the ‘Jesus-Myth’, or when he is being really
sarcastic, refers to ‘Jebus’ (a sarcastic reference to
Christ).
About the Bible:
Andy believes the Bible is a collection of myths,
half-truths, and lies designed to lead ignorant people
astray and give power to religious leaders over the
masses.
About the Afterlife:
Andy does not believe in an afterlife.
About Salvation:
In Andy’s mind, there is no need for salvation
from sin and hell. He doesn’t believe in sin, and he
doesn’t believe in hell, so why does anyone need to be
‘saved’?
What the Bible Teaches
About God:
God identified Himself as “I Am” (Exodus 20:2) -
meaning He is the self-existent (has no beginning or
end) eternal Creator of the universe.
About the Trinity:
There is one God and yet three Persons (Isaiah
45:5; Deuteronomy 6:4; James 2:19).
About Jesus:
Jesus is fully God and fully man. He is not just
an enlightened man. He is the God of the universe (John
1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 10:30. Compare Titus 2:13 and Isaiah
45:21), and He is equal with God the Father and God the
Holy Spirit.
About the Bible:
The Bible alone is the word of God. It is
without error. It cannot and should not be added to or
subtracted from (2 Timothy 3:16-4:4; Revelation
22:18-20). It backs up its claim as the word of God with
accuracy, historical correctness, and fulfilled
prophecy.
About the Afterlife:
Those who trust in Christ alone as their only hope of
salvation spend eternity in heaven; those who reject
Christ spend an eternity in hell. (John 5:24-30;
Revelation 20:11-15).
About Salvation:
Every person born on this planet is born into
sin, is destined for hell and needs a Savior. Salvation
is by faith in Christ on the basis of His death on the
cross. Good works or self-denial have nothing to do with
being saved (John 3:16-17, 36; 6:29, 47; Romans 4:1-5;
Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
Things to Remember
-
The
first thing you need to ask an atheist is “do you
really seek to discover the truth - even if it costs
you your reputation, and even your friends?” If the
answer is no, then realize that he/she is not
willing to go where the evidence leads; you won’t be
having an honest intellectual dialogue, but your
conversation may still have a spiritual impact.
-
Don’t talk about sin with an atheist. In their
worldview, morality is generally dependent on the
situation and neutral, so there is no reference
point in their minds for a concept of breaking God’s
universal laws.
-
Don’t get dragged into arguments about what God did
or didn’t do. Focus on the evidence that Christ
existed, died on the cross, and came back from the
dead. As well, your personal testimony can be a
powerful tool, because it’s very difficult to
‘disprove’ the real and lasting change that Christ
has brought to your life.
-
Bottom line with an atheist (or anyone else for that
matter) - you cannot argue someone to faith in
Christ, but you can (and should) live such a
Christlike life that those around you sense
something different, which opens the door for you to
explain the ‘evidence’.
|
