Dare 2 Share
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’. – He asserts that there is NO GOD, but he may be willing to talk about it to someone who is genuine.
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.
- Never assume that just because someone does not claim to have a belief in God that they do not have morals or that they must be “bad” or immoral by default.
- Look for common ground and work to discover what makes them tick, what are they passionate about.
- 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’.
For Further Research
- Pick up a copy of Greg Stier’s book Dare 2 Share
- Check out http://www.firstgen.org/essays/evang1.htm
Good clip about finding commonalities while not compromising.
A good warning for believers to really love people who dont believe, not just give lip service!
This clip does not have the whole story, and even so we would not have the “whole truth”, but Imagine the difference if people who claimed to be Christians would have reached out to Nicole and her family, accepting them, caring for them with or without their beliefs.
