Why aggressive atheism?

[lostinthought]

Hello all!

I will be attending college this fall and I am getting ready to defend and share the faith.  

Why are there aggressive atheists?

I knew an atheist in high school last year.  I had deep discussions with her on many occasions concerning christianity.  I showed her many times how the bible predicted events hundreds of years before it happened (ex. Jesus' birth) and she simply shrugged it off as mythology.  I did not think much of it until everytime I sat down and talked with her, she brought up how chrisianity was not true.

I could not understand why she was always pestering me about it.  If I was an atheist and thought christanity was just mythology, I could really care less what a christian thinks.  If they believed in some "fairy tale," why should I care?  (Does anyone else see the logic in this?)

On the other hand, it seemed as though she made it her goal in life to prove me wrong.  Why would an atheist spend so much time trying to disprove something they believed did not exist?

My view on this subject is deep down, atheists now that christianity is true but they are too proud of themselves and their intellect (by the way, she was extememly intelligent) to accept something that requires a little faith.

In my own opinion, Christianity is obviously the truth of the world because everyone is trying to disprove it.  You never hear of anyone trying to disprove paganism or anything else because it is obviously without substance.

It seems as though the goal of an atheist is not to disprove the existance of a god, but to disprove christianity.

Comments?


P.S.  My atheist aquaintance made the sarcastic remark one day that Christians (no just believers in a god in general) are weak beacuse we made up a god that "loves us."  

She said the truth but did not realize it.  John 3:16
she was so close yet so far.

[alliecat]

I have encoutered a ton of these kind of people. I think many haven't had the opportunity to see what christianity is therefore some of them feel threatened and intimitated by it. Many people think they aren't good enough therefore they dismiss it as being for them. Don't give up the fight!!!!!!!!!

[FaithfulFollower]

Keep the faith, for it is most difficult in situations such as this. I can truly understand where you are coming from, for one of my ex best friends was an Aithist, who later became an agnostic. Better or worse, only God knows. However, seeing as that small of a step was taken in that situation, there is no ending to the possibilities in the one you are in with this friend of yours. Just pray for this person daily and remain firm in your faith. For our Father is a loving one and as he is love. So can you reflect to this friend of yours what God's love is truly all about.

With Love In Christ,

Danielle

[Evangelist]

My view on this subject is deep down, atheists now that christianity is true but they are too proud of themselves and their intellect (by the way, she was extememly intelligent) to accept something that requires a little faith.

"professing themselves to be wise, they became fools..."

"only a fool says in his heart there is no God"

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

The "intelligent" atheist cannot (will not) fathom or accept that there is anyone smarter, wiser, or more powerful than they themselves....were they to do that, they would then be admitting that they don't know it all.

[BFWard]

It has been stated once that Satan's greatest achievement was convincing the world that he does not exist.  It would also further Satan's goal to convince the world that God does not exist.  Atheism is the true Satanic Religion.  Your little college friend is an instrument of the Devil, and should be avoided as such.

[grace]

Hello Lostinthought,

I do believe Alice has it: many atheists see Christianity as a coercive set of beliefs that people cling to out of fear, and they are trying to set them free, to save them, just as many Christians are trying to do for the atheists. Fuel for the fire is, that "Christianity" is sometimes more or less just that.

Alice,
I grew up Christian, then left the faith. About 3 years ago, I became a Christian once again.

When I originally left the faith, I decided to stop believing in God and to start believing in love. In retrospect, I have realized that what I really did was to stop believing in religion and to start believing in God.

You write, in your post, about the problem of evil.
Take the following 4 philosophical propositions:
1. God exists.
2. God is all-powerful.
3. God is all-good.
4. Evil exists.

Denying any one of the above can make things make sense. If evil doesn't exist, then the other three coexist quite happily. If God is good and can't stop the bad from happening, or if God can do anything but isn't all-good enough to care to (or even causes the evil), that works philosophically too. And if God doesn't exist, that pretty much takes care of the rest.

I believe all four. I will not pretend to understand how all four could be true. But to deny any one of them would be, for me, to deny experiences that I have had, to deny realities (and a Reality) that have touched me powerfully and made real changes in me. And the peace, healing and freedom that has come into my life as a result of the first three have surpassed a million-fold that which I experienced upon initially leaving the church.

I still lock horns with God over things. Job and I both. Like Job, I asked why; I wanted to have an answer. As Peter Kreeft observed in his book Making Sense of Suffering (which I highly recommend), Job did not get the answer; he got the Answerer. And that was enough for him.
I, too, got the Answerer instead of the answer. And, I am astonished to find, it is enough for me too.

Evangelist, you wrote:

The "intelligent" atheist cannot (will not) fathom or accept that there is anyone smarter, wiser, or more powerful than they themselves....were they to do that, they would then be admitting that they don't know it all.

As a former intelligent atheist (and "former" applies to "atheist", thank-you very much! ) I must protest! Yeah, that's a pretty apt description for a small minority of intelligent atheists- I've encountered them, too. But hardly the majority. These are just the ones who are most likely to lock horns in a memorable way with a Christian.

In His love,

-Grace

[Symphony]

How is it that scripture demands that we abandon reason and logic?

[Symphony]

The very essence of scripture is reason and logic.

[2nd Timothy]

Well logic and reason CAN explain all logical reasonable things

Logic can explain most human reasoning.  Logic cannot explain why the God chose to send his Son to die for me.  We cannot know God or claim faith due to argument or logic.

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1Co 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Mr. Spock no doubt would be raising an eyebrow here..lol   Logic and reasoning have their place, but they are not the answer.  Just look at the world today...what a wonderful rubics cube of paradise our reasoning and logic have made of things eh?      

Grace and Peace!

[Orion]

I consider myself a man of science (whether you consider me one is for you to decide.) As nobody's mind works flawlessly, logic can contradict itself at times; it is for this reason that one cannot rely on logic alone. What can logic alone explain? Certianly not God's motivations for anything - certianly not God. Neither does logic explain God away to any satisfaction. There is certianly a good deal of evidence (both scientific and historic) to suggest that God exists. The veracity of the Bible itself has withstood centuries of keen scrutiny. As is the very nature of evidence, it works both ways. Please do not get me wrong, reason and logic certianly do have their place as was stated earlier, but when used in relation to something that obviously cannot be explained by logic, you need to be very careful how you apply it.  Science ends where the one who made those laws of science possible begins.

The reason athiests will so aggresively defend their belief is faith - faith in what they believe - that there is no God. Just as I have faith in God, they have faith that God doesn't exist.  While this may not seem like a good reason to some, (If he doesn't think God exists, why does he work so hard to disprove God?) I can fully understand the motivation they have. Many people, when they truly believe they are right about something, will fight long and hard (and often in vain) to keep someone else from blindly believing somethig that 'is not true'. I've been there myself, trying to show someone why what they're suggesting just doesn't work that way. I was not always right either; I could name at least one situation where despite my adamance, I found myself (a good week later) to be completely wrong.

I have gotten to know a good many people who do not believe in the one almighty God, some of them athiest, others of pagan religions, and they all defend their beliefs just as stongly as the next. None of this has stopped me from caring about them, or helping them when they are in need. Just as they believe that they are right, I believe they are not mine to judge, and I should give them every chance possible to be saved.

Alice, I have known people who like you left God for something else they believed. I am on unofficial suicide watch for one right now; he left God to pursure logic, and now he does not see any logic in living. I do believe that it is mankind's unwillingness to release it's firm grasp on what it considers logic that has pushed this world to become the mess it is now.

~Orion

[2nd Timothy]

The problem with looking to scripture to find answers is that you have to believe the authority of scripture. If you believe this (by faith as there is no evidence to suggest a single word is true) then there are many answers available. But if one considers the possibility that the books of the Bible were written by people rather than God, then one is forced to rely on more reliable sources of knowledge, such as reason and evidence.

Reason and evidence eh?    The Bible is made up of 66 books, written by at least 40 different men in different cultures and places over a period of 2,000 years. Yet the message is perfectly consistent, homogenous, connected and progressive. The Bible details history, medical information, scientific information (the Book of Job tells us, among other things, the world is round, wind moves in cyclonic patterns rather than a straight line and that light is in motion), without contradicting the latest findings of science. Archeological information has never disproved but rather confirmed the details of the Bible. Archeology has proven the existence of such key figures as Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas the High Priest, and we also have the record of Flavius Josephus, the secular Roman historian who mentioned the life of Jesus.

Just to name one or two.  

Many of the world's problems are bacause people let unproven religious ideas distract them from more important issues such as equal rights, fair distribution of resources, effective education and proper care for the environment.

I agree with this for the most part .  Religion is wrong.  Surprised?  Religion is mans attempt to reason and be logical on Gods level.  Thinking he can somehow win favor with God by practising reasoned religeous rituals designed to cover his sinful nature and attain purity without the help of God.   Christ on the other hand, is Gods attempt to reach man in his sinful state when man did nothing to deserve it, teach us how to live, and die for our sins at Calvary.   Awsome Grace and Love!

So falted reason, logic, and religion all share some responsibility for the state of the world.   But the biggest culprit is lack of love and faith.   Imagine if all men were willing to lay down their lives to help others?   Think that might make a difference?

BTW, thats a little reasoning and logic derived from Bible!  

Grace and Peace

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Lostinthought,

WHY AGGRESSIVE OR MILITANT ATHEISM?

The answer lies with the devil. The devil is aggressive, militant, and sly in his attacks against Almighty God. The devil has no problem in finding willing vessels to fight for his cause. There will be much more of this, especially when the devil's time grows short, and that time is approaching. No stone will be unturned in the devil's effort for souls to share his punishment and destruction. It's no secret that the devil has willing vessels to come to Christian Unite to do his bidding. We should expect that. We will expel the devil from here fairly quickly, but we do listen long enough to determine if there is hope for his servant. Many of the regulars here have been through this so many times that it grows sickening, yet we still try.

It is no irony that the devil knows we will try, and he uses the opportunity to sell his lies, create doubt, and especially create havoc for babes or the weak in Christ. However, we will still try, even after the horns are shown. What we won't do is provide a pulpit for the devil and equal time.

So, what can we expect for the future? We can expect increasing attacks against our Lord and Saviour by the devil, and we can certainly expect more attacks against us. The Bible clearly states that life and existence as a Christian will not be easy, however the retirement plan is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I give thanks for the strong and tender-hearted Christians here who have the patience, strength, and courage to continue. I pray that God gives us the wisdom and guidance to expel the devil from our homes. Our homes are one of the few things we still have control over.

Put on the whole armor of God and go forth! FIGHT, rest in JESUS, and go fight some more. In the meantime:

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Myles]

I don't know why people who don't believe in the Lord go so far to make believers such as ourselves have second thoughts. If they think that there is no God, then why don't they just leave us to our 'silly delusions'?

I'm a little worried, as I knew someone in my old Grade 8-9 school, who was a bit of a pushy athiest, always thinking she was right. This year, she comes to the High School I attend. I'm afraid I might have to argue a bit... Though, I imagine that if I just smile and nod, things should be fine. We never left off at good terms, so if she says nothing to me, it's all the better.

[nChrist]

Myles Said:

I don't know why people who don't believe in the Lord go so far to make believers such as ourselves have second thoughts. If they think that there is no God, then why don't they just leave us to our 'silly delusions'?

Oklahoma Howdy to Myles,

First, I see this is your first post on the forum, SO WELCOME!!!

Let me answer your question with my opinion that some may disagree with. Aggressive atheists are tools of the devil, and they are very effective in confusing those who are either about to make a decision for Christ, are a babe in Christ, or otherwise weak in Christ. Strong faith in Jesus Christ is something the devil can't stand. All Christians, regardless of strength, should expect a lifetime of assaults by the devil.

As we become strong and unmovable in our faith, we will be given more and more opportunities to lead some of the devil's servants to Christ.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[2nd Timothy]

I don't know why people who don't believe in the Lord go so far to make believers such as ourselves have second thoughts. If they think that there is no God, then why don't they just leave us to our 'silly delusions'?

I'm a little worried, as I knew someone in my old Grade 8-9 school, who was a bit of a pushy athiest, always thinking she was right. This year, she comes to the High School I attend. I'm afraid I might have to argue a bit... Though, I imagine that if I just smile and nod, things should be fine. We never left off at good terms, so if she says nothing to me, it's all the better.

Welcome to CU Myles.

I wouldn't let it concern you Myles.   The Athiest argument holds no water when it comes to telling Christians they are wrong, as they themselves must borrow from the Christian Deity in order to determine if something is morally wrong to begin with.   The more they argue thats not true, the more obvious it becomes that they have hardened their hearts to the truth.

As the song says, "Light your candel, run to the darkness, take your candel, and go light the world."

Grace and Peace!