Witnessing is a drain

[Heidi]

Sometimes witnessing can be such a drain. The bottom line is that people can't come to Christ unless God draws them. Since we don't know who's called and who isn't, we need to tell everyone about Jesus. But there are so many who are not called and who are arrogant and positively blasphemous about God. It hurts me to hear them mock God. Sometmes I feel slapped in the face but then I think of how Jesus must have felt, dying for EVERYONE, knowing that most will mock Him for it. And atheists think people are good.  When addressed by the rich man as "good sir", Jesus relied,"why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." That perfect man didn't even include Himself as good! How can I think that anything I do is good?

[AAAAmember]

"And atheists think people are good."

Well well...how nice of you to speak for us.

I cannot see why you would think that all atheists think that people are good.  Where did you get this crazy notion from?

~AAAA

[Heidi]

from all the atheists i talked to.

[Heidi]

If atheists don't think God is good and they don't think people are good, then they must not think that anyone or anything is good. In other words, (and this is born out in the atheists I've talked to) they don't believe in goodness. What do they believ in? I've heard so much about what they DON'T believe in. Can an athiest tell me what he does believe in?

[AAAAmember]

Wow - you guys make generalizations so quickly that it's truly SCARY.

"A few atheists don't like people, so...hey!  That must mean ALL atheists don't like people!"

Heidi - your statements were so ridiculous that I can't even make fun of them.

Let's set a few things straight.

1) Generalizations are not good, nor are they accurate.  Don't say "Atheists...etc."; say "From my experience, the atheists that I have talked to...etc."  

2) Heidi - we can't "think God isn't good" because we don't believe in God.  You don't say "I don't think magical purple unicorns are good", do you?  Exactly - because you don't believe in magical purple unicorns.  We have no opinion on the goodness or lack of goodness of God because we don't believe that God exists.

3) So you're saying the only two things that could have goodness are God and people?  How narrow-minded.  I believe in goodness...the goodness of a lot of people, of love, of friendship, of animals, of life...lots of things!  

4) What we believe depends on the individual atheist.  I cannot speak for everyone - that would be making a generalization, which is wrong (*COUGH COUGH AHEM!!!!*).

Hope this helped.

~AAAA

[Symphony]

Why are you always so mad, AAAA??

[Symphony]

And also, I thought you said you were an agnostic, not an "atheist"??

[Heidi]

AAAA, there are so many things you don't understand nor have thought through. How do you even define goodness? WHose definition are you using? You have  said in your earlier post that atheists do not say people are good. But then you say that SOME people are good. Who decides? Is it arbitrary? The Ku Klux KLan thinks WHITES are good but not other races. Are they right? WHO DECIDES? THEM? They think they are right just as you think you're right. The Nazi's think that the Aryans are good but not the Jews. Who's to say that your beliefs are always right?  Don't you see that if MAN is the supreme arbitrator of who is good or not, he is also the sole arbitrator of who is evil. He is then playing God. He can then decide who should be killed or not based on the beliefs INSIDE of him. Who decides which MAN is right? Other men? Since man is imperfect and fallible, why do you trust that man has all the answers? But if you don't believe in a power higher than man, then you have no choice but to believe man!!! Which man do you believe in and why do you put your belief systemt into fallible humans? No person is right all the time. If you put your faith in man, it will crumble.

[eyeball]

Symphony, how in the world can you say AAAA's posts showed anger? Maybe you are remembering from another thread, but at least in this one he seems rather calm and reserved, especially compared with Heidi.

And Heidi where do you get off saying atheists don't believe in good, and that they have told you that? Show that to me. Do a little cut and paste from the other threads.

[Whitehorse]

If atheists don't think God is good and they don't think people are good, then they must not think that anyone or anything is good. In other words, (and this is born out in the atheists I've talked to) they don't believe in goodness. What do they believ in? I've heard so much about what they DON'T believe in. Can an athiest tell me what he does believe in?

Agreed! That would explain the negativity we get from so many of them. Did you ever hear such caustic speech from a group of people?

[Heidi]

No, I haven't heard such negativity. They have a real chip on their shoulders. But then again, they have no hope. All they know is their own fallible minds. When they die, they have nothing. I suppose I'd have a chip on my shoulder too. But Christ said that their father is the father of lies so it's difficult to have an honest conversation with them. They're in my prayers.

[Whitehorse]

Well, admin apparently agrees. Several of them were banned today.

[Heidi]

I feel for them but I just felt my body relax when I read your last post. They intrigue me because I'd love to hear them come to the Lord but I know that's God's decision. And until then, they are going to be deceived so no argument will convince them. I've already prayed for them.

[AAAAmember]

Heidi - stop with the stereotypes, please!!!!

"They have a real chip on their shoulders. But then again, they have no hope. All they know is their own fallible minds."

First of all - have you met EVERY atheist?  NO!!!  Then stop saying "THEY" to mean ALL atheists!!!  

Secondly, are you an atheist?  NO!!  Then stop assuming you know exactly what we know or don't know!!  This is quite arrogant of you, and not appreciated!  And by the way...it seems like the ones with the chips on the shoulders is a few Christians I know -- they think that just because they know "the truth", they are better than everyone!!  (Note that I said "A FEW" Christians...I was not making a mass stereotype/generalization.)

"When they die, they have nothing."

Interesting - I thought you believed we all went to hell.    And "atheism" simply means, entymylogically, "without religion".  Just because we don't have a religion doesn't mean we can't be spiritual.

"...so it's difficult to have an honest conversation with them."

It's only difficult to have a conversation with us because you (and I mean you specifically -- I'm not making a generalization against Christians!!) ignore logic and continue to make mass generalizations and assume you know exactly what atheists think.

I can't stand arrogance.

~AAAA

[AAAAmember]

And by the way - I'm female.  Just thought I'd let you all know.

~AAAA