This time, I'm here not to argue, but to post a few warnings to those who want to share the message of Christ with their friends. This advice comes regardless of denomination or doctrine. It is advice about the modern missconceptions about the lost. Witness to them, by all means, but try to take what's said about them with a grain of salt eh?
Athiesm:
First and primary, athiests make up less than 1% of the populations of most countries, and maybe even the whole world. That's millions so chances of finding one are good if you know where to look, but also there's a chance of never meeting one in person.
That said, EVERYONE has a supposidely true to life "athiest story". In this story, said athiest is somehow in the christian's home or on their commute to somewhere. The subject of God is brought up. Everything sounds reasonable enough, until the last and actual point of the story. The christain brings into the converstation one of the simplest and often most hilarious points to prove there is a God that you can think of, to which the Athiest, we're supposed to believe, becomes stumped, perplexed and goes away humiliated.
Athiesm Myth 1:
Athiest are NOT stupid, nor do they appreciate the insinuation. Athiest hold their intelligence above all else. To communicate with one, you have to make them believe you are on the same level, trying to look down on them, only makes them want to leave, reinforcing their idea that Christains are dumb.
Athiest think they know they are smarted than you, generally. I find it easiest to tell them to "keep an open mind". If they refuse this, they've just landed the modern label of stupidity, but if they say yes, they have to actually listen to you. Next I'll bring my BEST arguements to the table. Not something silly I heard from Mark Lowry (yes I'm a fan of the big guy, but people need to keep in mind, his material is not meant to be taken seriously, so don't). When they hear you saying smart things, they're usually intreguied. To them this is an intellectual exercise, they want to learn as much about you and you want to learn about them. Next prepare to be challenged. This means not picking a subject you are weak on. If you don't know much about science, like me, steer towards more farmiliar ground, but at the same time, keep up to date on it and at least know what you believe.
On the issue of science, understand everyone has learned something different. There is NO bible of science. Therefore, there is nothing to say what you've learned is more valid than what someone else has. An athiest will often say your material is dated, and you'll say his is, but chances are, both are. Scientific theories are constantly updating, and whilst creationism goes one way, evolutionism goes another. There is little common ground between the two theories, and creationism stays relitively the same whilst evolutionism is in constant flux. Christains argue evolution like a fixed theory... there is no fixed theory of evolution, that's why its so hard to refute. Evolution may be wrong, but it's an, excuse the term, evolving idea, whereas creationism is an idea that always remains the same.
Many non-biblical views are evolving. Remember this on any subject. For example, you have to stick to a fixed historical view, but you never know what view your friend has. You take the story of the plagues of Egypt for granted, but why isn't there an Egyptian record of it? (Yes, there are answers to this: Egyptians probably wouldn't have wanted to record it, since it would have made their gods look bad and it probably wasn't considered something they WOULD have recorded anyway and a number of other explanations.) How does one explain Isreal's small significance to other nations? (Easily, yes it was significant in the Bible, but only at certain times (like Solomon's reign) would it have been of any consiquence to the rest of the world, being a relitively small nation.) Why are there no other record of Jesus? (Four is already not a bad number, but no dout Jesus was not the only person to try to create a new religious movement. He never attacked a king, assassinated an emporer, started a mass hysteria... actually, unless one understood the spiritual significance of what Jesus was doing, he would not have seen any point in recording it at all. -Yes there is a supposed other record but it's not very extensive-.)
Myth 2:
Athiest are NOT depressed. Most athiests are not searching for a way to believe in God. Most hate the very idea of one, or logically, they wouldn't be athiests in the first place (think about that). They're not trying to dump their beliefs any more than you, you need to convince them they need to dump them at all.
An athiest's world view is one different from our own. They are not afraid to wake up in the morning, any more than us. We have faith that God will be there for us, they have faith in their family and friends -I have a little of that one myself to, as I'm sure many of you do-. They think life's purpose is self directed, we believe only to a point (and vary on that point -open theism to calvinism, yes I'm aware try to stay on subject-).
Myth 3:
Athiest do not wonder about their purpose. See myth 2.
Myth 4:
Athiest are NOT smarter than anyone else. This is probably a myth perpetuated mostly by athiests themselves. They hold human intelligence very highly and like to think they've accomplished much in the area. What they and many others do no realize, is that athiests are not intellectual elites at all. Most are Joe Smoes like us. They all have their own experiences and research, just like us.
Myth 5:
There is no fixed athiest theology other than the idea that there is no god. To talk to one, its almsot required to do more listening than talking because it is impossible to know what their beleifs are or why they came to them.
I hope these help keep my fellow Christians from making fools of themselves, I'll make my next post about myths on Jehovahs witnesses.
Athiesm:
First and primary, athiests make up less than 1% of the populations of most countries, and maybe even the whole world. That's millions so chances of finding one are good if you know where to look, but also there's a chance of never meeting one in person.
That said, EVERYONE has a supposidely true to life "athiest story". In this story, said athiest is somehow in the christian's home or on their commute to somewhere. The subject of God is brought up. Everything sounds reasonable enough, until the last and actual point of the story. The christain brings into the converstation one of the simplest and often most hilarious points to prove there is a God that you can think of, to which the Athiest, we're supposed to believe, becomes stumped, perplexed and goes away humiliated.
Athiesm Myth 1:
Athiest are NOT stupid, nor do they appreciate the insinuation. Athiest hold their intelligence above all else. To communicate with one, you have to make them believe you are on the same level, trying to look down on them, only makes them want to leave, reinforcing their idea that Christains are dumb.
Athiest think they know they are smarted than you, generally. I find it easiest to tell them to "keep an open mind". If they refuse this, they've just landed the modern label of stupidity, but if they say yes, they have to actually listen to you. Next I'll bring my BEST arguements to the table. Not something silly I heard from Mark Lowry (yes I'm a fan of the big guy, but people need to keep in mind, his material is not meant to be taken seriously, so don't). When they hear you saying smart things, they're usually intreguied. To them this is an intellectual exercise, they want to learn as much about you and you want to learn about them. Next prepare to be challenged. This means not picking a subject you are weak on. If you don't know much about science, like me, steer towards more farmiliar ground, but at the same time, keep up to date on it and at least know what you believe.
On the issue of science, understand everyone has learned something different. There is NO bible of science. Therefore, there is nothing to say what you've learned is more valid than what someone else has. An athiest will often say your material is dated, and you'll say his is, but chances are, both are. Scientific theories are constantly updating, and whilst creationism goes one way, evolutionism goes another. There is little common ground between the two theories, and creationism stays relitively the same whilst evolutionism is in constant flux. Christains argue evolution like a fixed theory... there is no fixed theory of evolution, that's why its so hard to refute. Evolution may be wrong, but it's an, excuse the term, evolving idea, whereas creationism is an idea that always remains the same.
Many non-biblical views are evolving. Remember this on any subject. For example, you have to stick to a fixed historical view, but you never know what view your friend has. You take the story of the plagues of Egypt for granted, but why isn't there an Egyptian record of it? (Yes, there are answers to this: Egyptians probably wouldn't have wanted to record it, since it would have made their gods look bad and it probably wasn't considered something they WOULD have recorded anyway and a number of other explanations.) How does one explain Isreal's small significance to other nations? (Easily, yes it was significant in the Bible, but only at certain times (like Solomon's reign) would it have been of any consiquence to the rest of the world, being a relitively small nation.) Why are there no other record of Jesus? (Four is already not a bad number, but no dout Jesus was not the only person to try to create a new religious movement. He never attacked a king, assassinated an emporer, started a mass hysteria... actually, unless one understood the spiritual significance of what Jesus was doing, he would not have seen any point in recording it at all. -Yes there is a supposed other record but it's not very extensive-.)
Myth 2:
Athiest are NOT depressed. Most athiests are not searching for a way to believe in God. Most hate the very idea of one, or logically, they wouldn't be athiests in the first place (think about that). They're not trying to dump their beliefs any more than you, you need to convince them they need to dump them at all.
An athiest's world view is one different from our own. They are not afraid to wake up in the morning, any more than us. We have faith that God will be there for us, they have faith in their family and friends -I have a little of that one myself to, as I'm sure many of you do-. They think life's purpose is self directed, we believe only to a point (and vary on that point -open theism to calvinism, yes I'm aware try to stay on subject-).
Myth 3:
Athiest do not wonder about their purpose. See myth 2.
Myth 4:
Athiest are NOT smarter than anyone else. This is probably a myth perpetuated mostly by athiests themselves. They hold human intelligence very highly and like to think they've accomplished much in the area. What they and many others do no realize, is that athiests are not intellectual elites at all. Most are Joe Smoes like us. They all have their own experiences and research, just like us.
Myth 5:
There is no fixed athiest theology other than the idea that there is no god. To talk to one, its almsot required to do more listening than talking because it is impossible to know what their beleifs are or why they came to them.
I hope these help keep my fellow Christians from making fools of themselves, I'll make my next post about myths on Jehovahs witnesses.
