What would you tell an atheist if he wanted concrete evidence before he would believe in our Creator God? A video posted on a Facebook page called “Jesus Christ is King,” led me to post the question above on my own page.
Before I posed the question, I viewed the four-minute video called “Dear Mr. Atheist.” After watching it, I started reading the comments from others, left by both believers and nonbelievers. While a few comments of the almost 115,000 were kind, most were not. It was a battle of the believers versus the nonbelievers. Many comments were hate-filled.
As a Christian, I left a cordial comment. An atheist responded to my comment—in a nice way, I might add. When I mentioned to this individual that he might want to read Lee Strobel’s “The Case for a Creator,” he responded with “I will need more than a book for me to believe. Show me the evidence, that’s all I need. Simple, concrete evidence.”
How do you explain to a nonbeliever that God really does exist? When I asked my Facebook friends, I received some incredible responses. While some said they’d share their personal testimony, others mentioned Bible verses they’d share.
Some of the responses I received were based on fact. One friend said, “One could point out the fact the Bible isn’t just a book….it’s a collection of books, written by different people, most of whom didn’t even know each other, or maybe not even ever hearing of each other, and how all those books are interrelated and back each other up. All the ‘coincidences’ in the Bible, and in nature itself, can’t just be chalked up to coincidence! In addition, of course, are all the millions of personal testimonies. I heard a saying once, ‘A sinner with an argument is no match for a Christian with an experience!’”
A pastor friend on Facebook shared this, “For me, I would have to have proof God doesn’t exist. Quoting scripture to them won’t work, because they don’t believe in the Bible. Seeing comes from faith. It’s not up to us to prove there’s a God, that’s God’s job. We are to lead by example, show others the way to Christ, and the Holy Spirit will convict and penetrate the depths of the heart.”
Another friend added, “God is like the wind. You can feel it. You know it’s there. You just can’t see the actual wind. You can see stuff blowing, but not the wind itself. You can’t see God, but you can feel Him. You can see the evidence of things He has done and how He works in our lives, but you can’t see Him. You just go by faith that He is there.”
Another friend mentioned Jeremiah 29:13. Without telling him it was scripture, I replied once again to the atheist, “If you seek Him wholeheartedly, you will find Him.”
What would you tell an atheist?
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God so you must present the word of God. Unfortunately, the only sermon that most folks will hear is the sermon that you live. Because of that I would present through my life, my faith. Scientifically speaking in order for any theory to be valid it must be testable. The Big Bang theory cannot be tested, therefore it is not a valid theory. Creationism cannot be tested, therefore it is not a valid theory. What it comes down to is blind faith…the substance of things hoped for and the evidence… Read more »
Yes, Todd, you are so right. Have you ever read Lee Strobel’s “The Case for a Creator?” Very good book! Thanks for responding to my post.
After thinking about the young lady and the sign, I’d want to ask her Why, and what does it offer her. There will always been those in opposition. I’m sad that she’s missing out on a life in Christ; she has no idea what she is missing.
You are so right, Susan, so right. Makes me sad, too! Thanks for reading and responding to my latest post. I appreciate you!
I would tell him (or her), “I can’t answer your objections easily in ten minutes. No one can make a four minute video that “destroys atheism.” I’m sorry for Christians who have given you bad experiences and patronized you. But I will be your friend and invest time in your life and you can be my friend and we can explore these questions together in both our lives.” Time and honesty are the only things that work. And love without an agenda.
Wonderful answer, Jill Richardson. Thanks for reading and responding to my blog post. May God continue to bless the seeds you are planting in others’ lives.
As an Atheist I was interested in reading your post.It seems that both you and your friends are sincere in your belief in a mild and gentle manner.Kudos.As I read the suggestions, I recognized that none of of these arguments would sway or cause an Atheist to pause as they are all grounded in faith and the bible. Atheists for the most part are driven by scientific and rational thought.Faith to an Atheist is (and here I do not wish it to sound rude,but…) gullibility(belief in something without proof) and the bible is just a book like any other.Without scientific(… Read more »
Thank you for visiting my blog and responding to my post. This post was written for Christians, not atheists. My intent was to challenge Christians to think about why they believe and to be able to express their beliefs to others. While what I wrote might not convince an atheist, it requires Christians to think. Why do I believe? I’m not gullible. It’s because He has answered my prayers. I have a testimony, which is more convincing than any book you have suggested I read. I also believe it takes more faith to believe He does not exist than it… Read more »
Those asserting a positive, the onus is on them to show proof. This is how logic works. If you want to return to the idea of faith, and continue to call it that, then I have no qualm. If, however, one means to influence legislation, promote policy, and/or stifle curiosity, then regarding that faith, I must take exception. Please stop attempting to make scientific, your religion. It is impossible.
Daniel, this post was written for Christians, not atheists. I was not attacking atheists or their lack of belief in the one true God that Christians believe in, as well as HIS Son, Jesus Christ. My post was meant to make Christians think about their faith and be able to express their beliefs to any unbeliever if they were asked why they believe. By the way, it is NOT scientifically impossible to prove my faith. I’ve experienced it. By the way, I believe it is easier to believe in a Creator God than it is to believe in a Big… Read more »