Atheism on the rise
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atheism is on the rise because we are doing it wrong . We turn people off to everything Christian with our actions and false teachings . we are supposed to win people over when they see the good works we do but all we do is go on tv and complain about gays and tell people that God loves them so much that He gave His son but if you dont agree then he will burn you alive for eternity . Why WOULD they want to join that ?
actually ,we should let them live their lives and we should just work on doing good and if they choose to want to be christian one day then good, but if they dont, its not our job to bother or annoy people. this isnt our country , this is a country in which we are allowed to be christian and thats good enough, its not my job to try to pass laws taht force others to live by christian rules . i dont tell gays that they are in sin for the same reason i dont tell my uncle that he is an adulterer for remarrying while his ex is alive because we should jus tworry about our own conduct and let our good works win people over
I don't think atheism is on the rise.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/breaking2453432.91875.html
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/breaking2453432.91875.html
If you want to read further about how atheism is in fact in decline, not on the rise, read:
http://creationwiki.org/Decline_of_atheism
http://creationwiki.org/Decline_of_atheism
I
Your CreationWiki article, on skimming, seemed to be full of assertions without backing anything up with data - what independent surveys are they citing for the decline of atheism? It just reads like a public relations piece, right now - trying to make it sound like atheism is on the back-foot, a tactic that, without backing, just seems like an appeal to mass authority:
"If so many people are becoming theist because (it suggests) that the reasons not to be atheist are so strong, is that not a good reason for you to abandon atheism/feel confident in your theism?"
If that is simply what it is, then I'm afraid it's misleading in the extreme, and somewhat intellectually dishonest. It is a wiki, though, and wiki's are prone to being edited by people with not necessarily the best standards.
"If so many people are becoming theist because (it suggests) that the reasons not to be atheist are so strong, is that not a good reason for you to abandon atheism/feel confident in your theism?"
If that is simply what it is, then I'm afraid it's misleading in the extreme, and somewhat intellectually dishonest. It is a wiki, though, and wiki's are prone to being edited by people with not necessarily the best standards.
I
Your previous post, from the world tribune, is likewise plagued by a seeming lack of data - citing instead what they think of as the flaws of atheism, making it sound like the theists are leading a winning battle, without indicating that they actually are, and without offering any substantive reasoning behind why their opinions are reflective of the motives of those becoming theists in any case.
It's just speculation, until data is provided, that atheism is on the decline at all. And after that, there's nothing to say that those opining as to the reason have it accurate - maybe they have, maybe they haven't. It does seem like a simple excerise to boost morale, though - making use of an appeal to the supposed authority of the masses fallacy as the other source does.
It's just speculation, until data is provided, that atheism is on the decline at all. And after that, there's nothing to say that those opining as to the reason have it accurate - maybe they have, maybe they haven't. It does seem like a simple excerise to boost morale, though - making use of an appeal to the supposed authority of the masses fallacy as the other source does.
Imagine being gay... now imagine someone "kindly" explaining that you are a sinner and antiGod... hmmm... Imagine how that would be received. I have a Gay cousin & to him and his partner I advise them when I am praying for them. Ie: hoping to get that good job... making a move to another town... regular stuff like that. I've never ever confronted them with their sinful lifestyle because they already know that i'm Christian, so in fact they would already know my views on this as they have been judged righteously b4. Its like when i was living a lifestyle of wild partying and running around... I KNEW it was wrong! having my Christian relatives throw it in my face would have had the opposite effect that they would have been seeking... instead I remember their love rather than their righteous judgement (which i absolutely and positively DESERVED!!!) I also remembered that the place where they come from... their homes... their lives... had such PEACE!! Basically I pray for their salvation, for Jesus to put Christians who let their light shine and show love into their paths daily so they dont just see Christianity as belonging to a club of down lookers. We need to let our light shine people and if they ask for our opinion on it OR if you are a minister or a pastor and they come to your church seeking council, absolutely give it freely & with love... better pray first so the Holy Spirit & not righteous judgment guides your words!!
S
I believe it is merely a part of the tren that began in the late middle ages with the development of scientific theory, which in turn resulted in the Age of Enlightenment hundreds of years later. Now, here we are as a result. We know how the pysical word operates. We know a lot about pychology, sociology, biology, and chemistry etc. These things do a great job of explaining how things work. These explanations often conflict directly with how people have said things work using Biblical references. The two seem to contradict each other. Faced with emperical evidence and reason, the Bible seems to make little sense in this regard, and proven scientific methods seem to be most correct. So, when this happens, people think "well, if the Bible was wrong about _______, then maybe all of it is wrong." Then they abandon belief in God.
This is the result of poor understanding on both sides of the issue. Scientific inquiry ought not rule out faith in God. In my Biology 101 class, the first thing that we learned was that the feild of biology does not possess the knowledge to say anything concrete about God: this means biological science can not be used to either confirm or deny the existence of God. Biology exists to study what can be studied pysically. God can not be studied pysically. Biology, therefore, can not study God and can not make any claims about God. The study of God belongs to the realms, more or less, of metaphysics, theology, and philosophy.
In turn, feilds like theology do not possess the right to make statements about how things work. It is not up to theology to make statements on things like gravity, or molecular structures, etc. Theology is concerned with God alone.
When these two try to say one thing about the other, confusion often occurs, and the weak of faith tend to outrightly reject one or the other completely. When people look to science to explain the world and can't reconcile it with their theology, we get atheists. When people look to theology to explain the world can can't reconcile the sciences to it, we get people like Fred Phelps.
Also, many people are atheists because they see people who believe in God (this definately applies to people of any faith, Christian or not) who say one thing and do another.
On the bright side, statistically speaking, I believe there are now more Christians making up the total world population than ever before. The downside is that in predominately Christian societies; places where there historically have been populations of people whose majority were Christians, atheism is indeed on the rise; and church attendence is on the decline. These would be places like Europe, North America, and now, Central and South America. The reasons here are a little more complex and outside my scope, but I think it has a lot to do with the Enlightenment (in Europe and America), and modernization, imperialism, and capitalistic expansion into Central and South America. The more we import our material pleasures to other places that never had them, the more the people there have something else to live for than God (meaning, "hey, look at all the stuff that can make me happy now, why bother with church?")
Just my two cents.
This is the result of poor understanding on both sides of the issue. Scientific inquiry ought not rule out faith in God. In my Biology 101 class, the first thing that we learned was that the feild of biology does not possess the knowledge to say anything concrete about God: this means biological science can not be used to either confirm or deny the existence of God. Biology exists to study what can be studied pysically. God can not be studied pysically. Biology, therefore, can not study God and can not make any claims about God. The study of God belongs to the realms, more or less, of metaphysics, theology, and philosophy.
In turn, feilds like theology do not possess the right to make statements about how things work. It is not up to theology to make statements on things like gravity, or molecular structures, etc. Theology is concerned with God alone.
When these two try to say one thing about the other, confusion often occurs, and the weak of faith tend to outrightly reject one or the other completely. When people look to science to explain the world and can't reconcile it with their theology, we get atheists. When people look to theology to explain the world can can't reconcile the sciences to it, we get people like Fred Phelps.
Also, many people are atheists because they see people who believe in God (this definately applies to people of any faith, Christian or not) who say one thing and do another.
On the bright side, statistically speaking, I believe there are now more Christians making up the total world population than ever before. The downside is that in predominately Christian societies; places where there historically have been populations of people whose majority were Christians, atheism is indeed on the rise; and church attendence is on the decline. These would be places like Europe, North America, and now, Central and South America. The reasons here are a little more complex and outside my scope, but I think it has a lot to do with the Enlightenment (in Europe and America), and modernization, imperialism, and capitalistic expansion into Central and South America. The more we import our material pleasures to other places that never had them, the more the people there have something else to live for than God (meaning, "hey, look at all the stuff that can make me happy now, why bother with church?")
Just my two cents.
S
I suspect that atheism is on the rise because more and more people are truly scrutinizing the claims of religion and coming away less than impressed.
Nor do I think it makes any difference whether or not Christians are Christ-like in their behavior. The integrity of Christians has no bearing on the truth claims of Christianity.
Nor do I think it makes any difference whether or not Christians are Christ-like in their behavior. The integrity of Christians has no bearing on the truth claims of Christianity.
When you really study (Romans 1) all the way through and not just read it over a couple of times, it should literally scare the h*** out of you. You will begin to see exactly what these individuals are like and how God has responded to them. The way they live is not just a fad or some alternative lifestyle. They live that way because they have each rejected God's authority and his creation and because of that God has given them over to their lust and has rejected them. You don't love them out of their condition because they are disapproved by God. If you can get them early, before God gives them over, than there is a chance for God's grace to save them. But after that, it is going to take strong conviction and continued warnings for God to even get their heart in a place to receive the incorruptible seed of His word. Don't be deceived, God is not mocked. He knows exactly where these individuals are at, because He is the one who has given each one over to it. If you study (Romans 1) and don't see that, then your mind has been blinded by the god of this world in that area. You need to get some light from God about this, because they will die and not inherit the kingdom of God.
When we read the following passage, what are we to do with it? Do we ignore it and put it on the shelf, hoping that God will not remember or require it?
Ezekiel 3:18,19 'When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul'.
Read Acts 20:25-28, Col 1:18
If we are going to warn the wicked, we don't go around saying that God hates f***. We don't do it that way and that is not how we warn them. When we warn someone, we let them know in no uncertain terms, that if they continue in their wickedness or wicked way what will happen. Take your cousin for example. To warn him would be to let him know that if he continues the way he is going, it is not going to be good for him. We know that is true because of conviction, but he does not have conviction so he needs to be warned. His life is like a vapor, it could here today and gone tomorrow. If he ignores the warnings and dies, his life will not be saved and his blood will not be on our hands. There is a place and time to warn the wicked and if they heed the warning, they shall be saved. We are coming to a place in our country, that if we warn the wicked (all areas included) it is considered to be hateful and discriminatory, even in a church setting.
These are my convictions and you may not agree with them.
A
I believe it is a sign of the time we are living in.
I also have noticed that most churches have become a clanging symbol, they have no meaning.
They lack the fruit of Love.
They bear the fruit of pharisees, Thier mercy does not out weigh thier judgemnets.
The churches condems the sinner as unworthy by the word, when Jesus said He died for the sinner.
We must be carefull not to call unclean what God has called clean.
If we judge someone as unworthy of the same salvation we ourselves claim we recieved for free, what price have we charged them for something that was free.
We are to love, not judge, least we be judged, with the same measurement that we have judged.
What we see in the church today is the fruit of our lips, and house divided by many different religions.
It is a separation of the wheat and the tears.
Do you know how you can tell a wheat from a tear during Harvest?
They wait until the time of harvest,
When tears become ripe, the heads of the tears bow down,
but when the wheat become ripe the heads of the wheat look up!
I also have noticed that most churches have become a clanging symbol, they have no meaning.
They lack the fruit of Love.
They bear the fruit of pharisees, Thier mercy does not out weigh thier judgemnets.
The churches condems the sinner as unworthy by the word, when Jesus said He died for the sinner.
We must be carefull not to call unclean what God has called clean.
If we judge someone as unworthy of the same salvation we ourselves claim we recieved for free, what price have we charged them for something that was free.
We are to love, not judge, least we be judged, with the same measurement that we have judged.
What we see in the church today is the fruit of our lips, and house divided by many different religions.
It is a separation of the wheat and the tears.
Do you know how you can tell a wheat from a tear during Harvest?
They wait until the time of harvest,
When tears become ripe, the heads of the tears bow down,
but when the wheat become ripe the heads of the wheat look up!
Dont think that because I treat people with individual respect instead of with righteous disdane that I have simply glanced over the Bible, and have no knowlege of the Word, cause in that you'd be wrong. I simply let my light shine and pray for the opportunity to minister to them... It hasnt occured as of yet but i'm sure, if its my job, the Lord will provide the opportunity in the future. I will wait for his timing rather than boldly confronting others with righteous judgment. Maybe charging people with their sin in the name of the Lord works for you...I'd love to hear about it... what you said that led the gay to repentance and ultimately SALVATION...cause then you could give me instruction on how to approach it with my cousins IN LOVE... cause the Lord has given me a heart for their salvation...and approaching them in a way that is becoming to the Lord with an end result of them receiving Christ and not just warning to keep my hands clean as you mentioned in quoting o.t. verse ezekiel. I am covered by the blood of the Lamb and if the opportunity does not come to assist the Lord in my cousins salvation I have no problem facing that with my Lord and saviour JESUS Christ come judgement day. There are different Christians for different jobs in the pursuit of others salvation. Dont discount the job or biblical knowledge of those who are here to love others and care about their ultimate salvation because your job is to agressively confront them with the truth. We are both necessary parts of the body of Christ. In childlike faith, Marcia.
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