Apologetics: witnessing to atheists

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Oh cmon, this forum is everything without the Holy Spirit. Just saying Baptism of the Holy spirit implies that we’re looking for Bigfoot or UFOs or some other kind of nonsense. Yes, we know all the scriptures. Fact is, you just can’t explain the importance of having the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, just like you can’t explain to a lost person the importance of being saved. All you know is: you either have it or you don’t. So, in the meantime, non-spiritual Christians engage in purely non-spiritual pursuits.

And one of the most juicy pursuits is arguing with atheists.
Actually, some of us find that the most satisfying encounters is with an honest atheist who will not immediately shift to the default "danger" subprogram when the person they are talking to asks a question that is not in the preprogrammed and approved list, that is a question that might actually make the believer think rather than parrot back a preprogrammed response based on a preapproved interpretation of what scripture means. The Holy Spirit moves like the wind, going where it wants to, because it wants to and not limited to human expectations. When you restrict the Holy Spirit to just certain responses you are denying God his proper position in your life.
 
Do you think John Calvin, Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and Billy Graham were great men of God?

Before you answer you might want to compared what they taught with the whole counsel of God and see if they were teaching the same thing the Lord teaches in His Word.

I appreciate Luther and Calvin helping to free people from Roman Catholicism,
and I appreciate Billy Graham working for a salary rather than seeking to be rich,
but I do not know much about Spurgeon.

I also appreciated R.B. Thieme for teaching people at a seminary level, which I wish more did, but they are rare.

Who do you like?
 
I appreciate Luther and Calvin helping to free people from Roman Catholicism,
and I appreciate Billy Graham working for a salary rather than seeking to be rich,
but I do not know much about Spurgeon.

I also appreciated R.B. Thieme for teaching people at a seminary level, which I wish more did, but they are rare.

All taught false doctrine rather then the whole counsel of God.

Who do you like?

The only True Teacher, Jesus Christ!
 
Could there be anything more juicy, than the thought of arguing with atheists? Its everything a non-spiritual Christian could ever desire - research the Bible, come up with a purely intellectual/ non-spiritual argument, and bask in self glory and arrogance at the wonderful verbal argument that you used to defeat the Almighty atheist, lol

And at the end of it, the “Christian“ and the atheist depart even more committed to their arguments than ever. What an impact and a huge victory. 🙄

I began by wanting to learn answers to the questions/claims of atheists, but I soon learned that they are as closed-minded as some who claim to be Christians, so I changed my desire to wanting to inoculate Christians against atheism.

On this thread, I amended the OP to include warning folks about the heresy of wolves disguised as Christians, especially tulipism.
I seek to avoid arguing by ending looping discussions with a bet about whose view is closer to correct.

I am willing to witness without citing Scripture with atheists, but I begin by citing Scripture to provide context for the proof-text verses heretics cite. If I had an impressive testimony I might begin with it for both groups.

How do you witness to non-Christians?
 
Actually, some of us find that the most satisfying encounters is with an honest atheist who will not immediately shift to the default "danger" subprogram when the person they are talking to asks a question that is not in the preprogrammed and approved list, that is a question that might actually make the believer think rather than parrot back a preprogrammed response based on a preapproved interpretation of what scripture means. The Holy Spirit moves like the wind, going where it wants to, because it wants to and not limited to human expectations. When you restrict the Holy Spirit to just certain responses you are denying God his proper position in your life.
Where are you debating these people at? I guess the good thing for you is no atheist will ask about the Holy Spirit.
 
I am not the one who said "They were Apostles, these other yahoos you mentioned were not."
"Other yahoos" includes you, does it not? Or are you an infallible pope?

I never claimed to be on the level of the Apostles as you seem to be claiming these other yahoos are.
 
I never claimed to be on the level of the Apostles as you seem to be claiming these other yahoos are.

I seem to claim what Eph. 4:11-16 says, which you seem to deny.
All truth is on the same level in One Way, but post-NT insights are not canonical,
so what we all share on CC should be tested and incorporated into our beliefs if deemed good/true (1Thes. 5:21).
 
I seem to claim what Eph. 4:11-16 says, which you seem to deny.

Yes and the Apostles the Lord used to write His NT Canon are above all others who would serve as apostles after them

Only the biblical writers were used by the Lord to write scripture.

These other yahoos taught things that were false and that disqualifies them from ministry because they departed from God's Word.
 
Yes and the Apostles the Lord used to write His NT Canon are above all others who would serve as apostles after them

Only the biblical writers were used by the Lord to write scripture.

These other yahoos taught things that were false and that disqualifies them from ministry because they departed from God's Word.

Not per Eph. 4:11-16, which makes YOU the yahoo for departing from/ignoring that part of God's Word.
Only the biblical writers were used by the Lord to write the canon of Scripture, but Truth is also revealed via creation and conscience/moral logic, so both pre- and post-canonical insights should be tested and incorporated into our beliefs if deemed good/true (1Thes. 5:21, John 16:12-13).
 
I began by wanting to learn answers to the questions/claims of atheists, but I soon learned that they are as closed-minded as some who claim to be Christians
Did you ever post on Ex-Christians dot com or Unexplained Mysteries, they were brutal. ExC would attack a yellow cross to your screen name section like the Star of David was pinned on the Jews in Germany. If one was thinned skinned, they were certainly a place to post but those Ex_C closed its site. Unexplained Mysteries closed their forum but their site is still up.
 
Did you ever post on Ex-Christians dot com or Unexplained Mysteries, they were brutal. ExC would attack a yellow cross to your screen name section like the Star of David was pinned on the Jews in Germany. If one was thinned skinned, they were certainly a place to post but those Ex_C closed its site. Unexplained Mysteries closed their forum but their site is still up.
No, my posting experience before CC was on an AKO forum circa 2006.
The most congenial atheist was also a homosexual, so we discussed that topic a lot too.
The person I offended the most was an exC who did not appreciate my tactic of echoing or showing him a mirror (re projection).
 
The person I offended the most was an exC who did not appreciate my tactic of echoing or showing him a mirror (re projection).
That's a good way to silence them.


That is a good example of what is referred in 1 Tim 4:2

I would simply point out that they were convinced at once time that the Bible was true and then came to believe that it was lie, then how sure they were they weren't being lied too again? But their response was always the same, they knew what the Bible said.

Like the bow that the LORD placed in the cloud, they would argue that it was written that it was rainbow . Of course in the KJV it reads that "a bow in the cloud" while there are other translations which do in fact use "rainbow" in lieu of bow in the cloud. So that proved them right in the opinion regarding what the scriptures said and naturally their position was that the rainbow was due to light refraction not some supernatural being.

Without going into the entirety of points, while it is true that the multicolored band of visible white light is the result of light refraction, if not for the bow in the cloud that the LORD covered the earth with like a garment then the the multicolored band of refracted light would not curve to since refracted light only travels straight, just at a different line of travel, or angle if you will.

1790562077115.png

It is the bow in the cloud, or rather the curvature of the earth's atmosphere which gives the refracted light the appearance of being a multi-colored bow in the sky. Not to mention that the dry land appeared after the firmament was made from the waters that covered the earth.

1790562269908.png

Then of course there is the verse which reads that the LORD said, And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Gen 9:16

1790565199953.png

But like they say, if you can't dazzle them with brillance, baffled them with BS.
 
That's a good way to silence them.


That is a good example of what is referred in 1 Tim 4:2

I would simply point out that they were convinced at once time that the Bible was true and then came to believe that it was lie, then how sure they were they weren't being lied too again? But their response was always the same, they knew what the Bible said.

Like the bow that the LORD placed in the cloud, they would argue that it was written that it was rainbow . Of course in the KJV it reads that "a bow in the cloud" while there are other translations which do in fact use "rainbow" in lieu of bow in the cloud. So that proved them right in the opinion regarding what the scriptures said and naturally their position was that the rainbow was due to light refraction not some supernatural being.

Without going into the entirety of points, while it is true that the multicolored band of visible white light is the result of light refraction, if not for the bow in the cloud that the LORD covered the earth with like a garment then the the multicolored band of refracted light would not curve to since refracted light only travels straight, just at a different line of travel, or angle if you will.

View attachment 296402

It is the bow in the cloud, or rather the curvature of the earth's atmosphere which gives the refracted light the appearance of being a multi-colored bow in the sky. Not to mention that the dry land appeared after the firmament was made from the waters that covered the earth.

View attachment 296403

Then of course there is the verse which reads that the LORD said, And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Gen 9:16

View attachment 296417

But like they say, if you can't dazzle them with brillance, baffled them with BS.

Those of us in the drought-stricken US can well understand that the rainbow represents God's blessing!
(Matt. 5:45) 🌧️🌈

He Shall Come Down

(Refrain:)Weep, mourn, Christians, weep and pray;
We’re so dry, dry and thirsty, pray for that wonderful day.

(Chorus:)“He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass,”
The “latter rain”, my friend, that never shall cease;
Come down like rain upon the mown grass,
Showers of righteousness, showers of peace.

1. Get ready for the rain! This dry and thirsty land shall bloom like a field.
Get ready for the rain! God shall pour out His
Spirit on earth as the prophets revealed. (Repeat chorus)

2. Get ready for the rain! Tell all the people, let your witness be bold.
Get ready for the rain! God shall pour out His Spirit on earth
As the prophets foretold. (Repeat chorus, then refrain)