Advice for New Christian?

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Dec 29, 2022
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#1
I am new to Christianity, I was brought up in an Atheist household so never learnt about any religion. What advice would you give?
 
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persistent

Guest
#2
I am new to Christianity, I was brought up in an Atheist household so never learnt about any religion. What advice would you give?
Hey Jaxy, praying is a big help and don't let your brain tell you it seems like a stupid thing to do. Read Psalm #1 and recognize that you have not been the person it talks about but would like to become the person it talks of. I wasn't brought up atheist but was self-proclaimed atheist early on, maybe age 12.
 
Dec 29, 2022
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#3
My dads a physicist and my mums a bio chemist....so kinda a family based on atheism.

Should I read the whole first chapter Psalms?
 
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persistent

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#4
My dads a physicist and my mums a bio chemist....so kinda a family based on atheism.

Should I read the whole first chapter Psalms?
You could read the whole 1st Psalm but try and dwell on the first verse since it seems as atheists that we were the opposite of the person that verse describes. At least that is where I started out about five years ago. Kept reminding myself the verse was not talking about me but would eventually hope to want to be the person it talks about.

Not that we really want to be that person by our own will. Our own desires rarely are what God would have us be. I recently came upon a man that may interest you since your family is of an academic bent. John Lennox a mathematician from Great Britain and lifelong Christian and he teaches the opposing views of what may be prevailing worldviews and theories. You might enjoy listening to him at this link >>>
 

MessengerofTruth

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2022
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#6
I am new to Christianity, I was brought up in an Atheist household so never learnt about any religion. What advice would you give?
I would encourage you as often as you think of God to talk to Him. Pour out your heart to Him. Tell Him what you are thinking and feeling, ask him questions and wait for Him to answer you. I think reading Psalms is a wonderful idea as well as the gospel of John and Proverbs. I don't mean to overwhelm you, but if you approach it with an open heart I believe you will find treasures there. :)
 
Dec 29, 2022
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#7
Is it OK if I cry whilst talking to God?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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#10
My dads a physicist and my mums a bio chemist....so kinda a family based on atheism.

Should I read the whole first chapter Psalms?
Hello Jaxy :) There are scientists who are also Christian. They are not mutually exclusive ;)

In fact, over 65% of Nobel prize winners between 1901 and 2000 believed
in God: 7% of winners in chemistry, 9% in medicine and 5% in physics.
Rather than being less represented in the scientific disciplines, Christians
made up just under two thirds of those receiving the physics and medicine
awards (64% and 65% respectively), whilst the figure was even higher for
chemistry, as they accounted for nearly three quarters of the winners (74%)
. source
 
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persistent

Guest
#11
Thank you! I will listen to it now :)
Hey Jaxy, you may want to be a bit careful about mentioning opposing points of view to your folks. They might not be too keen on the viewpoint of someone like John Lennox. Particularly your mom since her work is in life sciences. My gut tells me the theory of evolution is strongly entrenched in the life sciences. You may get some surprising feeddback from your folks if you start talking Bible with them. Of course, I am assuming they were academically acculturated with the prevailing theories.

Hope things go well for you and if we keep up this chat maybe I will ask if you would run a question by your dad regarding an interpretation of Maxwell's equations I found in a book, Particle or Wave, by Chris Anastopoulos, Princeton University Press, 2008. Your dad would be familiar with Maxwell and might have an idea as to whether the interpretation in this book is understandable. I understand three fourths of it but the one fourth part is a mind bender to me. If you don't think it a good idea to ask your dad, that is ok too.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,682
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#12
^ Word-for-Word Gospel of John

Have you heard of the Alpha Course?




There are 10 videos total. I hope you watch them. They could benefit you greatly :)
 
Dec 29, 2022
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#13
Hey Jaxy, you may want to be a bit careful about mentioning opposing points of view to your folks. They might not be too keen on the viewpoint of someone like John Lennox. Particularly your mom since her work is in life sciences. My gut tells me the theory of evolution is strongly entrenched in the life sciences. You may get some surprising feeddback from your folks if you start talking Bible with them. Of course, I am assuming they were academically acculturated with the prevailing theories.

Hope things go well for you and if we keep up this chat maybe I will ask if you would run a question by your dad regarding an interpretation of Maxwell's equations I found in a book, Particle or Wave, by Chris Anastopoulos, Princeton University Press, 2008. Your dad would be familiar with Maxwell and might have an idea as to whether the interpretation in this book is understandable. I understand three fourths of it but the one fourth part is a mind bender to me. If you don't think it a good idea to ask your dad, that is ok too.
TBH I debate alot with them already..theyre quite politically conservative and I am the exact oppoiste
 
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persistent

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#15
TBH I debate alot with them already..theyre quite politically conservative and I am the exact oppoiste
But now you might end up Christian and start interjecting Christian views. The debate may take a turn.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,682
29,021
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#16
Ill watch these!
I struggled with the question of God for some time, even after He revealed Himself to me in
various ways repeatedly, sometimes profoundly so, and it is promised that those who earnestly
seek Him will find Him. I was invited by a friend to an Alpha Course - she was going to be hosting
one of the tables (many churches world-wide host the Alpha Courses now, usually with dinner
followed by a video and a question/answer period), so I agreed... and it was during the course
that I realized I no longer needed any convincing of the Truth of God's revealed written Word :D
 

Poinsetta

Well-known member
Nov 24, 2018
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#17
My dads a physicist and my mums a bio chemist....so kinda a family based on atheism.

Should I read the whole first chapter Psalms?
yes read the Psalms :)
 

Poinsetta

Well-known member
Nov 24, 2018
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#18
Also the Gospel of John will kindle your faith. :)
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,828
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#20
My dads a physicist and my mums a bio chemist....so kinda a family based on atheism.

Should I read the whole first chapter Psalms?
Here is a link to the branch of science called Intelligent Design. You will see there is much in creation that is best explained through intelligence versus random chance.

https://www.discovery.org/a/9761/

“Intelligent design (ID) is a scientific theory that employs the methods commonly used by other historical sciences to conclude that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection. ID theorists argue that design can be inferred by studying the informational properties of natural objects to determine if they bear the type of information that in our experience arise from an intelligent cause. The form of information which we observe is produced by intelligent action, and thus reliably indicates design, is generally called “specified complexity” or “complex and specified information” (CSI). An object or event is complex if it is unlikely, and specified if it matches some independent pattern.

Contrary to what many people suppose, the debate over intelligent design is much broader than the debate over Darwin’s theory of evolution. That’s because much of the scientific evidence for intelligent design comes from areas that Darwin’s theory doesn’t even address. In fact, the evidence for intelligent design comes from three main areas: Physics and Cosmology, the Origin of Life, and the Development of Biological Complexity.”

There are other branches of science that dig into the evidence for God. These are called Young Earth Creation, Old Earth Creation, Archaeology, Textual Criticism, and Philosophical arguments like Morality, or the origin of mathematics.

I provide this info because it will provide comparison to atheistic science. It is also kinda cool to examine the origin of science and how many Christians have contributed to amazing discoveries going back centuries.

There is plenty of evidence for God in the world but to know God personally we have the Bible and Jesus to learn from.

We must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior so that His Spirit will take up residence within us. This is where we as Christians see life transformation. Once this occurs then the Spirit will guide and help you. You will begin to understand the spiritual in a deeper way.

The Bible is the inspired written Word of God. It has been preserved and accurate due to the 1000s of manuscripts, scribes and efforts of believers to protect the Word. Textual criticism ensures that we we hold today we can have confidence knowing it to be true.

The historical accounts, eye witness statements, the extra Biblical content like Roman or Jewish literature speaking about the early church or Jesus. My point is we should take full confidence in knowing what occurred in the Bible is true. Evidence that demands a verdict is a great book for this.

You may not need this as you may already have the inclination that Jesus is the Messiah and the only way to salvation. If so then don't hesitate, give your life to Him today. Let Him begin to guide you.