An atheist softens?

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student

student

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2010
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Thoughts on this.

Witnessing is sometimes really hard. Sometimes job threatening. Of course, at times life threatening. How do you compensate?

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher"

It's not hate; but it is indifference.

And Indifference is the opposite of love.
 
Hi student, over the years I have found that situations present themselves to share
with others. I would like to think that most of the time I have recognised them and
been ready, other times have taken me completely by surprise and its taken a few
moments for the penny to drop.

Its not out of hate that people don't witness, the man in the video got that wrong.
It can be indifference.
Other times though I think it's the knowledge that people won't listen, or they are
not ready to listen, or the opportunity does not present itself in a situation.

The church I go to does help as we have regular gospel services and invites are printed
which can be handed out to friends, family and others for those services.

I have also been to organised events such as one airs, in fact in the city I live, there is
regular open air preaching in the city centre, especially at the weekends by church groups.
in fact most weekends.

Although sometimes there can be JWs who are giving out leaflets and sometimes I have also
seen Muslim groups speaking and handing out Korans.

Generally though I think many don't speak out as they know no one is interested
or they will be mocked. But there again I suppose so was John the Baptist.
 
Interesting video. I wonder why he made it. Does he make videos to post a lot?
I would ask him why he is an atheist to try to get to the heart of the matter.
But always showing him respect and friendship. The guy who gave him the Bible
was a witness by his life and got his attention.

I agree that he got the hatred part wrong. Christians are often lacking in confidence
and a solid understanding of the gospel, or they are discouraged when they see their
friends and family reject Christ.

I admire the evangelist who goes out witnessing to large crowds knowing full well that
out of 500 hearers, only a handful will be reached with the message and be saved.
They keep at it anyway.
 
Siberian_Khatru said:
I'm very intrigued by this. Would you mind elaborating/expounding a bit?
Click to expand...

I can only do so with an analogy. Hitler hated. He made very little attempt to hide that, except at first when he lied to bring the Jews to prison camps.

Indifferent people hurt you at the core through judgement or maybe gossip. A look. A lack of concern or sympathy. These things that come from people you once trusted, who don't necessarily HATE you...but would laugh AT you not with you and not help you up when you fall, because they don't care. They're indifferent to your suffering.

"hate is when you want something evil to happen to someone.
indifference is when you don't care what happens to someone."


I thought it through years ago...I don't remember all the avenues.

Here's one. Imagine the poem...not verbatim

"When they came for the Jews, I didn't act because I didn't like/care about the Jews...
When they came for me...there was no one left to care."
 
I had a vision this morning, of the twilight before eternity. I held in my hands pictures of people who didn't make it. The photos blew away in the rain with the tears. The pictures were the people I HAD the opportunity to witness to, but chose not to because I was indifferent, not because I hated them.
 
Whether you or I fail to witness to someone does not mean they
won't or didn't have the opportunity to be saved. God is always faithful
and sees to it that everyone who is positive at God consciousness
gets the gospel message (usually many times). Don't beat yourself
up and develop a guilty conscience (another sin) because you failed.
Rather, work on your preparedness, understanding of the gospel,
boldness, and awareness of opportunities.
 
God has His timing and directions.

Acts 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
 
In the video the speaker (atheist)seemed impressed, even moved by the mannerisms of the speaker but no mention of being moved by the message (unless you count the speaker as the message ).
But I believe he is right in pointing out that because of the intensity of the content of the message (especially hell), it amounts to hate when it comes to indifference about promulgating such a message if you are convinced of it's reality.
 
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