Atheism

Aabbie James · Aug 24, 2021

Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

What's the Gist of this video?
The core of Atheism is a hatred of God and a refusal to submit to His commands. Atheism is a religion that worships and idolizes Self. Idolizing Self is the core of all sins: self-idolatry, which is a direct opposition to worshipping God. Anytime we set our self in opposition to God it is treason against the Holy Creator of the Universe.

"Against the Claims of Atheism" Dr Steven J Lawson. Ligionier Ministries. 2012 West Coast Conference. In our age, as in every other age, there are those who deny the existence of God. Recent years have witnessed the rise of a particularly militant form of atheism, represented in the writings of authors such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett. Although the "new atheism" is not all that different from the old atheism, Christians today must stand firm against the challenge of atheism.

Psalms 14:1 To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.

Jude 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

pescador · Aug 24, 2021

Aabbie James said:
Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

What's the Gist of this video?
The core of Atheism is a hatred of God and a refusal to submit to His commands. Atheism is a religion that worships and idolizes Self. Idolizing Self is the core of all sins: self-idolatry, which is a direct opposition to worshipping God. Anytime we set our self in opposition to God it is treason against the Holy Creator of the Universe.

"Against the Claims of Atheism" Dr Steven J Lawson. Ligionier Ministries. 2012 West Coast Conference. In our age, as in every other age, there are those who deny the existence of God. Recent years have witnessed the rise of a particularly militant form of atheism, represented in the writings of authors such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett. Although the "new atheism" is not all that different from the old atheism, Christians today must stand firm against the challenge of atheism.

Psalms 14:1 To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.

Jude 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

When I was an atheist, I didn't hate God. Why would I hate something or someone that didn't exist?

"Atheism is a religion that worships and idolizes Self" is nonsense. Atheism is simply a lack of belief that God (or gods) exist.

BTW, I have always believed in loving my neighbor. And I have seen many Christians who despise their neighbors. Jesus said to a)love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and b) love your neighbor as yourself. And your neighbor could be an atheist.

Aabbie James · Aug 24, 2021

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

Paul writes in vv.28-30 that those who "did not see fit to acknowledge God" are "haters of God."

(Romans 1:18-32) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

pescador · Aug 24, 2021

Aabbie James said:
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

Paul writes in vv.28-30 that those who "did not see fit to acknowledge God" are "haters of God."

(Romans 1:18-32) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Should we excise verse 21? "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Obviously, these people were not atheists, since no atheist "knows God".

After God's Heart · Aug 24, 2021

pescador said:
Should we excise verse 21? "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Obviously, these people were not atheists, since no atheist "knows God".

The passage lays out earlier on that even atheists have no excuse before God because creation points to Him.

Aabbie James · Aug 25, 2021

Scripture makes it clear that God’s eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen in the creation of the world around us (Romans 1:20; Psalms 19:1; Psalms 97:6; Job 12:7-10). God says that the design and complexity of nature makes it obvious that He exists. But hard hearts often refuse to accept any evidence that the Bible is true, for it makes them accountable to a Creator God.

None of us have any excuses for rejecting the knowledge of God. We know from Scripture that everyone, including atheists, ultimately knows there is a God (Romans 1:19; 2:14-15), so we are frankly "without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

(Romans 1:19-21) 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

(Romans 2:14-15) 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

pescador · Aug 25, 2021

After God's Heart said:
The passage lays out earlier on that even atheists have no excuse before God because creation points to Him.

The word "atheist" doesn't appear in Romans 1.

"For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened."

Atheists a) don't know God and b) don't glorify him as God or give him thanks. It's not a good idea to twist Scripture to make it mean what it clearly doesn't.

After God's Heart · Aug 25, 2021

pescador said:
The word "atheist" doesn't appear in Romans 1.

"For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened."

Atheists a) don't know God and b) don't glorify him as God or give him thanks. It's not a good idea to twist Scripture to make it mean what it clearly doesn't.

Verse 18 identifies men as the subject- all of humanity. The subsequent 'they' and 'them' in 19-21 point back to the same men from 18. So when you look at the passage as a whole, no one- which includes atheists who are also part of humanity- has an excuse before God. Verse 21 does not support the claim that atheists are excluded. When you look at chapter 2 it addresses how Gentiles - so those not under the Mosaic covenant - dont have an excuse for unrighteousness either. God has written the law in all of our hearts - so this includes all atheists who will also face God's judgement. Romans is very clear that NO ONE escapes God's judgement. Claiming you don't know God is not an excuse, justification is through Christ alone.

If you feel I am twisting the scripture, definitely dig into Romans on your own, perhaps using additional translations and biblical commentaries, this epistle very methodically breaks down the concept of righteousness. It's a great study.

Peace to you!

edited to fix grammar

pescador · Aug 26, 2021

After God's Heart said:
Verse 18 identifies men as the subject- all of humanity. The subsequent 'they' and 'them' in 19-21 point back to the same men from 18. So when you look at the passage as a whole, no one- which includes atheists who are also part of humanity- has an excuse before God. Verse 21 does not support the claim that atheists are excluded. When you look at chapter 2 it addresses how Gentiles - so those not under the Mosaic covenant - dont have an excuse for unrighteousness either. God has written the law in all of our hearts - so this includes all atheists who will also face God's judgement. Romans is very clear that NO ONE escapes God's judgement. Claiming you don't know God is not an excuse, justification is through Christ alone.

If you feel I am twisting the scripture, definitely dig into Romans on your own, perhaps using additional translations and biblical commentaries, this epistle very methodically breaks down the concept of righteousness. It's a great study.

Peace to you!

edited to fix grammar

I have read and studied Romans many, many times, using additional translations and biblical commentaries. I know what it says.

Romans 1:18-23, " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles."

The people Paul is writing about people who a) suppress the truth (which God has made plain to them), b) KNEW GOD, c) did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks, and d) they became idolaters. You can read anything else that you want into this description but I believe what Scripture says. These people were not atheists; they knew God then turned away.

Romans 1:28b & 32, "they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done." They chose to deny God and paid the price ... Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them."

Aabbie James · Aug 26, 2021

After God's Heart said:
Verse 18 identifies men as the subject- all of humanity. The subsequent 'they' and 'them' in 19-21 point back to the same men from 18. So when you look at the passage as a whole, no one- which includes atheists who are also part of humanity- has an excuse before God. Verse 21 does not support the claim that atheists are excluded. When you look at chapter 2 it addresses how Gentiles - so those not under the Mosaic covenant - dont have an excuse for unrighteousness either. God has written the law in all of our hearts - so this includes all atheists who will also face God's judgement. Romans is very clear that NO ONE escapes God's judgement. Claiming you don't know God is not an excuse, justification is through Christ alone.

If you feel I am twisting the scripture, definitely dig into Romans on your own, perhaps using additional translations and biblical commentaries, this epistle very methodically breaks down the concept of righteousness. It's a great study.

Peace to you!

edited to fix grammar

Yes indeed. "No one" certainly includes atheists.

Today, that would include all kinds of atheists and forms of atheism: Buddhism, Taoism, Jainism, Confucianism, Scientology, Church of Satan, Secularists... and within these atheistic religions are many subgroups. Some atheists claim no religion whatsoever, they would be labeled under the Secularists. Some atheists are militant, and others are not.

Pray for them all, pray for their salvation, pray they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, repent, and believe on the name of the LORD. God says that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and repents will be saved.

Jesus says, "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32)

pescador · Aug 26, 2021

An atheist is defined as "a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods". It doesn't say just YHWH. Among those groups that you mentioned, they're not, by definition, atheists. They just don't worship YHWH.

Here is just one example: Hinduism is the largest religion in the world and third largest religion in the world. It comprises five major sects or denominations, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Ganapatism, and Saurism whose followers consider Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti (Devi), Ganesha, and Surya to be the Supreme deity respectively.

EmethAlethia · Sep 12, 2021

Aabbie James said:
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

Paul writes in vv.28-30 that those who "did not see fit to acknowledge God" are "haters of God."

(Romans 1:18-32) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Yep ... and God will let every person who "falls short" judge Him according to the Word of God, and God will be found to be righteous, Holy, True, Just ... and their knowledge that they deserve eternal death will be brought forth at the trial...

Rom 3:3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED." 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

AdamjEdgar · Sep 13, 2021

this is an interesting topic for a forum and i have a theory about atheism, atheists and heaven...

Jesus said the following in Matthew 25

The Sheep and the Goats
…38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me...

Wouldnt it be wonderful if a person who denies that God exists (an atheist), however, lives according to a basic principle that Jesus advocated in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, found himself/herself at the pearly gates of heaven!

My theory is, I believe we will find atheists in heaven just as we will also find there are well-known Christians who are not there! I also think God is going to get a real kick out of the surprised looks on the faces of those atheists standing before him as saved persons...how wonderful that will truly be!

throughfiierytrial · Sep 27, 2021

Aabbie James said:
Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

What's the Gist of this video?
The core of Atheism is a hatred of God and a refusal to submit to His commands. Atheism is a religion that worships and idolizes Self. Idolizing Self is the core of all sins: self-idolatry, which is a direct opposition to worshipping God. Anytime we set our self in opposition to God it is treason against the Holy Creator of the Universe.

"Against the Claims of Atheism" Dr Steven J Lawson. Ligionier Ministries. 2012 West Coast Conference. In our age, as in every other age, there are those who deny the existence of God. Recent years have witnessed the rise of a particularly militant form of atheism, represented in the writings of authors such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett. Although the "new atheism" is not all that different from the old atheism, Christians today must stand firm against the challenge of atheism.

Psalms 14:1 To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.

Jude 1:22 And have mercy on those who doubt;

I very much agree with your post...thanks. I would add that when conscience convicts of sin rather than repenting the devil and the sinful nature's answer is to us is to deny it. The teachings of evolution (some say, evilution...fitting) and atheism in general serve to appease and assuage the old Adam within via its axiom of non-accountability for sin
Have mercy on those who doubt for some of these are ignorant of the Gospel and its means and actions.They are left feeling eternally lost and rather than turning to Jesus they pollute and drown themselves in these teachings of non-accountability. Should they but learn that Jesus requires faith and repentance.

Atheism

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