Pretend I'm an atheist. How would you convert me?

Archivist · May 10, 2017

Several of the posts that I have seen here talk about arguing as a way to convert. Why argue? Show people love. Tell them your story. Listen to their story. I find that too many Christians want to talk but don't want to listen.

Steve Petersen · May 10, 2017

TWHladyinLV said:
You do realize that many Christians were once atheists right?

And vice versa.

rstrats · May 10, 2017

StevenBelievin,
re: "Meaning there are an unlimited amount of universes and ours just happened to be just right..."

But I don't see how you can legitimately say that with an infinite amount of time to work with that our universe couldn't have finally "happened to be just right".

D Thomas · May 10, 2017

here's just one idea.
It seems it would take more faith to believe there isn’t a God than there is, there are simply too many things that are illogical in a pure Godless evolution (micro evolution of all living species evolving from a single cell organizsm) without a creator, some examples are 1. Unselfish love, some love is selfish but we also have unselfish love and if we all just evolved through “survival of the fittest” it would be totally illogical that we all have unselfish love to the extent we would sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others, Plus why are we happier loving than being loved and why are we our happiest when we are doing/helping others – These surely must be attributes that God our Creator has designed in us his creation.

Also would like to add:

We all (Christians and non-Christians) know we are not perfect – God knows it too and forgives us and accepts us. While some may say that God’s /Jesus’s love/mercy is there for all (not just in this earthly life but for all of eternity), others would say we must ask God/Jesus for eternal salvation in order to receive – So why not ask for it and believe and have faith that Jesus can and will deliver on his promise (also some may say that by acknowledging we are asking – so again just go ahead and ask and believe that Jesus will deliver on his promise).

rstrats · May 10, 2017

D Thomas,
re: "So why not ask for it and believe and have faith that Jesus can and will deliver on his promise (also some may say that by acknowledging we are asking – so again just go ahead and ask and believe that Jesus will deliver on his promise)."

That problem with that is that beliefs cannot be consciously chosen.

enigmadi · May 10, 2017

section9+1 said:
No conflict with loving your neighbor. I'm not telling other Christians what they should do. That's just what I would do.

Great way to show Christ, eh?

enigmadi · May 10, 2017

Case For Christ is a great video. Man was an atheist who wanted to disprove God but ended up proving Him...true story.

dannheim · May 10, 2017

Bee_Brian said:
Pretend I'm an atheist. How would you convert me?

The title says it all

We can be seed planters but only God can water those seeds. We can show by our works and how we live a life in faith as an example to follow. Actions always speak louder than words.

section9+1 · May 10, 2017

Enig-
I am fulfilling whatever I think Christ expects me to fulfil and my conscience is good.
If you think differently, I don't care.

Johndowling · May 10, 2017

like others have said only god can bring people to him but if I was to debate to an atheist with scientific beliefs I would argue that considering the reoccurring mathematical patterns in world specifically the golden ratio it is more likely then not mean there is a god not to mention the fact that dna is a thing I mean I cant believe people believe this all came from an accident in order to win an argument you have to be knowledgeable of the others party's belief or understanding of the matter at hand but t honest even if you have a compelling argument only god can bring someone to him.

SchoolofSoul · May 10, 2017

Bee_Brian said:
Pretend I'm an atheist. How would you convert me?

I wouldn't. Preaching the Gospel is one thing, but forcibly converting others is quite another altogether, and I don't believe in forcing the Word down people's throats. Honey rather than vinegar and all that.

Bee_Brian said:
I went to an atheist forum to preach about God and failed miserably.

Good. Maybe next time you'll preach to a more receptive audience than a wall. Jesus Christ didn't waste His time preaching the Good News to those who weren't open to hearing it; why should you? You got some special communication skill Our Lord and Savior doesn't? You more anointed than the Lamb of God? Maybe God is trying to tell you something, like, get off your high horse. Think about it. Pray on it.

Bee_Brian said:
I don't know if they were closed-minded or I was just too much of an idiot to persuade someone of anything.

Most likely both.

Bee_Brian said:
Either way, I want to be someone who is good at debating on the side of my God.

Why?

Bee_Brian said:
So how would you approach such a situation? What would you tell me to convince me out of my atheism?

Nothing. I'd rather wait until you had a seeking mind and heart. I'd rather wait until you were broken and realized on your own that you couldn't do it alone, that you needed God and His Love, that only He can provide your salvation.

It's our job as Christ's followers to spread the Gospel; it's not our job to convince anyone of anything. I leave that up to God and to the Holy Spirit, because that's a task that is FAR above my paygrade.

Bee_Brian said:
Let's say, for example, that I believe in evolution instead of creationism. What would you tell me?

Again, nothing, because I have no dispute with the concept of evolution, whereas I do find creationism a very sad joke. I believe this science vs. religion thing is a distraction and not of God at all. Quite the opposite, I think science helps to illuminate the wondrousness of God's work, in all its intricate detail and complexity. As far as I'm concerned, evolution is very likely God's method for creating us. Creationism sounds like something out of a really bad 1950s comic book (not Marvel or DC, either), and I think anyone who buys into it is a brainless nitwit. I don't buy into literal interpretations of the Biblical texts. Sorry if that upsets your world view.

Acts2:38 · May 10, 2017

TWHladyinLV said:
You're starting to make some sense - but you are way to wordy, so you need to practice using less words and be more concise.

Well, I was trying to answer all that persons questions/responses. Also, the bible is chalk full of information. Too little wording, you would be to broad or vague, and you would end up still using a bunch of words.

With that said, the point is, evolution falls short of truth and cannot be. An all powerful creator is not limited. If He said He made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, why is it so hard to believe? The universe and all that is in it is full of perfect order and function. Hardly the work of mindless chance.

AFrazier · May 10, 2017

Bee_Brian said:
Pretend I'm an atheist. How would you convert me?

The title says it all.

I went to an atheist forum to preach about God and failed miserably. I don't know if they were closed-minded or I was just too much of an idiot to persuade someone of anything. Either way, I want to be someone who is good at debating on the side of my God.

So how would you approach such a situation? What would you tell me to convince me out of my atheism?

Let's say, for example, that I believe in evolution instead of creationism. What would you tell me? (That's just one example of many. Don't focus on it, please.)

1) You aren't going to convert an atheist on an atheist forum, any more than an atheist is going to convert someone to faithlessness on a Christian forum. Like minds and all that.

2) Atheists, as a general rule, are better educated in Christianity than most Christians are. They will stomp a hole in the ground with your faith if you don't know your business.

3) Know your facts. The only way to silence an atheist is to know the facts better than them.

In your one example, evolution, I would argue the points that scientists have yet to get around. Darwin believed that his theory would eventually be proven, but that it was just speculation at that time, because the fossil record was not yet extensive enough to prove evolution. There were no "missing links," so to speak. His theory would fail if such were not discovered.

But as of today, no such missing links have been discovered. There are no fish-dogs, monkey-giraffes, kangaroo-crocodiles, etc. Further, the Cambrian layer in the geological record defies evolution with a fossil record showing the almost spontaneous existence of all phyla of animal life on the planet, in practically their current form.

Further, most evolutionists tend to erroneously believe that necessity prompted change. The tall trees needed the leaves eaten, so a giraffe grew a long neck. Fish wanted out of the water, so they grew lungs. But that's not how it works. Darwin's theory functioned through natural selection, or survival of the fittest. Small genetic mutations that made an animal more survivable to its own genus tended to become a dominant trait, resulting in a change over time. A lion with a black mane, for example, might not hide as well in the grass as a lion with a light brown mane. Over time, the light brown mane becomes dominant because they are better hunters, and therefore more survivable. You won't grow gills because your island is sinking. You'll just drown. You children won't have gills either. Because you'll drown and won't have children. Or you'll build a boat, and they'll have no need of gills.

But the human eye is a complex change in an organism, and will not evolve in a sightless creature, which is what we all were, according to the evolutionary paradigm. The eye is one of science's biggest thorns in the side.

Relative to natural selection, it is also worth saying that the modern human being is a devolution, not an evolution. Going by the alleged human paradigm, we were once hearty, strong, hairy, and able to live on raw food in a natural climate and habitat, much like gorillas can today. And our "evolution" was to turn into smaller, weaker versions that will die from exposure in any climate on the planet without artificial covering, warmth, and shelter. Nor can we eat raw food without suffering from food-borne illness.

They might argue that we developed intelligence, and were more survivable because we were smart enough to make fire, weapons, etc. But again, natural selection ... a potentially smarter infant with no hair and a weaker constitution will just die from exposure and never reach the potential of its intelligence.

Again, it's about knowing your facts. If you don't know them, an atheist will have you for lunch. So go do some research if you really want to tread that path. You're going to need to know arguments on everything, from science, history, mathematics, false religions, church history, etc. It's a long road to travel.

The easiest thing to do is show them who you are by your faith. That's how most Christians were converted in the first few centuries. The jeering crowds came to Christ because the Christians walked into the arena singing hymns and offered their necks to the lions with a smile. Their faith confounded the heathens. What did they have that would have them smiling to the very end?

Dave-W · May 10, 2017

Zoii said:
Atheists are NOT close minded as some suggest, but rather they need rationale and evidence and waving the bible at them and expecting that to convert wont work. For me , i totally support scientific principles. But the effort to appeal to those principles works for me.

Not my style. I have brought one "evangelical atheist" (today they are called "anti-theist") to faith and that was by supernatural revelation. God did it, not me. All of a sudden while I was praying he shouted a stream of obscenities ending with "He's REAL!!!"

Paul says everyone's faith should rest on the supernatural power of God and not on "rationale and evidence" which he called "man's wisdom."

1 Cor 2.4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

AFrazier · May 10, 2017

Dave-W said:
Not my style. I have brought one "evangelical atheist" (today they are called "anti-theist") to faith and that was by supernatural revelation. God did it, not me. All of a sudden while I was praying he shouted a stream of obscenities ending with "He's REAL!!!"

Paul says everyone's faith should rest on the supernatural power of God and not on "rationale and evidence" which he called "man's wisdom."

1 Cor 2.4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Paul also used the things around him at his disposal, like the engraving to the unnamed god. He said to be all things to all people. He also "reasoned" with people.

Divine revelation can come through debate and discussion. Sometimes, what someone needs is proof to silence their doubt.

llrprecon · May 10, 2017

First off, I would not preach to them (Not my gift). I am a one-on-one guy. Some of us are sowers and some of us are reapers (I am a sower).But I would make sure the burden of proof was on them. I would ask the questions and with their answers try to create a dialog, but do not let them put the burden of proof on you. They have a lot of explaining to do about evolution.

Ph413 · May 10, 2017

Hello. This is first topic that I'm actually get into discussion so I hope I don't mess things up. Before I say anything I just want to note that I'm 17 year old teenager so maybe I won't be able to point to a lot of things that matter, but I will try my best to do it. Now, I'll post the way I had "expirience" with, but if you want to get deeper into that I suggest you start researching apologetics ("religious discipline of defending or proving the truth of religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse." - source Wikipedia). Lot of video resources can be found on this youtube channel Theology, Philosophy and Science

Anyway this is how would I do it. I think that first we as Christians should do is to just reaveal the Gospel to them. That by itself won't be enough to average atheist since they probably think: "You actually believe in that?". But never mind that. The point is that if they are willing to listen to you long enough and open mindedly observe all the evidence that you can provide, they can change. I want to repeat what others have already said here and that is that it can only be done with the blessing of the Holy Spirit but I'm sure that God will be with you while you speak OK, so let's get back to the topic.
Now, I think that is easier to introduce God to people is through Jesus than with Old Testament and all that cosmological evidence stuff. I mean, it can be done that way as well but I find this way better because Jesus was physically present right here on Earth as a man.
Now to talk this to them I would go this way:
1. There is historical evidence for existence of Jesus (you can research this more but I will just say that Tacitus which is one of the most important Roman historians is showing evidence for Jesus on one page is his Annals).
2. Now, since we know that Jesus is real and that he existed we need to make them find out that things he did was real as well. That can be done by showing them evidence that the New Testament is reliable. Now, I believe there are lot of people who researched this, and this is one of the reasons lot of atheits converted to Christianity. One I used to find this out is J. Warner Wallace which was atheist for about 30 years and after researching the reliability of the New Testament changed to Christianity. You can find his lecture on youtube channel that I linked above or you can read his book named Cold Case Christianity.
3. Now after you showed them evidence on Jesus being real and New Testament being reliable which is prooving that things Jesus did was real as well, you can start talking about the Old Testament since Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17. This means that if New Testament is True than that automatically means that Old Testament is true as well.
4. With all the evidence showed until now, they should be able to find out the truth and change to Christianity. If this still is not enough, there are more evidences to show. You can show them some of this stuff:
* Chariots in Red Sea Chariots in Red Sea: ‘Irrefutable evidence’
* Actuall sulphur balls from Sodom * Some of the popular atheists changing, one being Antony Flew (do a bit on research here if you want to but I'll just mention name of his book here - There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind)
* Darwinian evolution theory is false: You can find a lot of material on youtube channel I linked on top of this post.
*And of course, TESTIMONIES: Now, this is the ultimate evidence. Testimonies from people who expirienced God through miracles. This is real stuff. You can find dosens of material here but, again, here is another youtube channel with some of the stuff you can show them Living For Christ

There you go my friend. I hope I managed to cover lot of important aspects on this subject. Of course, I know there are much more to show but I think that if anyone really want to convert this should be more than enough for them. It's a bit longer post but I think that you should be able to find most of the stuff you need on sources I provided, and if you don't, Google is preety big
Anyway, here you go. I hope God helps you on your journey and remember we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

ToBeLoved · May 10, 2017

Steve Petersen said:
And vice versa.

How many is many? How many Christians turned atheists do you know personally?

I don't think it consitutes many.

Steve Petersen · May 10, 2017

Ph413 said:
Hello. This is first topic that I'm actually get into discussion so I hope I don't mess things up. Before I say anything I just want to note that I'm 17 year old teenager so maybe I won't be able to point to a lot of things that matter, but I will try my best to do it. Now, I'll post the way I had "expirience" with, but if you want to get deeper into that I suggest you start researching apologetics ("religious discipline of defending or proving the truth of religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse." - source Wikipedia). Lot of video resources can be found on this youtube channel Theology, Philosophy and Science

Anyway this is how would I do it. I think that first we as Christians should do is to just reaveal the Gospel to them. That by itself won't be enough to average atheist since they probably think: "You actually believe in that?". But never mind that. The point is that if they are willing to listen to you long enough and open mindedly observe all the evidence that you can provide, they can change. I want to repeat what others have already said here and that is that it can only be done with the blessing of the Holy Spirit but I'm sure that God will be with you while you speak OK, so let's get back to the topic.
Now, I think that is easier to introduce God to people is through Jesus than with Old Testament and all that cosmological evidence stuff. I mean, it can be done that way as well but I find this way better because Jesus was physically present right here on Earth as a man.
Now to talk this to them I would go this way:
1. There is historical evidence for existence of Jesus (you can research this more but I will just say that Tacitus which is one of the most important Roman historians is showing evidence for Jesus on one page is his Annals).
2. Now, since we know that Jesus is real and that he existed we need to make them find out that things he did was real as well. That can be done by showing them evidence that the New Testament is reliable. Now, I believe there are lot of people who researched this, and this is one of the reasons lot of atheits converted to Christianity. One I used to find this out is J. Warner Wallace which was atheist for about 30 years and after researching the reliability of the New Testament changed to Christianity. You can find his lecture on youtube channel that I linked above or you can read his book named Cold Case Christianity.
3. Now after you showed them evidence on Jesus being real and New Testament being reliable which is prooving that things Jesus did was real as well, you can start talking about the Old Testament since Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17. This means that if New Testament is True than that automatically means that Old Testament is true as well.
4. With all the evidence showed until now, they should be able to find out the truth and change to Christianity. If this still is not enough, there are more evidences to show. You can show them some of this stuff:
* Chariots in Red Sea Chariots in Red Sea: ‘Irrefutable evidence’
* Actuall sulphur balls from Sodom * Some of the popular atheists changing, one being Antony Flew (do a bit on research here if you want to but I'll just mention name of his book here - There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind)
* Darwinian evolution theory is false: You can find a lot of material on youtube channel I linked on top of this post.
*And of course, TESTIMONIES: Now, this is the ultimate evidence. Testimonies from people who expirienced God through miracles. This is real stuff. You can find dosens of material here but, again, here is another youtube channel with some of the stuff you can show them Living For Christ

There you go my friend. I hope I managed to cover lot of important aspects on this subject. Of course, I know there are much more to show but I think that if anyone really want to convert this should be more than enough for them. It's a bit longer post but I think that you should be able to find most of the stuff you need on sources I provided, and if you don't, Google is preety big
Anyway, here you go. I hope God helps you on your journey and remember we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

It seems clear to me that you have never sought out things that would contradict what you have suggested as evidence. If this is true, I would have to ask why? If what you believe can't be falsified, this will be a pointless discussion because,like Ken Hamm, nothing would change your mind.

Ph413 · May 10, 2017

Well, regarding of the evidence I suggested, I think it's self explanatory as you watch it. I started researching this topic so that I can argue and try to convert some friends of mine. At that time, I didn't had enough background in knowing my faith comparing to what I am currently now (I don't say I know everything up and down but it's still decent). I mean, I've read stuff that I posted here, watched videos I posted and that itself made my faith even stronger than it was. I'm still not expirienced regarding this stuff, still growing in my faith and I think, even if you exclude evidence I listed, I think that there is plenty more to find. Only "debatable" issue by my opinion on evidence I listed is the testimonies, but also, regarding how much of it is available and listening to people saying it, their emotion, expressions, I'd doubt possibility that they are lying.

Pretend I'm an atheist. How would you convert me?

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