waste time on atheists

[serendipity79]

as some of you may have read some of my posts in the apologetics section, you will see i am quite unsuccessful. Is it simply my lack of knowlege or their lack to open their minds, or is it a combination?
why do i fee like i am wasting my time on them?

Do any of you feel the same?

How can i show them the light?

 

[Big Mouth Nana]

Hi. I have dealt with that on another site that I am a member of. I think that unless God reveals the truth to them, that it is a waste of time. Usually it only brings arguing, and I just drop the subject, and go to another forum.

 

[water_ripple]

as some of you may have read some of my posts in the apologetics section, you will see i am quite unsuccessful. Is it simply my lack of knowlege or their lack to open their minds, or is it a combination?
why do i fee like i am wasting my time on them?

Do any of you feel the same?

How can i show them the light?

Sometimes people resort to being mean if they cannot "win" an argument. They will personally attack or belittle the opinions of others to make their own argument more convincing. Unfortunately, this is human nature and something children are famous for. This represents a parralelle between the maturity level of faith. A stubborn child is usually resentful even when faced with the truth. And remember that we are all children of God.

You cannot change someone else's heart. This is a choice people make for themselves. You are not, however wasting your time. (Even though I am sure you are exasperated.) It is the will of God that all His children come to know and love Him, and you are being effective because you are using debate as a way to get them to at least think about God and His word. This is not useless. It is ultimately up to them to decide if they will accept Christ or turn their faces away. This is beyond your control, however do not give up! God never gave up the chance for our salvation. They have to decide to accept the light (of God) and submit. Some of these may think that God does not exist. This does not matter-God believes in them, but they do ultimately have a choice.

Do not be disheartend. You are effective. You are doing what God has asked. (spreading His gospel) It is not your fault that some refuse to see the truth.

 

[Reformationist]

as some of you may have read some of my posts in the apologetics section, you will see i am quite unsuccessful.

What are you unsuccessful at? What is it that you are trying to accomplish?

Is it simply my lack of knowlege or their lack to open their minds, or is it a combination?

Well, I'm not familiar with your posts in Apologetics but I can tell you that if you're judging your success by how well they embrace your message and whether or not they are converted then you are judging according to criteria you were never commanded to judge by. You, and all Christians, are commanded to spread the Gospel. Someone becoming a believer is an act of God. It is not based on how articulate you are nor is it based on how intelligent they are. It is based on whether God has opened their ears to hear the Gospel. If He hasn't then nothing you say will have any effect. Well actually, it will have an effect. That effect won't be their conversion. Your words of God's love will be an anathema to them and those words will offend them.

Place your trust in God that whatsoever He decrees shall come to pass shall actually come to pass, including who will embrace His Truth.

why do i fee like i am wasting my time on them?

My guess would be that it's because you are placing your faith in your evangelizing rather than in God's ability to gather His flock.

How can i show them the light?

All you can do is all that you've been commanded to do. Learn the Scriptures so that you can present the Truth to them and then do so. Leave the converting up to God.

God bless

 

[SavedByGrace3]

We are men in a rowboat surrounded by a sea filled with drowning people. Some come to the boat and we help them in. Others come to the boat, but then turn away. Then there are others who swim away from the boat, fight your every effort to save them, and even entice you and the others you have saved to jump in. Why waste a lot of time chasing those who are fighting when there are so many who want to be helped in?

What can you do?

 

[admtaylor]

We are men in a rowboat surrounded by a sea filled with drowning people. Some come to the boat and we help them in. Others come to the boat, but then turn away. Then there are others who swim away from the boat, fight your every effort to save them, and even entice you and the others you have saved to jump in. Why waste a lot of time chasing those who are fighting when there are so many who want to be helped in?

What can you do?

You are exactly right. Sometimes you have to heed the advice of this verse:

Matthew 7:6 NIV
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

 

[kimber1]

you mauy not think any good is being done but none of us knows how deeply the seeds are being planted. we can only plant the seed, God is the gardner!

 

[serendipity79]

wow, that was very helpful
thank you

 

[Tarnaak]

as some of you may have read some of my posts in the apologetics section, you will see i am quite unsuccessful. Is it simply my lack of knowlege or their lack to open their minds, or is it a combination?
why do i fee like i am wasting my time on them?

Do any of you feel the same?

How can i show them the light?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

You can provide information, but it is God's will if and when a person "see's the light". Do not inventory your sucesses, for if you have saved one person from eternal death, then you have saved the most important person alive.

Go in peace, with Christ by your side.

Tarnaak

 

[serendipity79]

The row boat analogy is great i have not heard that one before, as the person in the row boat we can not understand why the people would stay in the water. I definately agree that the seed is important too. I suppose planting a seed is one of the most important things we can do.

 

[TCapp]

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. -Isaiah 55:11

 

[Received]

Atheists are human beings -- indeed, many may very well be future converts in waiting. There are two sorts: the intellectual (weak), and the volitional (strong). The latter you will have no luck with; the latter Aquinas, Clement, Origen, Calvin, and Jesus had none as well. It is the former we must focus our attention. Given that atheists are human beings (many Christians fail to see this), what unites us is unity of attention; read the same books as them -- pick up Nietzsche --, try and comprehend their perspective towards life; and most importantly, be yourself. It is the intellectual sorts such as these that are keen at recognizing superficiality and artificiality -- both are the emissions of Christians who try too hard; in their process of missions they fail to see the subjects as people. Love people. Pray for love; pray for honesty; pray for impartiality. These three things -- the first being paramount -- are what people are drawn to; such it was with Jesus, and such it is with His disciples. Also, do not be overzealous, anxious, or condescending. Love is patient, the apostle tells us in the thirteenth chapter of his epistle to the Corinthians. Condescention may sneak in involuntarily, via the quoting of scriptures regarding judgment or rebuke. Eschew such manners. Theological doctrine is not the center of your appeals; Christological doctrine is, and such is revealed through action; theology comes later.

I wish you the best of luck. I find that coming to such a place as this has revealed the true hearts of those I have otherwise considered arrant rebels. Some of the greatest of skeptics came to be known as the most profound of Christians. Only after their conversion did they come to realize that all the vexation involved with the truth was indeed a progression -- and not a revolt -- towards the absolute. So it goes with us all. As Pascal once said, the heart has its reasons that its own mind knows nothing of. While this is magnificantly true, it must be known that the heart is accessed first through the mind, and the comprehension that entails it. This is your job -- and quite an exhilerating job it is. Read C.S. Lewis, Chesterton, and anyone profound in regards to apologetic literature. Great modern day thinkers include Peter Kreeft, J.P. Moreland, William Lane Craig, Dallas Willard, R.C. Sproul, and Ravi Zacharaias. I personally recommend the first two -- with Lewis and Chesterton.

Again, the best of luck.

Blessings.

 

[ByGrace]

I think the interaction with Peter and Jesus is a strong indicator of our position.

Jesus told Peter to throw in his NETS and Peter agreed to throw in his NET. While this was only partial obedience, he was rewarded with a very large catch. Jesus then told him that he would be a fisher of men.

Basically, all we are commanded to do is throw out the net. It is up to Jesus to fill it up.

Those early fishermen caught fish and then killed them. Jesus wants us to throw out the net into which will be caught dead men that He can then make alive.

Throw out your net. At the great judgment day you might just be surprised at the catch that was made by your faithfulness. We will never know the effect we have had for Jesus until that day.

 

[Ken]

in line with tcap's point, God's word does indeed always accomplish God's will.... but that does not necessarily always mean that accomplish=conversion.... when God's word is rejected by hardened sinners, God's word accomplishes the increase of wrath towards the unrepentant sinner.... (Rom 2:5 NNAS) But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,"