What would you advise an atheist who is willing to seek God for a few months?

[Clare73]

Besides the complex socio-political issues, the challenge can be regarded as a reasonably sceptical request to know precisely what the argument is about, and how any serious theory of the world might settle it. It certainly wouldn’t be sufficient merely to appeal to internal rules and roles, they’re going to have sort through these and related complexities in understanding people’s intuitive responses. But that, in this particularly, one would have to have an intuition attuned to God and not the imagination. Kinda cache 22.

That's why none of it can be done without the Holy Spirit.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I think the answer to that question depends on the person, doesn't it? You would get different answers if you pose the question to a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Christian, a Hinduist, an atheist, etc. Anyways, what is the point?

Of course it depends on the person. That is the starting point for all of us: the person. Small experiential steps.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Atheists do not believe in the existence of God nor anything supernatural. They do not believe that there is a spiritual realm, nor souls, spirits, angels, demons, miracles, paranormal phenomena, occultism, demon possessions, afterlife, reincarnation, psychic abilities, spiritual gifts, etc. In other words, they reject pretty much anything that goes beyond the physical and what is conventionally accepted by science.

Having said that, suppose you've been in conversations about the existence of God with an atheist for quite a while, say, several weeks, and this atheist, kind of fed up with the topic, finally says to you: "Oh, come on. I'm tired of this annoying, never-ending discussion. You know what? Let's make a deal. I will give God a last chance. Three months. If nothing happens in three months, you can forget about wasting any more of my time".

Suppose that the atheist, despite his/her inherent skepticism, is an intellectually honest guy/girl and he/she is willing to do things the "right" way during those three months. In other words, if you give them instructions about what to do those 3 months, the atheist is willing to try their best to honestly follow the instructions (i.e. despite their atheism, they are willing to take this 3-month experiment very seriously).

Question: what instructions would you give to this atheist for their 3-month experiment? Please, be as specific as possible.

Also, keep in mind that atheists like this are very rare. Most atheists wouldn't even think of "wasting their time" for that long.
_______________________

Note about why I'm posting this on the sign gifts subforum: The atheist in this story is not really sure about what to expect for those 3 months, but we can infer that he/she is expecting a sign or miracle from God of some sort. Of course, God is all powerful and there is not limit to His creativity, so it's kind of futile to attempt to prescribe how He is supposed to "reveal himself" to the atheist. He can surprise an atheist in a million different ways. Now, given that most people who are active in this subforum believe that signs and miracles from God are still possible, I thought that this would be an appropriate environment to ask a question like this. (But feel free to let me know if there is a better subforum for the question.)

I would propose this person be asked to just sit in a perpetual adoration chapel two hours a week for the duration of the three months. AM or PM, in several short segments or whatever.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Atheists do not believe in the existence of God nor anything supernatural. They do not believe that there is a spiritual realm, nor souls, spirits, angels, demons, miracles, paranormal phenomena, occultism, demon possessions, afterlife, reincarnation, psychic abilities, spiritual gifts, etc. In other words, they reject pretty much anything that goes beyond the physical and what is conventionally accepted by science.

Having said that, suppose you've been in conversations about the existence of God with an atheist for quite a while, say, several weeks, and this atheist, kind of fed up with the topic, finally says to you: "Oh, come on. I'm tired of this annoying, never-ending discussion. You know what? Let's make a deal. I will give God a last chance. Three months. If nothing happens in three months, you can forget about wasting any more of my time".

Suppose that the atheist, despite his/her inherent skepticism, is an intellectually honest guy/girl and he/she is willing to do things the "right" way during those three months. In other words, if you give them instructions about what to do those 3 months, the atheist is willing to try their best to honestly follow the instructions (i.e. despite their atheism, they are willing to take this 3-month experiment very seriously).

Question: what instructions would you give to this atheist for their 3-month experiment? Please, be as specific as possible.

Also, keep in mind that atheists like this are very rare. Most atheists wouldn't even think of "wasting their time" for that long.
_______________________

Note about why I'm posting this on the sign gifts subforum: The atheist in this story is not really sure about what to expect for those 3 months, but we can infer that he/she is expecting a sign or miracle from God of some sort. Of course, God is all powerful and there is not limit to His creativity, so it's kind of futile to attempt to prescribe how He is supposed to "reveal himself" to the atheist. He can surprise an atheist in a million different ways. Now, given that most people who are active in this subforum believe that signs and miracles from God are still possible, I thought that this would be an appropriate environment to ask a question like this. (But feel free to let me know if there is a better subforum for the question.)

I think I would ask God what I should say to them since God himself is going to need to respond to the matter. I would not presume to suggest an experiment whereby He has to do what I suggest. He needs to suggest to me what He would want me to do so He can do what He wants to do.

 

[Anthony2019]

You sound to me to be a very reasonable, rational and intelligent person and I admire your honest questioning.
I sometimes wish that some of the faithful believers I know had the same attitude as you. Perhaps we think we know too much and have nothing to learn. Maybe we have been in the faith so long that we have forgotten who we are, where we have come from and that we are part of the human family. We have lost all sense of human kindred and humility.
I have had a Christian faith for many years, but I have a lot to learn from people like you. Theologically, there are many areas where we will differ in our views and opinions. I frequently exchange in dialogue with unbelievers and sometimes wish I was as compassionate, caring and understanding in my life as they are in their own.
Let me now answer your original question.
Is it possible to believe in God without absolute scientific evidence that He exists?
I encourage you to carry out the following experiment.
For the next three months, take a break from your scientific questioning. Instead of answering the questions what, when, and how, try to answer the question "why".
- the world and the universe were created, but why?
- we were created, but why and for what purpose?
- We were born, we live our lives and eventually we will die. Why? What is the purpose behind it all?

 

[Carl Emerson]

What I have done in the past to some effect is to challenge the atheist to conduct an experiment - as science is the pivot of his/her reality.

The experiment is to ask God over a period (if he is real) to convince you of Himself by whatever means, until you can no longer question His existence.

He that seeks will find...

Personally I dont think God has a problem with this approach if folks are seeking Truth with a sincere heart.

 

[Clare73]

I personally have never had a supernatural experience myself, so actually, just like you, answers to this question interests me a lot on a personal level. However, I do believe in the supernatural after having investigated tons and tons of testimonies. In my opinion, the testimonial evidence for the supernatural is just overwhelming. That said, I've personally known a few atheists, including a close relative, who are kind of in the situation I described in the OP and would need a personal experience to change their minds. In the case of my close relative, we've had long hours of discussions, in which I shared with him tons of powerful testimonies I've come across in my investigations, but he's still skeptical. The only thing that would change his mind is a personal experience.

So I was thinking that maybe a good compromise would be to offer him a time-bound challenge as the one described in the OP, but the specific details (what instructions he would have to follow) are not yet clear to me.

Regarding what I would say if the experiment didn't work for him, I don't know. It would depend on the specific instructions he followed.

The problem is that God doesn't operate on those terms, he doesn't bargain with us.

We either accept him or reject him. There is no walking both sides of the street in between.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Atheists do not believe in the existence of God nor anything supernatural. They do not believe that there is a spiritual realm, nor souls, spirits, angels, demons, miracles, paranormal phenomena, occultism, demon possessions, afterlife, reincarnation, psychic abilities, spiritual gifts, etc. In other words, they reject pretty much anything that goes beyond the physical and what is conventionally accepted by science.

Having said that, suppose you've been in conversations about the existence of God with an atheist for quite a while, say, several weeks, and this atheist, kind of fed up with the topic, finally says to you: "Oh, come on. I'm tired of this annoying, never-ending discussion. You know what? Let's make a deal. I will give God a last chance. Three months. If nothing happens in three months, you can forget about wasting any more of my time".

Suppose that the atheist, despite his/her inherent skepticism, is an intellectually honest guy/girl and he/she is willing to do things the "right" way during those three months. In other words, if you give them instructions about what to do those 3 months, the atheist is willing to try their best to honestly follow the instructions (i.e. despite their atheism, they are willing to take this 3-month experiment very seriously).

Question: what instructions would you give to this atheist for their 3-month experiment? Please, be as specific as possible.

Also, keep in mind that atheists like this are very rare. Most atheists wouldn't even think of "wasting their time" for that long.
_______________________

Note about why I'm posting this on the sign gifts subforum: The atheist in this story is not really sure about what to expect for those 3 months, but we can infer that he/she is expecting a sign or miracle from God of some sort. Of course, God is all powerful and there is not limit to His creativity, so it's kind of futile to attempt to prescribe how He is supposed to "reveal himself" to the atheist. He can surprise an atheist in a million different ways. Now, given that most people who are active in this subforum believe that signs and miracles from God are still possible, I thought that this would be an appropriate environment to ask a question like this. (But feel free to let me know if there is a better subforum for the question.)

Oh. This one is easy. I would say to the atheist to go into a private place. Like a bathroom or something and pray. You may not believe in God, but you can still pray out loud and say, "God, if you truly exist, I ask that you please reveal yourself to me. You alone know more than anyone else what will lead me to a saving faith. So I am asking that you reveal that to me." Then you wait... Simple as that.

 

[4UallPraise]

That's why none of it can be done without the Holy Spirit.

and discernment.

 

[After God's Heart]

Ephesians 2:8-9

8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.


It is by the grace of God that the Truth is revealed to Christians. We don't deserve it, we can't save ourselves or each other, there isn't a one size fits all 3 month recipe.

That being said, if it's in God's will, an atheist can absolutely become a Christian and turn their lives over to Christ in 3 months, everything and anything is possible through God.

Matthew 19:25-26
“Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Also worth noting:

Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Some Christians come to faith from reading the Bible, some receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a friend, some hear the Gospel from listening to a sermon, some people grew up in a Christian home and learned of the Gospel from their families. As far as the pivotal moment where the Truth finally clicks -- well, there are all kinds of testimonies of people being saved while deep in addictions, in the midst of grief, after having dreams, after someone has been praying for them, in prison, turning away from other religions... God sent Jesus to save *whoever* believes in Him, so while a Christian may plant seeds in sharing the Gospel with their atheist friend, ultimately it is God that extends that gift of salvation.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.


I would highly recommend that the sincere atheist in question uses the 3 months to read the entirety of the Bible (my personal preference is to follow chronological order because you get the big picture story from the beginning of time to the end of time, but a lot of folks like to begin with the gospels in the New Testament) to ask their Christian friends/acquaintances to pray for him, to continue asking a lot of questions, and to also ask God to reveal Himself.

 

[BrotherDave]

You know what? Let's make a deal. I will give God a last chance. Three months. If nothing happens in three months, you can forget about

Well, as mentioned we can’t dictate time constraints when it comes to belief in God. How are we to give God a chance?? We are on His timetable (Prov 20:22) not ours. That said, I would advise this person to get a bible and humbly read a few chapters of it every day, it is the sword of the spirit (Heb 4:12). Attend church and really listen. The challenge with the bible and church though is to approach both with an open mind. All humanistic viewpoints must be abandoned. Easier said than done.

This person has to understand the bible to be truth. It was written over thousands of years and we have the vantage point of being able to look back and see all the early predictions that were made and how they came true and how things are unfolding before our very eyes (prediction of the explosion of homosexuality and falling away of churches, for example)

He also should not expect some supernatural event to occur. Recall the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 where the Lord said

“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

Maybe suggest reading scripture about how God created everything good for eternity but by mans disobedience death came. And the only way to escape death is through the Lord Jesus Christ who has borne the wrath of God for those who believe; that they may have eternal life.

If God wills it, He will draw this person closer to Himself (Phil 2:13, Eph 2:8). If after 3 months nothing seems to have changed, don’t despair. Perhaps a seed was planted. We don’t know what God does in another heart.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Atheists do not believe in the existence of God nor anything supernatural. They do not believe that there is a spiritual realm, nor souls, spirits, angels, demons, miracles, paranormal phenomena, occultism, demon possessions, afterlife, reincarnation, psychic abilities, spiritual gifts, etc. In other words, they reject pretty much anything that goes beyond the physical and what is conventionally accepted by science.

Having said that, suppose you've been in conversations about the existence of God with an atheist for quite a while, say, several weeks, and this atheist, kind of fed up with the topic, finally says to you: "Oh, come on. I'm tired of this annoying, never-ending discussion. You know what? Let's make a deal. I will give God a last chance. Three months. If nothing happens in three months, you can forget about wasting any more of my time".

Suppose that the atheist, despite his/her inherent skepticism, is an intellectually honest guy/girl and he/she is willing to do things the "right" way during those three months. In other words, if you give them instructions about what to do those 3 months, the atheist is willing to try their best to honestly follow the instructions (i.e. despite their atheism, they are willing to take this 3-month experiment very seriously).

Question: what instructions would you give to this atheist for their 3-month experiment? Please, be as specific as possible.

Also, keep in mind that atheists like this are very rare. Most atheists wouldn't even think of "wasting their time" for that long.
_______________________

Note about why I'm posting this on the sign gifts subforum: The atheist in this story is not really sure about what to expect for those 3 months, but we can infer that he/she is expecting a sign or miracle from God of some sort. Of course, God is all powerful and there is not limit to His creativity, so it's kind of futile to attempt to prescribe how He is supposed to "reveal himself" to the atheist. He can surprise an atheist in a million different ways. Now, given that most people who are active in this subforum believe that signs and miracles from God are still possible, I thought that this would be an appropriate environment to ask a question like this. (But feel free to let me know if there is a better subforum for the question.)

I would say you need to have an open heart and mind. You can not just wake up, and say "nothing has happened", for each of the days. You need to have an enquiring mind. You need to investigate what it really is to be a Christian.

But just a word of encouragement, and I guess a warning, I saw very few miracles in my early walk with God. It comes down to being humble enough to receive what sight God may give, even outside of a miracle.

I would also suggest that you approach God humbly, saying something like: "God your word states that you are not willing that any should perish", that "you are long-suffering", "I have not seen anything that would make me think you are real, could you please reveal yourself to me".

 

[angelsaroundme]

God is the voice you hear in the quiet, the peace found in the stillness, the light that shines upon you soul. Maybe that voice asks for a vulnerability your not willing to give. Like any relationship, it has to be both ways. You can choose to ignore or block God out. But God is still there just as the sun is waiting behind the curtain. If you remove the barrier and draw near to God, His spirit will rest upon your soul.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Tritt,

Why did you put a prayer icon on my post? Do you think I NEED prayer because of my thoughts?
Were you volunteering to stand with me in prayer on such a matter? I’m not in that position currently but it is my habit to ask God what to do in situations and He usually gives instructions. Is this strange? Read about how the men of God operated in the Bible. You’ll see a similar pattern.

 

[tturt]

Would encourage them to read "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Haven't seen the movie.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

God is the voice you hear in the quiet, the peace found in the stillness, the light that shines upon you soul. Maybe that voice asks for a vulnerability your not willing to give. Like any relationship, it has to be both ways. You can choose to ignore or block God out. But God is still there just as the sun is waiting behind the curtain. If you remove the barrier and draw near to God, His spirit will rest upon your soul.

Sounds kind of like Zen. God spoke out loud to men too. Some thought it had thundered it was so loud. His spirit rests on those who obey Him, not like a kind of fog surrounding and enveloping everyone in a kind gentle blanket no matter how they behave towards others.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Would encourage them to read "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Haven't seen the movie.

I’m sure that is cheap to say, requires no love nor friendship and that book is not even inspired.

 

[tturt]

Lee Strobel was an atheist and became a Christian after doing the research. Since it sold 5 mil copies, then others found it inspired.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Lee Strobel was an atheist and since it sold 5 mil copies, then others found it inspired.

Did it result if 5 mil converts to Christianity?

I have it and have read it. I have read the Bible through many times and Strobel's book wasn't inspired. It is well written. CS Lewis Mere Christianity is closer to inspired and better written. Harry Potter sold millions of copies and is not inspired by God. The number of copies does not indicate whether a book is inspired or not.

The point is the answer shows no love for the person asking the question and costs the one who gives this advise nothing at all. IT is a one answer good for all but not what Jesus did when talking to individuals. By the Holy Spirit He spoke what was particuarly penetrating for the receiver, very individual and full of love for the person he was speaking to. "Read a book" is none of the above.

 

[tturt]

Why not just recommend Mere Christianity?

That's right - we dont know how many converted after reading it so that would rule out that recommendation as well.