What's your approach when talking with atheists?

[MelodyJane]

Sometimes I have a hard time when talking to atheists or agnostics because it's so easy for things to devolve... I've been looking for ways to get better at this and came across this article but was hoping for feedback from the community too. How do you approach talking to atheists?

 

[alexandriaisburning]

I'd skip the last suggestion. Arguments for the existence of God are dead ends

 

[Emmy]

Dear MelodyJane. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: love thy neighbour as thyself." In verse 40, we read: "On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters. In Matthew 7: 7-10: we read " Ask and you shall receive," we ask God for Love and Joy, then we thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour.( neighbour is all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends) We keep asking for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour.
The Bible tells us: " Repent and be Born Again," we change from being selfish and unloving-- to loving and caring and be always friendly and compassionate. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and Bless us. We gradually change into the men and women which God wants us to be. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and be kind and give the loving hands at times.
A Christian`s weapon is love and joy, with love and joy we will overcome all wrong behaviour, and only love will change this imperfect world. The Holy Ghost will help and guide us, and Jesus our Saviour will lead us all the way:
JESUS IS THE WAY. To love and be forgiving is what our Heavenly Father wants from us, and love is very catching.
Dear Jane, let us try and be as God wants us to be, let Love change us. I say this with love and send greetings.
From Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Shempster]

Best bet you have is to keep the religious talk out of it. You should just treat them like Christ would. Hopefully they will be attracted to the loving nature of Christ.
If you are a crabby, opinionated, hyper-religious person its probably best if you just stay away from them altogether.

 

[MoonofIsaiah]

How would I know they were atheist?

 

[Kenny'sID]

I haven't developed a good approach yet, I just wing it and hope the spirit takes over but I think I work against that at times.

Anyway, I'll be watching this thread for advice. Or maybe we should give no prior thought to it at all and just go with whatever comes to mind...I haven't decided what's best.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Sometimes I have a hard time when talking to atheists or agnostics because it's so easy for things to devolve... I've been looking for ways to get better at this and came across this article but was hoping for feedback from the community too. How do you approach talking to atheists?

I assume you mean talking to atheists about religion. My general position is to let other people inquire about my beliefs, and I'll do my best to give an answer as to what I believe and why I believe it. So I think it's much better that I continue to think about what I believe and why, rather than trying to find methods of convincing other people why they should believe what I do.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[FireDragon76]

That's really good advice in that article.

If the subject of religion comes up its good to not try to convince people. Atheists often have deep-seated emotions and attitudes about religion and challenging their beliefs or character is a good way to break down conversation altogether and lead to mistrust. Which means that person has even less reason to listen to you in the future.

 

[The-Doctor]

Hey atheists how's it going?

 

[dayhiker]

I have a friend who is an athiest .. but he doesn't give me many openings to talk to him about God.
I do sometimes get to speak of spiritual things, as I assume he is a materialist. But he may not have a well developed view of those topics.
He never talks enough that I know what he really thinks.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Proclaim the gospel to all.

 

[2consider]

Sometimes I have a hard time when talking to atheists or agnostics because it's so easy for things to devolve... I've been looking for ways to get better at this and came across this article but was hoping for feedback from the community too. How do you approach talking to atheists?

Since atheists like to think themselves intellectuals, you have to use logic and reason, and tear apart their ideas of logic and reason. The Bible tells us the word of god is useful, and it is, but it's pointless to use on someone that doesn't believe the bible, so mix a little of it in.
I like to start by pointing out, atheism is a religion.

I should add, science is the prophecy of atheists, and scientists are the profits of atheism. Therefore, knowledge of science is important.