When Someone Refuses to Learn About God, What Do You Do?

[StanJ]

I was on a forum having a long discussion about God and the Bible. It was fine until the Holocaust was brought up. I mentioned how God would lift his protection on people if they rejected his ways, theorizing that that's why the Holocaust happened. God lifted his protection, and the devil stepped in to terrorize them as he's done in the past, hence Exodus and Judges. But then this man I spoke with stated that turning away from dead people made God as bad as Hitler.
Angrily, I brought up the book of Revalations and how this guy clearly never read it, and somehow thinks he can judge God when he doesn't know anything about him. Obviously, he was looking for bad points about God instead of trying to learn about it, so I left. But he'll obviously reply, so I don't want to go back. But a part of me keeps wondering.
How do you try to forget about it? He doesn't want knowledge. What do you do in a time like this?

You do exactly what Jesus told his disciples to do, you brush off your feet and move on. Even Jesus himself could not do all he was able to do because of unbelief in his own country.

 

[Julie.S]

You can not force someone to read about God it is their choice at least I believe it is. Doing so will probably just make the situation worse. I would say drop it and just stop in a respectful way.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Why should I care what Romans 9 says?

Why should you care about any part of the bible? And if you agree, why are you even here?

Dear OP: you are in the wrong section. Please have your thread moved to a Christians-only section. Otherwise you'll just have non-Christians harassing you.

Bingo. See to some what should be about you here, becomes about them...selfish opportunists. Also this is an opportunity for some to tear down instead of trying to build up, and we've all seen it before, someone comes to a board distraught about something and it's simply in the hearts of some people to play their little game of trying to get under that posters skin, see if they can upset them worse. I've seen a lot worse than what went on here so not too bad in this case but could be a contributor.

On the subject matter that brought you here... You may have been right on with your assessment of why the holocaust, however, there are certain things that just aren't going to go over, whether they are right or wrong. People that had family involved or whatever, their feelings run deep on something like this and any kind of judgment (even though you really judged no one) at all in cases like this are going to be fodder for hurt, hence disagreement. Or if you were dealing with Atheists or people who hate God, like here, that's just going to happen. Do your best, then wipe the dust from your feet and move on.

Continuing to look into it like you are doing here in order to better deal with this type thing next time around is admirable and a good idea in my view.

 

[chandraclaws]

I did that. I quit chatting with him after he greatly insulted God. The question is, what do you do afterwards?

Pray.

 

[Nithavela]

No it's not. A bodyguard has a better idea of how to protect someone than the one who wants protection and doesn't know how to do it herself.

Wait. No. I'm not discussing this. The thread has been ruined because this new topic has derailed the thred from the original topic. I'm going somewhere else for advice, somewhere that won't blame me for anti-Semitism or claim that God sent the devil to kill Jews.

I came here to cool off, and any posts that do help me are overshadowed by this holocaust topic. This is not helping me calm down.

You may not have seen it on your way in, but this is the DISCUSSION forum, not the cool down area.

Go out and take a walk or something. Maybe to a church and pray?

 

[quatona]

I was on a forum having a long discussion about God and the Bible. It was fine until the Holocaust was brought up. I mentioned how God would lift his protection on people if they rejected his ways, theorizing that that's why the Holocaust happened. God lifted his protection, and the devil stepped in to terrorize them as he's done in the past, hence Exodus and Judges. But then this man I spoke with stated that turning away from dead people made God as bad as Hitler.

Angrily, I brought up the book of Revalations and how this guy clearly never read it, and somehow thinks he can judge God when he doesn't know anything about him. Obviously, he was looking for bad points about God instead of trying to learn about it, so I left. But he'll obviously reply, so I don't want to go back. But a part of me keeps wondering.

How do you try to forget about it? He doesn't want knowledge. What do you do in a time like this?

You repeat the same theory on a different forum, and get similar results from those who disagree with you?

 

[quatona]

Maybe. But I think attempting to insult God pretty much states that he didn't want to learn.

Maybe he wasn´t even aware that you framed this conversation as a teacher-student relationship?
Maybe he felt it was a discussion among peers in which each person could give their honest opinion?
Or, maybe, he even felt it was upon him to teach you something?

I brought in some pretty good answers, and the discussion lasted ever since yesterday. I even brought up how God lifting his protection and bringing it back once people cried out to him was a very common theme in the Bible.

Had he agreed on the premise that the bible is authoritative?

Still, I don't want to go back to discussing it with him because I would probably say something awful and get myself banned if I had to see another insult to God like that.

It seems to me that if you can´t stand people telling you their honest opinion about your god concept apologetics and proselytizing is not for you.

 

[pdudgeon]

Then why do you think God allowed it? I'm sure God didn't kill them to protect them, let alone bring their death by His hand. Plus, God allowed the Egyptians to enslave the Israelites, and he allowed the Philistine to terrorize them, even slaughter many. Also, I said it was a theory. I have no real proof, but the fact remains the holocaust happened, and there's a reason God did not stop it before it happened.

Here's an article on God lifting his hand of protection.

https://redeeminggod.com/god-sometimes-withdraws-protection/

This does not say it's God's fault the devil killed them, and neither do I say that.

Btw, I asked a question, and I expect an answer about situations involving what you would do when you get in a position where you meet someone who refuses to learn about God, not to put yourself in my shoes. I created this thread for advice for cooling myself down spiritually, and I will not be falsely or mistakenly accused of anti-Semitism or nazism. If you can't answer the main question of the thread (which happens to also be the title), maybe you shouldn't post on this thread. Forgive me if I'm agitated, but I need spiritual cooling, not a lecture on something I never said.

the answer to your question is that yes, God does allow us to try out our own solutions to life's problems, and He has done so from the very beginning.
He knows us so well!
Sometimes that's the only way for men to see where an idea will lead them.

But if the idea is from satan, following it will take them where they don't want to go,
it will cause them to remain longer than they want to stay,
and the resulting experience will be one that they don't want to remember.

I think your antagonist proved that in his answers to you.

 

[Oafman]

So, you ask about people who "refuse to learn about God", but then you go on to describe a lengthy discussion you had with someone about God and the Bible. Given that this person was prepared to have a long discussion on these topics, it doesn't sound like they 'refused to learn about God'. It sounds like they were prepared to learn and discuss, but reached different conclusions to you.

 

[Chris B]

I did that. I quit chatting with him after he greatly insulted God. The question is, what do you do afterwards?

Check mentally to see if there is the slightest possibility that they might have been correct.
If your views are so perfect and indisputable that they are never going to need either major or minor adjustment, or completely re-thinking, then congratulations are in order: you have arrived at perfection.

However, since you are a human being this is incredibly unlikely.
Check again.

 

[Chris B]

In person it become a real test of kindness and the ability to dialogue, which is good.

The ability to dialogue is vastly improved by some trace of being able to appreciate different perspectives, and their groundings *on their own terms* rather than just dismissing such "... without even a consideration".
If someone engaged with me and my world-view on those terms, is there any particular reason why I might not, in a spirit of equality and reciprocity, dismiss that person and their perspective without a consideration as well?
(They have set the "rules of engagement" after all.)

Chris

 

[AirPo]

Why should you care about any part of the bible? And if you agree, why are you even here?

I was invited.

 

[Tiny Bible]

I was on a forum having a long discussion about God and the Bible. It was fine until the Holocaust was brought up. I mentioned how God would lift his protection on people if they rejected his ways, theorizing that that's why the Holocaust happened. God lifted his protection, and the devil stepped in to terrorize them as he's done in the past, hence Exodus and Judges. But then this man I spoke with stated that turning away from dead people made God as bad as Hitler.

Angrily, I brought up the book of Revalations and how this guy clearly never read it, and somehow thinks he can judge God when he doesn't know anything about him. Obviously, he was looking for bad points about God instead of trying to learn about it, so I left. But he'll obviously reply, so I don't want to go back. But a part of me keeps wondering.

How do you try to forget about it? He doesn't want knowledge. What do you do in a time like this?

You've done all that you were called or felt drawn to do.
Maybe what you've said planted a seed in their minds that will blossom so as to realize the truth later on. The Bible was inspired by God. If you encounter people that don't believe that, or ridicule you for holding faith in that, that's their choice. Not everyone chooses to be saved. Some because they know themselves well enough they don't feel worthy of better than what they are or what they'll receive in the end.
Some because they're absolutely certain it is nonsense and they're happy to not accept any part of Christianity is true. Those type you'll never see on a Christian forum though.

Or any religious forum for that matter. Because they're so sure that there is no such thing as God or Christ that they'd never bother to go where God and Christ take up residence in the hearts of those who believe. And because should they do that they'd prove themselves hypocrites or worse for their own presence there.

I knew a guy when I first got on the Net. It was a Bible study forum and he was an avowed hard core atheist. He'd been in residence at this site for years. One day in chat room someone asked why he'd been there for years if he was so determined to remain an unbeliever.
I guess no one had posed that question before but regardless he decided to apparently speak the truth. He loved to harass the faithful in their own personal space. And it gave him something to chuckle about with his friends when he returned to an atheist forum he was a moderator for.

Be aware the Net isn't the beacon for truth tellers. You yourself witness that there are enemies of Christ posting on a forum every minute and for pages. And for years at that.

You did your best. All who come to God are led by him. Don't feel responsible if that lost one you tried to persuade to the truth never comes around. It really isn't in your hands.

 

[Tiny Bible]

The logical reason is that the Christian god desired the holocaust more than he desired stopping it.

You're wrong.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT. My exact wording was, "God lifted his protection, and the devil took adventage of the situation." Where, exactly, do I say I approve of that in anyway. I don't. And nothing in my exact wording vaguely resembles it. Don't you DARE insinuate that I approve of the holocaust!

You don't approve of God lifting His protection? You don't approve of God's actions?

And this isn't a thread about what I did! I asked you what you do whenever you come across something like that.

Personally, I'd figure out pretty quickly that I was using a seriously wrong approach... as I hope you have by now.

 

[Gwen-is-new!]

I was on a forum having a long discussion about God and the Bible. It was fine until the Holocaust was brought up. I mentioned how God would lift his protection on people if they rejected his ways, theorizing that that's why the Holocaust happened. God lifted his protection, and the devil stepped in to terrorize them as he's done in the past, hence Exodus and Judges. But then this man I spoke with stated that turning away from dead people made God as bad as Hitler.

Angrily, I brought up the book of Revalations and how this guy clearly never read it, and somehow thinks he can judge God when he doesn't know anything about him. Obviously, he was looking for bad points about God instead of trying to learn about it, so I left. But he'll obviously reply, so I don't want to go back. But a part of me keeps wondering.

How do you try to forget about it? He doesn't want knowledge. What do you do in a time like this?

You pray that our Lord will draw the person in, and make Himself KNOWN to this person.. You calm yourself spiritually by praying for this person, and trusting God.

Meditate on the scriptures about lost people - how light doesn't have fellowship with darkness, and the foolishness of this world, and how the enemy is ruler of this world for now. Praise and thank God that He saved you!!

Allow your interaction with this hostile person to increase your faith and love for the lost. Know that you planted seeds, and trust that the Lord will open other doors for you to share Truth with others. No doubt your anger and angst will turn to peace and joy.

 

[Gwen-is-new!]

I NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT. My exact wording was, "God lifted his protection, and the devil took adventage of the situation." Where, exactly, do I say I approve of that in anyway. I don't. And nothing in my exact wording vaguely resembles it. Don't you DARE insinuate that I approve of the holocaust!

And this isn't a thread about what I did! I asked you what you do whenever you come across something like that.

Jed - did you mean to put your OP in this forum? Please don't subject yourself to more hostility until you can calm down as to not blow your witness, and remember what Jesus said - John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

[smaneck]

Then why do you think God allowed it?

For the same reason He allowed all the other genocides. For the same reason He allows innocent children to suffer at the hands of brutal parents. God simply doesn't interfere in human choices. He offers us guidance on how we should act. He doesn't stop us if reject that guidance and choose to kill each other instead. The blame lies solely with those who committed those atrocities. It doesn't lie with the victims. It doesn't lie with God.

 

[smaneck]

PS: mentioning the Holocaust and claiming that it was a result of Jews rejecting God is not good apologetics.

This

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

How do you try to forget about it? He doesn't want knowledge. What do you do in a time like this?

Move on and leave him alone.