While engaging non-believers, I’ve made a few observations. Moving forward, I’ll need to reconsider each exchange on a case by case basis. It all depends on the disposition of those engaged.
People who don’t believe fall basically into two categories. Category one, those who want to know Truth. What’s this whole thing all about? Category two, those who don’t care about the truth, I call them the Ridiculers.
Just Youtube a debate here and there and you’ll see what I mean about the Ridiculer! Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Bill Mahr, etc., etc., etc. Better yet check a popular Christian Blog and see the posts of non-believer Ridiculers! Please Lord have mercy on their souls, For they know not what they do!
Sound familiar, our Lord prayed for the Ridiculer even as they ridiculed Him on the cross. The cross He died on for their sins.
“I find your worldview entirely repulsive. Creating an imaginary disease so frocked bigots can sell an imaginary cure to the gullible and hopeless is appalling to human sensibilities. It is offensive as it serves no larger purpose than to simply give you an excuse to justify the unjustifiable, and tolerate the intolerable.” ~ Atheists Comment
This was a response on a Comment I posted, supporting a Christian Brother’s view of all of our need for forgiveness. So the bashing began.
I was flabbergasted at the hostility.
It is truly disgusting that this ‘worthless-ness’ is hammered into so many children. They are broken before they have had a decent chance to even begin to fulfill their potential.
How can this not be child abuse?”~atheist response
As I tried to engage in explaining why the Christian blogger felt as he did, and why Christians see sin in a certain way….. all they wanted to do was poke fun at Christianity, and minimize the historicity of the faith, our education and understanding of science, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
They refused to accept any response,……. I mean any response, based on it’s Biblical groundedness, perceived lack of (or refusal to accept) historical proof, unproven scientific hypothetical beginnings of the universe, and other historical religions that originally claimed the basic ideas Christianity presents.
These folks simply don’t want to know Truth. Anything Spiritual, or Supernatural is off limits. But how can you have a legitimate conversation about God without those areas being apart of that discussion.
Here begins the folly of this thought. They claim Christians are closed minded, as if we don’t know about the secular world that surrounds us? As if we didn’t go to public school and learn about evolution? As if I’ve never heard of other religions or studied them? As if every aspect of my faith isn’t constantly under assault by the secular worldview?
Because you know us Christians live with our heads buried in our utopian sand!
They claim we are narrow minded or close minded, but you see I live in their world. I know all it is they espouse (choose not to believe it all), but I have been opened up to a whole other world(the spiritual), one just as real, if not more real than their short sighted worldview.
They won’t even contemplate it! So who’s narrow minded?
Christians to them are an ignorant horde of misguided, delusional, child abusers. That we are out to force our belief on them, just as we do (apparently abusively) with our children. That we punish ourselves with a repressive lifestyle……. Yet they don’t understand I tried it their way first and found I was as miserable as their hate-filled comments indicate they are!
They fail to realize that we are;
” Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11 NASB
And
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” ~John 17:16 ESV
That’s right,……. we are stranger’s, we are aliens, we are not of this world. You see Heaven is our home, because we have become spiritually alive.
Truly, this is anathema to the Ridiculer. But this is joy to the Christian,it isn’t some glum, beat myself in self flagellation for my sin faith, but rather,…….. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice! For in Christ we have been made free!
The Ridiculer’s have become enslaved by their own freedom, which we have already experienced. Interestingly, they think we are enslaved by some imaginary god hobgoblin. But they are mistaken, they’ve got it backwards! Our God has provided a frame work to live in freedom, freedom from the past oppressive, self inflicted wounds perpetrated by our self deluded, self abusing, narcissistic selves!
Some Ridiculers actually say they grew up in faith,…… but you have to wonder what that experience was like, because it wasn’t able to engrave this type of worship on their hearts.
They insult us for faith in the unseeable God, but He is not unknowable, because in this life He is known, and in Christ He is observed in history, and experienced today! The Holy Spirit is ridiculed, but believers know his presence very genuinely and intimately!
Unfortunately, they don’t understand the Bible because 1.) not being made alive in Christ, they are spiritually dead, and 2.) they aren’t open minded to it and don’t really want the truth. Otherwise, their responses to those sharing faith would not be attacks, but actual questions to explore the truth or non-truth of the matter.
The point of proselytizing is not to force faith on one, but to share the hope that we have found in Christ. Even God does not force faith on the unbeliever. He can choose himself. But God has called us to be faithful to the message we have received, and to share it for the sake of every soul.
Take it or leave it, that’s up to them, but in a free society why shouldn’t a Christian be allowed to engage. Tune us out, stay away, but instead the Ridiculer tries to shame us into being quiet, even to the point of pursuing us on our blogs to try and quiet us! Why do they seek us out?
Truly in the instant where I was defending the post explained earlier, they were like a brood of vipers…. wanting to savage our point of view.
Now that’s not everyone out there is it? Absolutely not. I once was there, so were many of you. Wondering what is life all about? Is God real, does He care? Can I know Him?
What is the purpose of the Ridiculer, where these folks are concerned? I truly believe it is to keep those searching for Truth, from the absolute contentment that faith in Christ can provide.
But why should the Ridiculer care? Why indeed!
It’s one thing if they want to be left alone, just say the word and I will let you be.
The blogger I was defending messaged me and said……..
” Thank you for your faithfulness and comments. Sadly there is a wave of atheists who love to hear themselves and always against anything said with ridicule.
What I would advise is for us to let them be. I chose to ignore them unless they raise a relevant objection.
Thank you and God bless. Our fight is not with flesh but evil spirits in them. We are to pray for them and bless them as they curse us.”
And I concur. As Christ said:
“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”~ Matt 10:14 ESV
And
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”~Matt 7:6 ESV
But for those who thirst for knowledge, I will continue to speak hope and peace to their craving. They engage us honestly, wanting to know, wanting to be convinced, and perhaps they will, because …
“8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”~ James 4:8 ESV
The Great Debate? Yes it is! It is Thee most important of questions, but can only be engaged if we can respect each others points and be honest. I desire the best for all. For me, my debate has already been cemented ….. I have heard the arguments, but I know God, and no amount of bashing will change that!
Ponder this as the tolerant loving world ridicules
your faith; these are our enemies, can you love them enough to pray for them? Just as our Lord did? For the Ridiculer, only the spiritual, just like with us, can save them.
Thee Bloomin Idiot 