Fullness of Life in Christ?

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“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).

I’m looking for some suggestions as to how to present this reality to atheists and agnostics.

I’ve read in multiple places online this type of argument: “Hey, all ye believers, look at me! I live a fulfilled life! I don’t need Christ! (Thus Christ doesn’t exist.)” I also have some friends, whom I don’t know so well that I can reflect on their interiors; they too are atheists and live very good, kind lives that don’t seem to be lacking.

I’m not sure how to breach this subject, as the argument – “Christ is Life” – falls flat, in that it becomes non-unique, as they too have “Life” without Christ. (Of course, we understand life in Christ much differently.)

Saying something like “You’re almost there” is fine, but I think that, in situations like the aforementioned one, the Holy Spirit inspiring conversion will be the key.

What would help me is a suggested step-by-step “argument” to present to these individuals when in conversation with them? I do my absolute best to live first with love and actions, using words only when necessary, but as a student missionary on my college campus, the atheist surety that they’re not missing out anything is the only thing that terrifies me. Catholic apologetics? I can probably handle those. :o

Many don’t believe in as deep of a sense of the spiritual as we do – explaining to them the potential for unitive prayer, for uniting with God in love, as Teresa of Avila understood it, won’t do any good, IMO. And many don’t fear God, so to understand Him as the source for all life is difficult.

Is there anyone with personal experience? Any atheist-to-Catholic converts out there? Any suggestions?

Part of it is pride on the atheist’s part, but humility is required to understand.

Where to start?
 
Here’s what you do.

In the world, to win a fight, you get the opponent to fight on your terms to give yourself an advantage.

In heaven, to win a fight, you only have to open yourself up to the opponent. When you “turn the other cheek” you are willing to let them fight you on their home turf and terms. With Christ, we are empowered to do that without fear. But when we fight by turning the other cheek, they will believe they won the fight because you went to their house and suddenly there is no conflict.

In other words, if we are fishers of men, we need bait and the fish had better not recognize the hook or they’ll never bite.

Alternately, if we are a lamb among wolves, then it might be good if the wolves didn’t know I wasn’t another wolf. See 1 Cor 9:19-23.

So put the religious truths of Jesus as Christ in the locker for now, and start using the term “Christ” (you know, but they won’t, that you are referring to the Spirit of Christ resurrected and not Jesus the God-Man) to identify something in the atheist’s world the roughly correlates to what is meant by the term “Christ” as used by Christians. Actually, some non-Christians who believe in a similar thing actually use the word “Christ consciousness” and pay heed to the words of Jesus, although they do not believe Jesus was God-Man any more or less than you or I are.

So the trick is to beat them at their own game, speaking their own language. That takes our arguments beyond the intellectual and allows them, by empathy with their own experiences, to become experiences in themselves, rather than just talk.

There are myriad resources out that. Coincidentally, a couple days ago a facebook friend published a video which did a splendid job of explaining spiritual v. physical, and the unity of all in God. Now get this: the poster herself does not identify herself as a Christian, or as a member of any other religion I know of.

Here’s the video she posted, part 1. All four parts are 37 minutes, but they are worth it. I can’t see how any Christian or even open minded non-Christian can watch this without learning anything. If I were teaching Christianity, I’d make this required viewing:

Unity Consciousness, Part 1 of 4. (about 37 minutes total, but the first few minutes give you the flavor)

There is also a movie that IMO does an incredible job at reconciling atheism and other religions with Christianity. Be careful, though, and watch with open mind. If something offends you, ignore it and go on. I’m recommending this for YOU, not THEM, although they might like it too.

Lord, Save us from Your Followers: Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing America?

These are a couple ideas how to get started. I hope they help. 🙂

Alan
 
FCEGM said:
Only recommend this to someone who is looking to turn from Christ and embrace pantheism.
Click to expand...
I can see how it would come across that way. it didn’t to me. it showed that there are people who know how to act as a christian intuitively, whether they are labeled that or not. i thought the entire film made the case that belonging to Christian religion and being Christlike are to different things. I tend to agree, in practice.

Alan
 
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