I was grilled this week

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Brothers and Sisters,

I was grilled by an atheist this week. I wish I knew how to defend my faith better, but I’m not good at it.

He pretty much said that God is just an imaginary friend for adults. He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?

I was left without a response. How would anybody respond to this? I wish I could of have had replied in an educated manner with a reasonable answer.😦
 
I would simply reply that death is not a punishment by God. Life is a gift, but so is death and the greater glory comes after death. The Catholic Church guides us to that greater glory by way of revealed truth.

Now, if I could actually say things like this to others in person, I’d be well on my way. Alas, it’s easier to type than to say “in the moment.” Keep praying!
 
jsaldar said:
Brothers and Sisters,

I was grilled by an atheist this week. I wish I knew how to defend my faith better, but I’m not good at it.

He pretty much said that God is just an imaginary friend for adults. He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?

I was left without a response. How would anybody respond to this? I wish I could of have had replied in an educated manner with a reasonable answer.😦
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Well, questions come and go, and athiests have a mindset that if they do not believe in God, then

POOF

He suddenly doesn’t exist, and he is not needed. Just don’t answer his question for his own sake.
 
jsaldar said:
Brothers and Sisters,

I was grilled by an atheist this week. I wish I knew how to defend my faith better, but I’m not good at it.

He pretty much said that God is just an imaginary friend for adults. He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?

I was left without a response. How would anybody respond to this? I wish I could of have had replied in an educated manner with a reasonable answer.😦
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I go through this all the time. Mostly by Christians. I sometimes feel it’s Satan trying to change my faith. I now go into mental prayer just to get through the moment. Than I’m better suited to move forward. I know the answer! But sometimes one has to just let it be. It’s like a temptation to a fight. A temptation to get you angry. A temptation to move one away from God! And if there is no God, than there can’t be Satan. It is what it is. Dust yourself off and move on. That battle has already been laid for you.
 
If a person who died in a car accident had just repented from a life of sin after having returned to the church and is now experiencing an eternal paradise in heaven, God could have very much been favouring this person. God might have patiently waited through the sinful years of this person’s life and when this person finally returned home God opened the door and welcomed him/her in! If God had delayed death, who is to say that this person wouldn’t have fallen back into sin and possibly lead an unhappy life and possibly fallen into hell!

Athiesm is primarly based on the assumption that heaven and hell does not exist and that God is not intimately involved in every single aspect of our daily lives. I think if you can use these two points as the reference for your arguments, you will be in a good position to defend the faith against militant athiests! 🙂
 
jsaldar said:
Brothers and Sisters,

I was grilled by an atheist this week. I wish I knew how to defend my faith better, but I’m not good at it.

He pretty much said that God is just an imaginary friend for adults. He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?

I was left without a response. How would anybody respond to this? I wish I could of have had replied in an educated manner with a reasonable answer.😦
Click to expand...
“It is easier to tear down than it is to build up.” Don’t feel bad; the difficulty of defending religion vs. defending atheism is a sign of its merit! “Nothing good comes easy.” And if there’s one thing that skepticism is, it’s easy.

If you are confronted with this particular question again, my response would be something like this: It is proper to thank God in all circumstances, even suffering or impending death, such that even if they were in the inverse situation and realized that they were about to die, they should thank God for what life they had been given, and even moreso for bringing them home. While God may or may not have had a direct role in their survival, such experiences, regardless, arouse a heightened awareness and sense of gratitude for the gift of life. While the sentiment may be muddled in expression, it is perfectly reasonable. However, any level headed believer should offer such thanks knowing that tomorrow, they may be the “unfavored” one.
 
jsaldar said:
Brothers and Sisters,

I was grilled by an atheist this week. I wish I knew how to defend my faith better, but I’m not good at it.

He pretty much said that God is just an imaginary friend for adults. He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?

I was left without a response. How would anybody respond to this? I wish I could of have had replied in an educated manner with a reasonable answer.😦
Click to expand...
You haven’t explained if/how/why God can apparently favours people and not others (he’s Sovereign, so he can do what he will, he’s acountable to no one), he hasn’t explained how the universe came about, so I say you win. Personally, when I’m in my car and I avoid getting involved in an accident, I always thank God, and if I got really scared, I cross myself also. perhaps it’s just chance that I avoided a particular accident, perhaps it’s God or an angel’s doing, we’ll never know for sure one way or the other. Think about it, how is that even an argument for the existence or non-existence. Similar to two ants saying that if they don’t see a human being (AKA gigantic, nest-destroying monster) within the next 5 minutes, they’ll dismiss the existence of humans as being the product of their imaginations.

Atheist: someone who is generally angry with God, reacts by denying his existence and will clutch at any and all straws to convince himself that his little denial game is reality. (rant officially over)
 
jsaldar said:
I was grilled by an atheist this week. I wish I knew how to defend my faith better, but I’m not good at it.

He pretty much said that God is just an imaginary friend for adults. He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?
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= Comments observed weekly on CAF, by like-minded atheists. 😃

I try to ignore them. If they were really so convinced that we were all fantasizing, they wouldn’t waste their time with us, and would find their jollies doing other things. In your position I would probably respond with sarcastic “approval” of some sort which would not invite him to go further with any tirade… Such as, “Yeah, ya know, one of these years we’ll all be institutionalized for our supposedly dangerous mental illness – all ____billion of us who believe in some sort of deity.”

Then I’d grin and walk away, assuring him that he must be right because he’s so convinced that he is.
I -]was/-] left without a response.
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(…would have been also appropriate. ;))
 
These people are there for the shock factor and are thinking with their emotions. Even if you did respond, they’d only become more angry and less open to God. You have to meet people where they’re at, and an angry person isn’t at a place yet where they want to have a serious conversation. They just want to rant, yell, and make fun of/weaken people’s faith. 😦
 
MidnightSun12 said:
If a person who died in a car accident had just repented from a life of sin after having returned to the church and is now experiencing an eternal paradise in heaven, God could have very much been favouring this person. God might have patiently waited through the sinful years of this person’s life and when this person finally returned home God opened the door and welcomed him/her in! If God had delayed death, who is to say that this person wouldn’t have fallen back into sin and possibly lead an unhappy life and possibly fallen into hell!

Athiesm is primarly based on the assumption that heaven and hell does not exist and that God is not intimately involved in every single aspect of our daily lives. I think if you can use these two points as the reference for your arguments, you will be in a good position to defend the faith against militant athiests! 🙂
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👍
 
OP, there is no shame in stating that you don’t understand the actions of God. Nobody understands everything in this world, not even Atheists, though some of them like to act as though they do. Remember that with faith comes a certain humility in acknowledging that we are not all-knowing. This doesn’t mean that we are wrong. If he is so confident in his belief that God is just an imaginary friend, ask him how something can be created from nothing.

And don’t be afraid to ask him in detail - most atheists are not particle physicists. 😉
 
holyghost said:
I would simply reply that death is not a punishment by God. Life is a gift, but so is death and the greater glory comes after death. The Catholic Church guides us to that greater glory by way of revealed truth.

Now, if I could actually say things like this to others in person, I’d be well on my way. Alas, it’s easier to type than to say “in the moment.” Keep praying!
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Exactly, death is a gift because if we are in a state of grace, it brings us to eternal life, even if we have to go to Purgatory first. However, if I understand it correctly, Purgatory is an even better place than earth because while we do suffer in Purgatory, we also have the firm hope and knowledge that we will eventually be in Heaven with God for eternity.

Personally, I long for death. No, I am not suicidal. I would never kill myself because I know that to do so is a grave sin and could send me to Hell. However, I do wish that God would just go ahead and take my life. I am sick and tired of this immoral world and I long to be with God for eternity.
 
Bottom line is…Take the time and put in the effort to learn the faith. IMHO, that is the biggest problem we face as a Church. Adults going through the motions and not bothering to continue learning the faith. Hey, I was the same way. I blamed everyone else but me for my lack of knowledge. Believe me, there is so much to learn and so much good information out there that you will be amazed when you start. Get yourself a Catechism if you don’t already have one. Learn to pray the Rosary, because just the 20 Mysteries alone of the Rosary, is a concise teaching on the life of Jesus and Mary. Pick up a book on a favorite Saint and read it. You will find yourself gaining knowlege in leaps and bounds. When you really start to understand what the Catholic Church teaches…You really know you have made the right decision.
 
The Bible says that Atheists are fools:

Psalms 14:1-7 RSV-CE To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good. (2) The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely, that seek after God. (3) They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one. (4) Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD? (5) There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. (6) You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge. (7) O that deliverance for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad.

Psalms 53:1-6 RSV-CE To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none that does good. (2) God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any that are wise, that seek after God. (3) They have all fallen away; they are all alike depraved; there is none that does good, no, not one. (4) Have those who work evil no understanding, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? (5) There they are, in great terror, in terror such as has not been! For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them. (6) O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

Indeed, the Bible is correct. Atheists are fools. They are very foolish to not believe in God. If they continue in their unbelief then when they stand before God as their judge after their death, they will be in terror for God will condemn them to Hell for their unbelief. If they don’t believe in God now, they will find out the Truth when they die and stand before the very God they denied!
 
The only difference between people who die in accidents versus ones who survive is that their alloted time on earth was up.

Jesus tells us, not a bird falls from the sky unless my Father wills it. Some of us are given many years some are given only a few. The fact that we are given life at all is a gift from God.

The same goes for anything in life, some of us are given great talents or are born into great wealth or extreme proverty and anything in between. There is no way to tell which is better or worse.

Some one who is killed in an accident may have gone on to do something wicked, some one who survives, may go on to live a life of debauchery. A short life is not necessarily a bad one, and a long life is not necessarily a good one.
 
jsaldar said:
Brothers and Sisters,

He asked me. Why is it that when people survive some accident they always thank God for their survival? So, what about those that died in the accident, were they not favored by God?

(
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It’s a great question. I think most of the answers offered here so far don’t really address it–I think they address the general “there is no god” argument instead.

The question, I suspect, is “Why did God spare you, but not the others? It looks more like you just got lucky, and the others unlucky. Otherwise, God did you a favor and ignored the others.” When, to use an ideal-typical example, the lone survivor of an airplane crash that killed 50 other people thanks God for his or her survival, it suggest that God abandoned those other 50 people. Perhaps that’s not what the lone survivor means. Perhaps that’s what needs to be explained to the atheist asking the question.

But, at the same time, we always hear people giving credit to Jesus when they play well or win a game, or when they recover from some ailment against all odds, or when they barely avoid tragedy. On the other hand, we never (very rarely anyway) hear people thank god for a bad game, or a loss, or a life-ending disease, etc. We hear people endure those instances gracefully, and perhaps give credit to God for their ability to do so, but we never (or rarely) hear them thank God for those instances. There’s a lot of this in Job and the Psalms (and elsewhere I’m sure), but it doesn’t come out in daily life the way the gratitude for the won games and the saved lives does.

And, *please *don’t call the atheists fools! 😦 You’ll accomplish nothing good in doing so.
 
One of the things I find intriguing is there seems to be an assumption that if we pray that somehow God should answer our prayers by letting us or a loved one get out of death, and if they/we don’t then it somehow proves that God is either impotent, evil, or indifferent. Whether young or old death is an inescapable fact of life. It’s the reality of this universe that there is entropy. Nothing in this universe lasts forever.

Another thing that I find curious is there seems to be an assumption that if God takes a life it is the same as a human taking a life. There are things proper to God and things proper to humans. If a human takes a life it is properly considered murder, because life is not ours to take. When a person dies seemingly prematurely due to disease or an act of nature the temptation is to assume that God either indifferently allowed that person to die, or cruelly murdered that person, or is incapable of answering prayers.

It is assumed that when a life ends at the hand of God it is the same as a life ending at the hands of a human. Our faith and hope is that death is not the end of existence. What is proper to God is that when God takes a life it is merely God calling that person to give an accounting of themselves. When a person dies God has not extinguished their existence, but rather taken them from this extraordinarily short state of existence and depending on our lives on earth we then enter into our final non ending state of existence. Depending on how we chose to live our lives… how we responded to God’s love, treated others, and whether we died in a state of Grace or mortal sin results in either spending eternity with God who is existence and life itself, or cutting ourselves off from God which is a separation from life since God is life. God endowed us with an immortal soul, and in either state we persist eternally either in eternal death, or in eternal life with God. There is no annihilation, provided that our hope is real.
 
Just quietly stand firm with what you believe and repeat that very gently and quietly. In time they will hear you for it. May disagree but accept that you are sincere in what you believe. Don’t argue with them even if they try to get you to. To simply repeat in a gentle way what it is how you believe in God and what God is for you. Try to make it sound personal rather than edcuated answers. Yes they are educated answer but make them you. Believe in what you say and in time they will hear you though may never tell you so. Just stand quietly in your faith and your actions and words will tell those who want to know that yes you believe and what you believe:blush:
 
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