Why should any Atheist consider becoming a Christian?

[SeraficLeo]

But without a problem why search for a solution?

This to me, personally at least, seems to be in large part how the devil tries to seduce Christians away from the Faith or instructing our children in it. Give us false material hopes for prosperity and ‘to keep busy.’ Working is virtuous, of course, but it can easily consume. I think we can get accustomed to seemingly solving our problems by our own wit and effort, then step by step, the problems become insurmountable. But the habit and mentality of trying to overcome them by yourself does not. This can lead people to even final dispair. I think sometimes God slowly allows people to become undone to prevent idolatry, to get us to search beyond ourselves or to desire more or other than meets our eyes but fades.

 

[Mike_from_NJ]

It’s right there in the Psalter:

“A fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’.” Psalm 14:1

Don’t be foolish,
Deacon Christopher

I never ever can wrap my head around this apologetics device. Imagine if you heard a Rastafarian say “Only a fool would say Haile Salassie is not God” or a Scientologists say “Fools are those who don’t believe in thetans,” would you find it convincing?

 

[Diaconia]

God said it, the Psalms are the prayers written to God by God.

It’s not an innovative argument from a man, it’s the revealed Word of God, believed by all Jews and Christians for thousands and thousands of years.

Deacon Christopher

 

[englands123]

For me, the simplest explanation for belief is that something exists that people believe in. Many people are fools, but not all.

Sorry Viki, we all use words with different intentions. I know you mean no harm.

But to call people fools is to judge?

This discussion is not about judging, rather helping one another.

 

[Viki63]

But to call people fools is to judge?

The OP is assuming (I think) that people who believe in God are misguided, deceived, or stupid. So I agreed that many people are fools, which I’m sorry to say I believe to be true. But certainly enough wise men have believed in God to make the idea worth consideration.
We can judge behavior, and there is surely a lot of foolish behavior to be seen. College presidents who are against free speech; politicians who support infanticide; people using their children to push their various agendas.

 

[Mike_from_NJ]

God said it, the Psalms are the prayers written to God by God.

It’s not an innovative argument from a man, it’s the revealed Word of God, believed by all Jews and Christians for thousands and thousands of years.

Deacon Christopher

But that’s the point I was making:

1. An authority within a faith says something derogatory about those outside the faith.
2. The person outside the faith considers that authority to have no weight, so the derogatory statement also has no weight.

A proofless claim made by Christianity against those outside of it is no different than a proofless claim made by any faith against thouse outside of it. If Christianity wants to show non-Christians as fools then it needs proof, or at the very least substantive arguments that don’t require already believing in Christianity to find merit in them.

 

[FiveLinden]

God said it, the Psalms are the prayers written to God by God.

It’s not an innovative argument from a man, it’s the revealed Word of God, believed by all Jews and Christians for thousands and thousands of years.

Deacon Christopher

Yes but the use of what you believe to be the word of God to insult those with whom you are having a conversation is at best unwise, should you actually want to influence us.

 

[De_Maria]

I consider being a Christian most days because it would bring the positive benefits of believing I would live forever and see all my loved ones again.

Good reason.

But to become one I would need those some actual evidence for 1) the existence a god or gods

As for me, I received that proof and immediately dismissed it. However, God was dogged and gave me more and more proof. Until, I had to make a decision. Either I’m nuts or God does exist.

1. the existence the Christian God in all three persons and the existence of no other

That took a while for me, too. Also, the idea of the Eucharist being the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.

But, I still remember, vividly, standing outside of my wife’s Catholic Church as the line for Communion was moving along and thinking. Either the Catholics are the most evil, diabolical, monsters OR they are the only ones’ who have it right. And that’s when I decided to come back.

1. the idea that the Christian God and his intent can be known and
2. that he and his will are known through scripture and Church tradition.

Once I was convinced that God exists, I had no problem with that either. Especially because the God who revealed Himself to me, is good.

I see no evidence for any of those steps.

That phenomenon has played in my mind, over and over. One moment I can be a rabid anti-Christian atheist. The next, I see His hand in everything. It’s still amazing.

It fascinates me the others believe they do. That’s why I am here, to learn why. IncidentallyI try hard only to ‘conclude’ things and not to ‘believe’ them. So I ‘conclude’ on the basis of evidence that I accept that my dog is a descendant of wolves. I do not ‘believe’ this. I would be perfectly happy to change my conclusion at the drop of a peer-reviewed paper. Equally, similar proof of the points above would lead me to conclude it was appropriate to be a Christian if my aim was a happy eternal life. I would not mourn my lost non-belief for an instant.

Hm. You know, I’m the same way. I look at results. Someone says, turn the key, the car will start and you can drive. I turn the key, the car starts and I drive. It’s when I turn the key and the car doesn’t start, that’s when I have problems. My first question is not, “why?” But, “why me?” And that was true even when I was an atheist. And now I realize that even as an atheist, I was asking God why He was punishing me, after all, I’m so good.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. I saw your name and I think I’ve had some discussions with you, long ago. Good to see you’re still here. I hope God grants you the same grace that He granted me.

 

[HerCrazierHalf]

I think we can get accustomed to seemingly solving our problems by our own wit and effort, then step by step, the problems become insurmountable. But the habit and mentality of trying to overcome them by yourself does not.

That’s an odd way to look at things. We solve our problems with our own wit and effort, mostly. Sometimes people band together to solve bigger problems. But sometimes there are problems and situation that are unsolvable.

To me that simply means accepting that we can’t always “win” and that’s ok.

 

[FiveLinden]

I saw your name and I think I’ve had some discussions with you, long ago. Good to see you’re still here. I hope God grants you the same grace that He granted me

Good to talk again!

 

[Dan_Defender]

I had a book that went over different arguments for God. Some I found unconvincing, but others were very good.
A) The Argument from Morality.

I fully agree with that. Without God, there is no ground for morality. This was demonstrated by the renowned atheist philosopher Nietzsche.

 

[HerCrazierHalf]

I fully agree with that. Without God, there is no ground for morality. This was demonstrated by the renowned atheist philosopher Nietzsche.

What about those faiths and denominations that interpret the will of God differently than you on moral issues?

ABC, abortions, divorce and remarriage, etc.

 

[Dan_Defender]

We are created with free will. So it follows from that the diversity of religions. Truth is not relative though.

 

[Guest1]

What about those faiths and denominations that interpret the will of God differently than you on moral issues?

ABC, abortions, divorce and remarriage, etc.

Well there’s questions of did Jesus establish a church? And is it the Catholic one?
In regards to the correct interpretation of those topics.

 

[HerCrazierHalf]

Well there’s questions of did Jesus establish a church? And is it the Catholic one?

Well that’s a whole topic over which tons of ink have been spilled.

 

[Pattylt]

In regards to the correct interpretation of those topics.

If there are multiple interpretations and each is using their free will to determine the truth yet coming to different conclusions…isn’t that then being subjective? If God was objectively clear, wouldn’t the other denominations…that are also earnestly searching for Gods objective truth, come to the same conclusions as Catholics?

 

[Guest1]

If there are multiple interpretations and each is using their free will to determine the truth yet coming to different conclusions…isn’t that then being subjective? If God was objectively clear, wouldn’t the other denominations…that are also earnestly searching for Gods objective truth, come to the same conclusions as Catholics

Thank you for all your questions.

2 Peter 3:15-16 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)​

15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.

Acts 8:29-35 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.

Was God being objectively clear via scripture to readers?
Is that a Catholic teaching that I am unaware of? If it is please do share.

In general one can interpret something wrongly when reading a book, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a correct interpretation that the author meant.

With the issue of morality there’s atheists who are against the death penalty and some that are for it. Is there an ultimate answer as to whether or not it’s wrong? or just opinion?

 

[Pattylt]

With the issue of morality there’s atheists who are against the death penalty and some that are for it. Is there an ultimate answer as to whether or not it’s wrong? or just opinion?

There are Catholics that are for and against the death penalty. Each reads the Popes statement on this and still come to opposite interpretations according to their opinion. It seems to me that if God had clearly stated His objective opinion, there wouldn’t be Catholics of two minds about it. This is one of my problems with claiming objective morality…it still winds up with each of us interpreting what that objective morality is…thus making it subjective anyway.

There are very few actual actual clear statements in the Bible regarding an objective moral stance…and even then, it gets very subjective as to when and how they should be interpreted. The Church has the Magisterium to clarify whereas many Protestants have their own councils that perform the same function…and come to different conclusions. To me, an outsider, it looks very subjective. I realize you believe differently.

 

[HerCrazierHalf]

With the issue of morality there’s atheists who are against the death penalty and some that are for it. Is there an ultimate answer as to whether or not it’s wrong? or just opinion?

So what if morality it is “just opinion”? This is not the game stopping issue some attempt to make it.

More towards the OP, I’d say read the various testimonials of former atheists. It seems to me from the handful I’ve read that the problem of “meaning” seems to be rather common.

 

[FiveLinden]

I fully agree with that. Without God, there is no ground for morality. This was demonstrated by the renowned atheist philosopher Nietzsche.

How about this ground: we decide, democratically what is acceptable and what is not in what circumstances.