Arguing Scripture

Q: I saw your reply to the atheist's comments to your article on http://www.changingthefaceofchristianity.com/ recently. Are you saying that atheists are wrong? How can you say that?



A: I didn't reply publicly to those comments to my article --- so I'm hard pressed to imagine how you saw them. Could it be that you are that same individual trying to draw me into another debate?


The allegation in those comments were that my article represented the "same ol' Christian bias and bigotry," among other things. My response - which I sent to the writer privately - included the fact that if atheists are right in that there is no god, then the Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. are wrong. Similarly, if the Christians, Jews, Muslims, or other theists are right, then the atheists are wrong. The point here is that someone has to be wrong. And that is the foundation to any dialogue that we're going to have between atheists and theists (be they Christian or otherwise).

It is not biased and bigoted to be a theist. If it were, then the majority of the world, which believes in some form of god or gods would all be biased and bigots. In fact, only the atheists would escape that damning definition.

I will never debate Scripture with someone who doesn't believe that it is the true Word of God. Even then, I wouldn't debate it. Rather I would join someone in exploring its meaning. The Bible (God's Word) specifically tells us not to get into such debates and arguments. (2 Timothy 2:23-24). Moreover, God says that when we get into such arguments with others (be they Christians or otherwise) we are behaving sinfully (James 4:1-2) and worldly (1 Corinthians 3:3).

Atheism

Dear Victorious,

I heard someone on Christian talk radio this week say that atheists are selfish. He explained that they just rationalize God out of existence so that they can live however they want to. Do you think this could be true?

Helen C. - Dallas, TX

Dear Helen,

I have heard that theory as well. (Perhaps we listen to the same Christian talk radio shows!) However, I doubt very much that it's true. What's true is that we don't really know the heart of the atheist. We don't know the thought processes, the life experiences or whatever else went into their mind that enabled them to conclude that there is no God (not even false gods).

I think saying that they are selfish and that they just rationalize God away so they can live however they want is probably giving their thinking process just too much credit. I've known some atheists. They seemed to just be ignorant of the truth. They were principled people and weren't living hedonistic lifestyles.

Some atheists have searched for truth - but don't think they've found it. Some found it - but the way they experienced Christianity in the world made it hard to believe. Nothing that they saw or experienced lined up with what they were being told was true.

Atheists deserve our love. They deserve our grace. They deserve our patience. Let's not sell them short by demonizing them with nasty, sarcastic labels.