Stop Judging Atheists (or Christians)

I was raised without a belief in God, by an agnostic. My father never believed there was a God; he said he was open to changing his mind, but never did. So for most of my childhood I thought that the belief in God was wishful thinking, superstition, even wrong.

Over the years I had many friends who found out I didn't believe in God, and immediately began to argue with me. We went round and round. My favorite argument went something like this.
"So how can you believe that all this just came from nothing?" they would say.
"What do you mean?" I would ask, knowing that they were going to say something like..
"well, look at how complex a cell on the human body is. You can't tell me all that happended without some kind of design."
"Oh" I would say "Then if God created it, where did God come from."

The arguments went on and on for years. I found grous of Atheists, Agnostics and other groups that I could sit around and talk about those simple minded Christians and how they believed in some fairy tale of eternal life granted by an all knowing guy with a white beard.

What I want to emphasize here is that when my Christian friends argued with me they did no good to their cause. Christians tend to look down on those who have no faith. You may want to rationalize this by saying "well, we have something good, and those poor atheists don't". But I don't believe that is our motivation. I hear an arrogance in Christiandom.

I believe this is what Paul was warning us about in Ephesians 2 8-9

"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. "

So please don't feel sorry for Atheists, don't look down on them. You were given a gift, and you weren't given it because you are better, and it doesn't make you better than them. Paul knows what he is talking about. Remember that Paul didn't believe in Jesus either. Paul was a devout man with sincer beliefs, all the arguing and martyrdom in the world would not have changed his mind. It was only a direct revelation from God.

You will not change an Atheists, Agnostic or anyone elses mind if they don't believe. That is God's job. Or, as Paul says in the next verse.

"10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Now I am not saying we shouldn't discuss our faith. Luke 8:16 Jesus says

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light."

I think some people have read this verse as "stick a lamp in peoples face and tell them that if they don't have a lamp like yours they will walk in darkness forever".

Who will listen to that? If you didn't have the light would you.

So what brought me around to believing in God, the Bible and Jesus' gift of salvation? I have to tell you that only God could do that. When god had prepared me, there was someone there who was willing to share their faith. They prayed with me, and for many years afterwords I am sure he prayed for me. It was that simple. Nothing he did, only God.

If you are an Atheist and you are still reading this, I will tell you that I believe in God. I believe that Jesus is your path to salvation. I don't expect you to believe this, but I would hope that you would keep an open mind about it.

I know many people have been arrogant about their beliefs. Some have tried to shove them down your throat. Others made laws that make it difficult or uncomfortable to believe what you believe. We, the Christians, should not have done this.

You should know, that, like you believe in what we believe. Like many Atheists we often get arrogant, rude and judgemental...don't tell me atheists don't get this way I know better, I used to be that way myself. But at our root we both want what is best.

If you ever want to discuss your beliefs, I advise you to try talking to that God you don't believe in. Ask God if God exists. I don't expect the heavens to open up, and a big white bearded dude to come down and say "HERE I AM!".

But I believe you will get an answer.