Did you ever hear about the Atheist that was walking through the woods?

“What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He continued to run, then looked over his shoulder again. The bear was even closer. The atheist tripped and fell onto the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.At that instant the atheist cried out, “Oh my God!”

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a Voice came out of the sky.

“You deny My existence for all these years, teach others I don’t exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident. Do you expect Me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light. “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a believer now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a believer?”

“Very well,” said the Voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, closed his eyes, and spoke:

"Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

Atheism 101: How to Dialogue With an Atheist

Seriously though, Atheism is a very real threat on the Gospel. It is growing trend that doesn't take much effort to find someone who claims to be an Atheist, and to dialogue with them. There is a tremendous push in mainstream media of acceptance for Atheism, and therefore, it seems that Atheists are very open, and almost look for opportunities to tell you why there is no God!

I have posted a conversation I had with an Atheist on Facebook. What's amazing to me (Praise God) is that I had created a poll on Facebook on the Deity of Christ hoping to get in some conversations with some Mormons, and as you will see as you read, I "randomly" (everything happens for a reason) had an Atheist respond within minutes of me publishing it! I hope and pray that this conversation is helpful to you in your efforts to defend the Faith against Atheism! Please note that I earnestly tried to show this young lady, whom I will call Izzy, that I genuinely love and have concern for her, before I started dissecting her worldview. And speaking of worldviews, please also note how important it is to understand not only the Christian Worldview, but Non-Christian as well. Please let me know if you have any questions at luke@defendthefaith.org.

God Bless!


Re: Deity of Jesus Christ
Between Izzy and You

Luke Pierson August 25 at 8:39am
Izzy,I'd love to dialogue more with you about this! If you want, email me at luke@defendthefaith.org.

Thanks,

Luke Pierson

Izzy August 25 at 8:42am Report
can't we just talk about this on facebook

Luke Pierson August 25 at 8:44am
Sure, it's easier through email, but yeah, I'm cool with that.

IzzyAugust 25 at 8:45am Report
good

Luke Pierson August 25 at 8:50am
Just curious, but I just made the poll, and you answered pretty quickly. I was wondering who you are friends with that answered the poll first. You don't have to tell me if you are not comfortable with that...I was just curious.

Thanks

Izzy August 25 at 8:51am Report
i just looked at the newest polls

Luke Pierson August 25 at 8:55am
Ok, cool, right on. I know this is way off subject, but it's amazing how fast these things spread! And again, just curious, but where are you from? I live in Phoenix.

Thanks

Izzy August 25 at 8:56am Report
chicago

Luke Pierson August 25 at 8:58am
Right on. I'm from Chicago, well technically NW Indiana (Merrillville, Crown Point). I love Chicago......my favorite city in the world! Anyways, so why do you say there is no God?

Izzy August 25 at 8:58am Report
because there is no evidence

Luke Pierson August 25 at 9:24am
Well, I would say there is evidence of God everywhere you look. Romans 1:18-20 says:

18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19. because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

The point of the passage is this: in your heart you know God, but you try to suppress the truth by denying His existence. Let me ask you this: am I correct in assuming that you are an Atheist? If not, please explain to me your beliefs so I do not incorrectly assume something.

Thanks

Izzy August 25 at 9:44am Report
i have been a lot more sure of myself since i stopped believing in god two years ago and yes i am an atheist

Luke Pierson August 25 at 9:54am
Ok, cool, so, do you then believe that we are all just matter in motion, that there is nothing immaterial? Also, just curious, what made you stop believing in God?

Izzy August 25 at 10:00am Report
mostly just the lack of evidence and prayer not doing anything

Izzy August 25 at 10:07am Report
not to mention the fact that god seems kinda like a dictator

Luke Pierson August 25 at 10:13am
Ok, so here is my question to you then, if we are all just matter in motion, and there is nothing immaterial, than how do we have Laws of Logic? For example, next time you go to sit in your chair, you expect to not fall down, right? Or next time you go to start your car, you expect it to not to blow up, correct? How do we get these Laws of Logic without a Divine Creator?

IzzyAugust 25 at 10:24am Report
because matter has properties for instance people make chairs out of matter that is solid

Luke Pierson August 25 at 10:39am
Right, I get that matter has properties, but what about the immaterial, like Laws of Logic. If everything is material, there should then be nothing that exists outside that realm. Let me give you another example. How do you know what is right and wrong? I'm sure there is someone or something that you love, right? Where does that sense of love, or right or wrong come from? It's not material, so how, in your worldview, do you explain that?

Izzy August 25 at 10:41am Report
millions of years ago the ancestors of humans evolved to be social to protect each other from predators

Luke Pierson August 25 at 10:47am
Although, I completely disagree with that statement, as I would say the earth is roughly 6,000 plus years old, I would say to you, that the sense of right and wrong, and love, and other invisible laws had to come from somewhere. You still are not seeing my point though. In your worldview, everything is material, nothing is immaterial. You are stealing from my Christian Worldview by saying that you accept the Laws of Logic, and you love somebody, and you know what is right and wrong, even though those ideals are not material. You cannot justify the two in your worldview, they contradict one another.

Izzy August 25 at 10:48am Report
i never said immaterial things didn't exist i just said god didn't

Luke Pierson August 25 at 10:57am
Ok, but if you were really an Atheist, then you would believe that nothing immaterial exists, because you would say that everything is simply matter in motion. This is where you are stealing from my worldview, and just like the verses in Romans say that I presented to you, you know in your heart who God is, but you choose to suppress that truth by denying His existence. You want to say that there is no God, but at the same time, you want to accept His precepts. You choose to say that you love someone, that same sense of love that He has given us, but at the same time you refuse to acknowledge that He exists. Think about it this way, if we are all just matter in motion, then why does it matter if people murder or steal? If I was to come and steal your car, or murder your loved ones, you would want justice, right? Why is that? If there is no God, and we are simply matter banging into one another, then why does it matter what I want to do? Who are you to say what is right and what is wrong?

Luke Pierson September 10 at 11:02pm
Izzy, I hope and pray that you have not responded to my last message simply because you have not had time. I also earnestly ask you to please hear me on this: God loves you and has inwardly revealed Himself to you. You know He exists, but are trying to suppress that knowledge of Him. The great news, is that through faith in Jesus Christ, that He came to Earth as God in the flesh, that He lived a sinless life, and that He was murdered on a cross, was buried, and rose again three days later, you can make right your relationship with the Holy God. Right now you are separated from God because of sin, the sin of Unbelief. You could live a perfect life from here on out, but without faith in Christ, it will all be in vain! I sincerely pray that you truly consider this, and that you would stop suppressing the Truth that God has burned on your conscience!God Bless!

Luke