SAVE YOURSELF! THE PLAIN TRUTH |
| What About Atheists and Agnostics? |
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| What About Atheists and Agnostics? There are people who claim not to believe in God at all. They say God is not "relevant" and that we don't need God anymore. They say if God exists why is everything so messed up. First of all, Satan is the one doing the messing up, not God. Satan is the one telling you to make the bad choice. God will never tell someone to go rob a convenience store and shoot the clerk. Evenutally God will call Satan on the carpet and give him his punishment (more about this in a later chapter). Atheists believe God does not exist at all. Agnostics believe God can only be verified with physical evidence, so since we can't see him, he doesn't exist. And yet, in places like communist China where three generations of people have been raised with the atheist doctrine (that God does not exist), people still spontaneously believe in and worship God. Missionaries in China (and Islamic countries) often face execution for spreading Christianity and are so positive that God not only exists but has a place in our lives today, they are willing to risk their lives to spread the news about God. The Chinese have embraced God on such a massive scale that the Chinese government is actually considering allowing its people to openly worship! I'm betting that most of you reading this have not chosen to worship the devil. Why is that? Probably because when you look at what the devil promises - chaos, sickness, evil, darkness and despair - versus what God promises - love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and everlasting life in paradise - it's tough to go with the devil's deal. Unfortunately, if you haven't actively chosen God, you've chosen the devil by default. There's only two choices available - God or Satan. For example, if you don't choose a long distance phone carrier, the local phone company chooses for you (usually the most expensive and inconvenient plan). Scary thought, isn't it? So why is it so tough to actively choose God? What would it take for you to sign up for God's team? God doesn't ask for anything from you except that you believe his promise for something better. That sounds easy, but apparently it isn't. God doesn't turn you into an annoying Bible thumper who never has any fun anymore - those people were like that before they accepted Jesus! Most non-believers, atheists and agnostics are well aware of the existence of God. A surprising number of people do not believe in the devil (Satan) though. Nearly every culture on every continent, on every tiny island, even in the remotest areas of the world believe that God exists. They not only believe in a god, they believe in the same God. That God is so similar across cultures that it can't be coincidence. All of these cultures have stories about a flood that destroyed the earth, a savior that came from heaven to save mankind and numerous other stories also found in the Bible. All of these coincidences arose before the Internet, before radio and television, before the written word in many of the cultures. Do you still believe there isn't only one God? Atheists and agnostics have been making a lot of noise lately about having God "forced" on them. They cite their children being ostracized at school for refusing to say the pledge of allegiance because it contains the words "under God." They say there should be no public displays of faith anywhere because it "offends" their beliefs. My question is this: What are they so afraid of? Do they think the mere presence of faith displays (Ten Commandments, crosses, etc.) will turn them into God-loving Americans? I personally believe they're afraid to find out they might be wrong! We've all heard the cliche' argument about not "pushing" your views on others, but who is pushing here? They are entitled not to believe in God. And, believers are entitled to believe and shouldn't have to hide all traces of their faith or be made to feel ashamed of it. The United States was founded on the principles of religious freedom and freedom of expression. And, last I checked, the majority still rules. There are more people who object to offensive language, sexually explicit images and violence on television than object to the Ten Commandments being displayed at a courthouse. Decide for yourself without condemning others. I tried to write this book without quoting Bible scriptures every other line because I remember how hard it was for me to wade through that kind of writing. I will occasionally give you a direct quote only because it is part of the promise God has for you, or so you won't think I'm just making this stuff up. I have also put some of the more powerful Bible verses in side boxes on the pages where they are relevant. They are extra wisdom so you can go back later and read them if you want. This book is in plain language because I believe Jesus would want you to understand what he tried to tell us two centuries ago. Jesus was a carpenter, not a Biblical scholar, and he preached to the common man on the street, not from a fancy church pulpit. I hope you can learn quickly what it took me more than 10 years to finally understand. Everything I'm telling you is in the Bible. I've condensed it to help you understand that it's more important to accept Jesus than to be able to quote scripture. I know this will probably upset some Christians but I don't care, because God loves you and wants you to know him. |
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