Inconvenient Biblical Teaching - Biases
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 in the Berean Study Bible Version
[21st message of the Why I Don't Believe Series]
Biased
This is the simplest reason why atheists do not believe (in God or in Christianity) and also why Christians believe what they believe. Both are biased, whether they admit to it or not.
[One has the Holy Spirit, the other do not]
Out of Context
And their common denominator is that (diehard) atheists take bible verses out of context, or they pull verses out of a group of verses. And they do not consider how a particular verse is written, who is speaking, who are they speaking to and other considerations.
Also it might be a surprise to some but the Christian bible is the New Testament bible. The Old Testament bible is the Jewish bible.
The Jewish faith is not the same as the Christian faith.
Newbie Christians, like newborns need to learn from the Holy Spirit. Those who have been taught wrong do the same as atheists do. They also take verses out of context. Or like atheists, they take them out to support what they believe in, or to discredit or make fun of what the other side believes in.
Will Not Meet Eye to Eye
When you read again the excerpt above, written by Apostle Paul to the first Christians in 1st century Corinth, you can see that Paul is teaching them that the atheist will not be able to see what them (believers) see, because the Christian belief is discerned spiritually. Everything the Christian believes in is foolishness to the atheist. Paul should know this well, he was the most vicious persecutor of Christians before he became one (and taught by the Holy Spirit for three years and starting his ministry -- newborn Christians need about the same period of time to learn from the Spirit, at least to be weaned off from the milk of the Word, some longer).
Out of Context
And their common denominator is that (diehard) atheists take bible verses out of context, or they pull verses out of a group of verses. And they do not consider how a particular verse is written, who is speaking, who are they speaking to and other considerations.
Image Credit: readthehardparts.com
Also it might be a surprise to some but the Christian bible is the New Testament bible. The Old Testament bible is the Jewish bible.
The Jewish faith is not the same as the Christian faith.
Jesus of Nazareth was born into the Jewish faith and practiced that belief system but He was totally against the Jewish religious leaders and their legalistic, traditional and humanmade teachings as atheists are of the Christian faith. In fact Jesus called the Jewish religious leaders so much worse than what atheists call Christians.
People are born into their "religion" (belief or unbelief). Christians are "reborn" into their faith belief.
Newbie Christians, like newborns need to learn from the Holy Spirit. Those who have been taught wrong do the same as atheists do. They also take verses out of context. Or like atheists, they take them out to support what they believe in, or to discredit or make fun of what the other side believes in.
Will Not Meet Eye to Eye
When you read again the excerpt above, written by Apostle Paul to the first Christians in 1st century Corinth, you can see that Paul is teaching them that the atheist will not be able to see what them (believers) see, because the Christian belief is discerned spiritually. Everything the Christian believes in is foolishness to the atheist. Paul should know this well, he was the most vicious persecutor of Christians before he became one (and taught by the Holy Spirit for three years and starting his ministry -- newborn Christians need about the same period of time to learn from the Spirit, at least to be weaned off from the milk of the Word, some longer).
What many atheists may not be considering is that Christians were once in the same boat as them, until they were taught by God's Spirit. Foolishness? You bet!
Christians may try to explain to atheists why they believe, but apart from the Spirit of God, their efforts are futile.
[There has to be an individual desire to learn about the "truth". There will be a time and a place for that for everyone, multiple opportunities even. Although for some, those may have passed, but they have that freedom. God will not force anyone to believe in Him. Until their dying breath there is still a chance to believe.]
Walking In Another's Shoes
Both sides should consider where someone from the other side is coming from. Many Christians were once atheists or believed in other religions. They were once in the same group as these atheists who were making fun of Christians. They should know how it was like. They too didn't like being told what to believe (no one does).
Christians who were merely born into the faith or married into it aren't necessarily Christians or Christians who have received the Spirit of God. They are not good representatives of what a Christian ought to be. Those who quote bible verses or act religious, aren't necessarily Christians.
Without the Holy Spirit, no one can be a Christian or stay a Christian. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ.
Both sides should consider where someone from the other side is coming from. Many Christians were once atheists or believed in other religions. They were once in the same group as these atheists who were making fun of Christians. They should know how it was like. They too didn't like being told what to believe (no one does).
Christians who were merely born into the faith or married into it aren't necessarily Christians or Christians who have received the Spirit of God. They are not good representatives of what a Christian ought to be. Those who quote bible verses or act religious, aren't necessarily Christians.
Without the Holy Spirit, no one can be a Christian or stay a Christian. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ.
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