I found this image on the internet and I absolutely love it! It does such a great job of showing the absolute contrast between Christianity and Atheism. The Bible describes this as belief versus unbelief and that is what this blog post is about.
Today there is a sickness that is enveloping our nation – unbelief. And it stretches beyond just the topic of religion although, unbeknownst to the masses of those suffering from unbelief, its origins are discussed in the Bible and its inevitable cure is found there too. I find it odd that people that complain so much about Christianity, and doubt its claims, have most of the time never even read the Bible to understand the claims it makes.
Christianity is a religion that promotes love from all humans to all other humans – regardless of race, sex, poverty or any other thing you can think up. In other words, Christianity is the ultimate system of justice and kindness to ever grace our existence. And why is that? Simply because despite our condition of sickness (sin), God chose to intervene in this world (His world that He created) and provide the cure – His Son Jesus Christ. Now this man Jesus taught the greatest Truth of all time. This truth is that through belief in God, or what the Bible describes as faith, man can overcome their sickness to live a life of love, kindness, and justice. Now a life like this does require restraint. But when did restraint become a bad thing? When we don’t act with restraint, I think most people would agree that our human nature will take us down road we don’t want to go. These roads travel to places of emotional misery like anxiety, hatred of ourselves and others, and depravity that only increases in scale. It also leads to actual physical places of misery like jail, disease, war, persecution, and even poverty.
Never in the history of the world has this been more true than now due to unbelief. Because of unbelief the world has become cruel, tolerant of really bad things, and too concerned with promoting bad over good. In order to understand any sickness, we need to first understand its origins, it’s symptoms, and the cure.
Origins Of The Sickness Of Unbelief
Rom 1:18-25 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Unbelief began with a historical event that took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to NOT BELIEVE God, and instead, chose to follow their own will which had been deceived by Satan. Man has been plagued by the tension caused by this event ever since.
This tension is caused because every single human being, whether they like it or not, knows the above passage to be true. They know they are under the wrath and judgment of God and they feel it in their very core. It’s why there is so much animosity towards Christianity and the message of Jesus Christ. People HATE this fact because they know the only way out is to overcome their unbelief and submit to the God that created them. You don’t see people walking into services at a mosque or a Buddhist temple and challenge their truthfulness, but you see people everyday going our of their way to publicly challenge Christianity. Why? Because God has placed His Holy Spirit in the world to testify to this truth and that testimony resides in every single person.
Joh 16:7-8 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment
Symptoms Of Unbelief
The symptoms of unbelief are obvious. Never has there been a better description of man’s current condition than that written in the Bible. Now keep in mind the Bible is a collection of writings written over a 1,600 year span of time containing 66 books written by over 40 different authors from different parts of the world and it all testifies to the same truths over and over. And yet if you have not ever taken the time to read a Bible, it would be no wonder how you could remain in the sickness of unbelief.
But even though in unbelief, it would be hard for any intellectually honest person to read how the Bible describes the sickness of unbelief and not think to themselves that it’s such an accurate description of much of the misery that exists.
Gal 5:19-23 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;
Does this passage not describe the human condition of unbelief and belief? Now I know many atheists that would challenge this by saying that Christians exhibit bad behavior and hypocrisy all the time. And I would agree that people that CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS do! But that is why it be becomes necessary for the atheist to prove their claims by reading the Bible and then actually experiencing true Christians and distinguish them from people that just call themselves Christians which I will talk about again in a minute.
The Cure For Unbelief
The cure for unbelief or atheism is to of course believe in the truth of Jesus Christ and all of the joy and hope that comes with it.
Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Mat 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Why is life not a burden to the believer? Because a Christian has hope. That hope drives their life everyday knowing there is an eternal life where all of the wrongs of this life will be corrected. This hope produces a peace in the life of the Christian knowing the wrath of God no longer applies to them.
Luk 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Joh 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Rom 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Php 4:7-9 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
3 Types Of Atheists
Because Christians get challenged so much on their belief I thought it would be helpful to discuss the 3 types of atheists we often encounter and how to deal with their claims.
First is the intellectual atheist. This is the person that reads too many of the wrong books that contain scientific hypothesees that can’t be proven. They think they have all of the answers, although I would say even most of these people are not very well read and don’t understand the logical fallacies in what they believe. They are the type of people that will ask you to prove God exists in 5 minutes or less although they have not read enough themselves to even have an intelligent conversation. Most self-proclaimed atheists are not Richard Dawkins, but more like sound byte parrots from the Discovery Channel. All you can really do with people like this is to keep explaining the facts of what they do believe instead of just criticisms of what you believe. If they have no facts they have no place doubting yours. Refer them to the Bible and challenge their intellectual honesty if they won’t read one. But the Bible talks of these people which again I find to be an amazing fulfillment of the truth of God.
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
The second type of atheist is what I call the “snowflake atheist”. These are people that don’t even pretend to believe in anything, but just react to Christianity with just pure hyped up emotion driven by their desire for sinful behavior and angry at how it makes them feel. They claim their anger is at Christians because we’re judgmental when we have no right to be, but again know your scriptures! They are angry because the conviction of the Holy Spirit resides within them and they know God really exists and they will be judged. The Bible also talks of these people too.
Rom 1:28-32 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
The third type of atheist is the “Christian Atheist”. This is the person that often times intellectual atheists complain about. These are people that claim the mantel of being Christian and attend church every Sunday but yet their lives and their beliefs are indistinguishable from unbelievers. These are also people that don’t read their Bibles. If they did, they would see that they really don’t follow Jesus, but a false Jesus that has nothing to do with scripture. These are people that actually worship their religion and not the God of the Bible.
Mat 10:38-39 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Luk 13:24-27 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’
2Ti 4:1-4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
There will be many people that think they are Christians that will be just as aghast as the unbelievers when judgment does come.
Mat 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
What has been your experience with atheism and unbelief? Leave your stories in the comments section and don’t forget to DONATE so we can keep this site up and running. Thanks and God bless!
saintification 
First of all, thank for taking the time to post a comment! I get a lot of readers, but not many comments. I also visited your blog and want to commend you on your writing as you’re very good writer. I do want to note a contradiction though. You make mention in one of your articles that the writings in the Bible are not accurate because they are words that were passed down and not written until a later date. Since you read the Bible “cover to cover” 50 years ago, there have actually been many discoveries that validate the writings of scripture and early dates for their composition. The Dead Sea scrolls were a major discovery for instance. There have also been many, many archaeological finds that corroborate many of the people and events written of in scripture that also serves as factual evidence that supports the inspiration and historical facts in the Bible. So the evidence is there of it’s accuracy. It just comes down to whether you want to believe it or not. As for dialog with Atheists, I have have conversations with Atheists all of the time. In our culture, I run into more atheists, or in your case, more new age spiritualists than any other kind of person. The technical definition of an atheist is someone who does not believe in a higher power at all, so I don’t know how many atheists you talk to, but someone who is a spiritualist is not really an atheist. Reading the Bible from cover to cover is not the same as studying the scriptures and the context in which they were written. Even with that though, I find the excuse that they must be interpreted to be an excuse even among those who profess to be Christians. Most of the Bible is straightforward and easy to understand. “Thou shalt not kill” is pretty easy and something I think most people would agree with. So is “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. These are good things that promote decency and care for fellow human beings, so I’m always surprised when people develop such adamant beliefs that oppose the Christian writings. Maybe it’s worth taking another look? I try to take as much time as I possibly can to read up on AND study other people’s beliefs so I can, as the Bible says, give a reason for the hope that is within me. Yes, many times Christians use the Bible for “man driven” agendas and purposes. This is why Jesus was critical of the Pharisees of His day. But that would not mean that the God’s inspired words are not true any more than not having studied algebra would mean that it’s not valid either. So to be fair using your logic, one could say you’ve never taken the time to speak to a real Christian about what the Bible really says and have not really studied it yourself or looked at the evidences of it’s validity or you would know that there are really no contradictions to be found. Recent scholarship in textual criticism, which are a scientific and non-Christian approach to biblical scholarship, shows that any contradictions between original manuscripts are between non-important words that don’t even change the meaning of the text itself. I know our society likes to put words in other people’s mouths and assign labels to everyone, but just because some disagrees with you does not mean they are closed minded or ignorant on the subject, it just means based on evidence available they don’t agree with you, although it is a powerful tool to inhibit debate by accusing someone of being close minded and a parrot of someone else’s beliefs like a religious authority. But you obviously did not arrive at your beliefs in a vacuum. You believe what you do because of outside influences. To say you don’t would be intellectually dishonest. God bless and thank you again for commenting on the article and I wish you much success on your blog!
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Understood and no dispute. Again, I think you maybe confuse disagreement with disrespect. I can disagree with someone and completely respect them. For instance, you and I obviously disagree on the definition of the term “Atheist” and what it’s classic Webster dictionary definition is and that’s ok, but that did not stop me from complimenting your writing because it’s quite good and easy to read – a skill that not everyone possesses. We can also disagree on subjectivity versus objectivity but that doesn’t mean I disrespect your opinion, it just means I don’t agree with it. Two different things although culture attempts to link the two. Objectively, atheism is a belief system, a philosophy, not a living being. But people are products of their belief systems and those beliefs generate outcomes, so if my whole life is derived from my beliefs, I would want to make sure I have all the facts. Unless I can claim I have all knowledge I have to admit there are truths outside of myself that I must reconcile with my beliefs. To just rely on myself is to rely on someone imperfect and someone who does not have full knowledge of everything. That’s why the Bible is so compelling. Having been written by over 40 different people over a span of 1,500 years, from completely different locations all testifying to the same great truths of which address man’s greatest common challenges in this life all point to a supernatural inspiration of the very God, the one true living God, they write about and is hard to deny. That’s my opinion derived from a lot of study and real life observation of the human condition, and in keeping with the theme of the conversation, I thank you for being respectful of my opinion. The Bible teaches people to have the highest respect for all people. A cursory reading of just what Jesus, a historic person by fact, said in the gospels makes that obvious. Thank you again for your comments and many blessings to you.
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No worries. It’s pretty typical when people disagree, and I find more times than not when a person claiming the mantel of atheism is challenged on their definitions and asked to explain, they get frustrated just as any Christian would when their beliefs are challenged if they are not knowledgable of the facts of their belief system. I take issue, in a respectful way, with your comment though because it’s inaccurate. Never in my original post does it say I don’t believe atheists exist. In fact, I list 3 different types of atheists, going by the technical definition of an atheist, I run into frequently. Never do I say that God says atheists don’t exist. The Bible clearly declares the existence of the atheist. It’s what Romans Chapter 1 is all about. Of course it’s easy to say when someone disagrees with you that it’s useless to engage in dialog, but Christians are just the opposite. Because we do respect everyone, we seek for opportunities to engage others about our beliefs. Our beliefs give us hope and we like to share that hope with others. No harm, no foul though. It’s often the position of unbelievers that if you disagree you must also disrespect, but more times than not what I find is that the other person just doesn’t have very much meat behind their beliefs and not much hope, so their default becomes to actually show disrespect. Christians expect it though because the Bible foretells of this very thing and we consider it part of our growth to encounter it. Again, Christians encounter no situation in life we were not prepared for by God’s inspired Word, so we continue on with the reason for our hope. But again, thanks for your insightful comments and being willing to engage in the conversation.
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