All too often, Atheists often cite witty sources and show the illogic of having faith in a God who is not visible. Yet Christians persist to believe, through good times and, to the dismay of Atheists, bad times. A Christian might experience a terrible tragedy and through it all, continue to pray and seek God. Praising God. And an Atheist just stares and wonders why. As a myriad of logical sentences tumble from the bucket in their brains - so many ideas that Christians don't perceive, nor do they want to believe, for to do so, in the Christian mind would be to betray their God. Why? What's behind the phenomenon of this amazing and, albeit, miraculous power of Jesus Christ that even baffles the most intelligent super minds in the world.
When I was an Atheist I realized that I felt somehow, the world was quite limited in it's scope. All there was to do was to get an education, a job, a wife and live. No frills, no thrills. It almost seemed as if it were life in a hamster wheel. The thoughts of having a life less ordinary began to cross my mind. As the ordinary seemed strongly unappealing.
I believed the life of a Christian was the epitome of ordinary. So I denied myself the cross and chose a life filled with excitement and what I perceived pleasure. It was obvious that it would only end to a premature death. I needed to get out of it.
I went to Church one sunday and was saved. The elation I felt could only be described as spiritual. I began to search the scriptures deeply. For a long time I lived my life in the fashion of a thrill seeker. That feeling I felt was a very thrilling experience and I guess for that one feeling is the reason why I kept searching God. Yet, for several months he was silent and not speaking to me. I began to wonder why there was just one time when God "spoke" to me and then never again.
I realized that there was no growth occurring in the Church that I was in at the time. I then tried attending one of the more popular churches (a church membership in the 400's) and I was nervous. I never have been so close to so many strangers in my life. I wanted to just walk out of the Church. And I did. I stayed away for a long time. Nearly three years. I believed it was because they weren't being nice to me for a reason. Maybe they were biased to me for the kind of person I was. I felt rejected.
So I stayed away and as time went by, I kept thinking about the reality of God. How just one time he revealed himself to me and then never again. I began to search through the scriptures again, trying to obtain a private relationship with God. This was a step in the right direction. Yet I need a church that I could call my own. I then went back to that one Church.
When I returned, my point of view was to be strong "on the inside", not to cower at the sight of so many strangers, but try to maintain self-respect and keep myself from caving in. Still, after I church, I left it feeling the same way I felt three years prior. Rejected because no one even noticed me. Yet, I didn't let that deter me. I decided that I was going to keep returning to that Church, perhaps just take a seat in the back but I would keep returning.
Because of this attitude however, I was greeted on my third visit from the pastor of the Church, and a couple other members of the Church. I felt I learned a lesson - not in politics or how to deal with people but in faith. This was one major step in my faith to being a Christian. First is learning to be strong in God. Second is to be strong around other Christians - essentially going to Church regularly confirms you are a Christian in the eyes of other believers. Lastly, you have to prove you have faith.
I've come to realize, many Atheists are spineless cowards. Much like myself. I'm sorry to be honest here. This is the love I have to give. Maybe you were a Christian or maybe you thought about being a Christian, yet the farthest you've ever taken it was to the front door of the Church or just one sunday. Or maybe just as far as the KJV you have sitting on your desk. Unfortunately, you'll never know what it means to be a Christian if you set such limits for yourself. To know what it means to be a Christian you have to live it all the way. Go all the way. Give it a year. After all, if it is eternity that you will spend in Heaven, wouldn't it be worth one year of your everyday life?
"Why won't God Heal Amputees?" This completely contradicts God's plan, which he has predestined all of us to receive Jesus Christ as our savior. Why do we need a savior? Because we have sins and our sins will be the death of us. God is Holy so therefore we need to be Holy. That is the point of salvation. So that we can be with our God in Heaven. Yet it has to be taken on the faith that you have in a believer's testimony. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Why is this so important? Imagine: God makes himself visible, begins healing amputees and giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.
1) This would defeat the purpose of God's plan of salvation through faith. 2) This would make God the permanent servant of man (whatever ails you, just bring it to God and he'll fix it). 3) The purpose of Heaven and Hell is trivialized as God makes Earth his Heaven.
That's not God's plan, however. A sympathist might say, "Everyone should be free, regardless of the cost they pay." Yet, it's just a complaint against God's will and plan. The saying goes, "God looks at man's plans and laughs." And who is man to raise complaints against God who is all powerful and all knowing? If I were the author of this website, I would take it down. I would endure being a Christian for a year to be sure God is really not there rather than to spend all eternity in hell for the words that blasphemed God on here. That's why as an Atheist, I didn't want to take the risk of their not being a God. I wanted to be absolutely sure before I started a crusade. A year is not long at all considering most people live for 80 on average. After all, there are a billion Christians in the world (all the sects combined, another billion for all of the catholics in the world). And I would urge every Atheist who comes here to receive edification to do the same, for it's better to spend just 1 year as a Christian than to spend all eternity in the bowels of hell for blaspheming God with your words alone. And every Christian you made fun of too.