While reading books might not change where people stand in their belief, it can change what they see in other people. Isn't empathy more important than what we ultimately view about the universe, it's origin, and it's future? We live with people, and we rely on cooperation. Understanding each other is more beneficial than convincing each other when it comes to the intangible and invisible. This issue is really no issue at all. Everyone is passionate in a beautiful way, and no one listens.
While reading books might not change where people stand in their belief, it can change what they see in other people. Isn't empathy more important than what we ultimately view about the universe, it's origin, and it's future? We live with people, and we rely on cooperation. Understanding each other is more beneficial than convincing each other when it comes to the intangible and invisible. This issue is really no issue at all. Everyone is passionate in a beautiful way, and no one listens.
I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge that belief in a god is NOT about intelligence (and I say that with a slight smirk). I also like that you claim that the heart cannot be changed FOR your particular god UNLESS that god allows or stimulates the change. You've just put yourself into a position where you not only accept atheism as VALID, but you also admit that your particular god is the source of atheism (because if he's holding us atheists back, it's really not our fault). Cheers!
You make a common theist mistake in talking about belief as a "choice." It isn't. You can't will yourself to believe something if you're not convinced it's true. You don't "choose" to believe in your particular god, you just DO, because you're convinced it's real. Atheists don't CHOOSE to not believe, they just don't. Do you choose to not believe in Allah? Does it take an actual CHOICE on your part to NOT believe in the Koran's validity? Belief has zero to do with choice.
THere's a difference between deism and theism. It's actually a bible problem lol.
Talking donkey, mass zobies running around (Matthew 27:50-53) people living to almost a thousand years, etc... It is a dissonance and an intellectual problem. I think that it is very dishonest of you to act like there is nothing in the bible to be skeptical about. Even children know the difference. And again ...you believe because you are selfish. You believe you are getting something out of it.
Your emotions have nothing to do with objective reality. I would argue that Christinas are more lead by their emotions...considering they think they are getting something for believing. So really...you are acting on more selfish grounds than atheists..who get nothing.
Atheism is technically just a label, and more so a byproduct of Agnosticism. I have never heard of a coherent verifiable definition of the word god/gods. Asking someone if they believe in something that they have no idea what "it" even is makes no sense. And that's honesty for ya.
I'm only a couple minutes in to your video, and I already have to disagree with something.
You say that atheists and christians alike believe based on their hearts.
This is wrong, at least as far as atheists are concerned. You are presupposing that we actually believe in God and choose to reject him, which is stupid.
Atheists are thinking with their reason and rationality. CHRISTIANS are thinking with their "heart" (emotions).
There is no intellectually honest reason to accept any god.
No, you are quite wrong. I am not presupposing that atheists actually believe in God, but are rejecting him. Rather, I am stating that atheists as well as theists are predisposed by their will toward a certain thing, to be either inclined away from or towards evidence which might challenge or support their thinking. It's a sword that cuts both ways. Since theists can't prove and atheists can't disprove, there is a step of faith involved in claiming either thing.
I can't speak for all atheists, but certainly the ones I've spoken to and listened to all feel pretty much the same way: We are skeptical of any magical claims, anything that goes against observed reality.
If you claimed you had an invisible dragon in your garage, I would be just as skeptical.
I'm not going to believe something that goes against reality as we know and experience it without damned good evidence.
YOU, on the other hand, live in a fantasy world of wishful thinking.
You're right, it's a faith and heart issue primarily. The One who is in us is stronger than the one who is in the world 1 John 4:4. The Spirit speaking through writing of a godly man can convict an atheist and cause him/her to convert, but the work of an atheist can never destroy a born-again Christian's faith in GOD. Scripture however is more effective than any man's arguments. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."---Rom 10;17
Nobody can be sure of anything apart from faith. The Theist has faith that there is a God and the Atheist has faith that there is no God. If there is no faith, then you are just unsure and that makes you an Agnostic.
nope an atheist doesnt have faith there is no god. an atheist doesnt believe in god thats it
not all atheists beleive there is no god
yes there is a difference...
not many people will just say "there is no god" i know there is insufficient evidence to support the existence of a god and we dont have to provide evidence there isn't one
you need to give evidence one exists if you make the claim that it does
If you don't believe in God simply on the basis that you don't have evidence of a God, you are an Agnostic. True disbelief is not passive, but rather active. Every true Atheist I have ever met identifies with the biblical passage which states, "The fool says in his heart there is no God." and they they are offended by that passage. If you say there is no God, you can only do so by your faith in that claim.
no im an atheist because i dont beleive in god my reason its because there is not enough evidence there is more than one reason to be an atheist and there is no such thing as a "true atheist"
You are falling into a logic dilemma. The existence of God can neither be proven nor dis-proven, therefore logic dictates that one can not know for certain either way. This makes everybody outside of faith, an Agnostic. Now, you can have faith that there is a God or you can have faith that there is not a God, but either way, it has to do with what you believe.
no it has nothing to do with faith the christian god makes no scence its about logic and thats all i will say because you probably wont understand this now or will you ever please dont reply to this
Who says? You are just saying that because you feel your god is real but have no evidence. If your god were real it certainly could be proven. For example your god could appear as a giant head over the 50 largest cities of the world - that would be compelling evidence. Why doesn't your god do this? You think he just chooses to act exactly like a false god, invisible and silent. I conclude he almost certainly IS a false god.
Abraham and moses did not have faith...they claim to have spoken directly with jehovah/ElShaddai along with other countless bible characters. You are only asked to have faith that jesus was ressurected to gain your prize. ANd again you are not defing what god even is. So what exactly are you refering to? ANd you are using the bible as YOUR evidence. Otherwise you are just a deist.
Reason i dont believe in god is because i have no reason, you have talking as if the default thing is to believe in god, it's not, the default is not believing in a god and you then have to accept the belief in a god, as an atheist we don't see the reason to believe in a god, it's not because we disagree in our heart, it's simply no more than books and words for us.
The default thing would be to say "I don't know." In reality, no one can know with 100% certainty. If you say there is a God or if you say there is no God. Either way, it's opinion based upon what you believe and not upon what you know. One person can look at evidence and say it proves there is no God, while another can see the same evidence and say it shows there is a God. We all choose, based on our convictions, how we are going to see things.
An atheist doesn't say "There is no god" some may, but that's not what it means to be an atheist, it means you just don't believe in a god, a person who's isn't sure is an atheist aswell, sure noone can be 100% but then again noone can be 100% about unicorns either..
Agnostic is something completely seperate from theist / atheist, agnostic means you aren't certain and most atheists fall under that, theist / atheist is wether or not you DO accept the claim that a god or deity exists, being an agnostic is wether you are sure or not. Aslong as you dont believe in a god, you're an atheist wether you are sure or not.
al. and i think if i had someone solve all my issues with scripture, i'd always have more. so my question is, if i change my faith from science to the Christian God. is it just to through science out the window?
So do you acknowledge that you're probably wrong about the existence of God? Your "heart" is just as faulty as anyone else's.
Although I agree that you can't change a believer's mind easily because of where their (indoctrinated) "heart" is at, I disagree that that is the case with atheists. Show a typical atheist some very good evidence that there's a god and he'll convert, but that's not the case with believers.
i assume you sent this video to me because you suspect i am not a true christian because of my political stance. i am sorry you feel that way. i can understand why you do. i assure you though that you need not worry. it is like you said in this video. i know in my heart that god is real. i know tha jesus died for me and rose again. good video.
Oh, wow, you really got the wrong idea about that. I send my new videos out to everyone on the list, in order to help alert people to the fact that I have a new video out. I have never suggested that I don't think you are a true Christian because of your politics and in fact, I believe I told you just the opposite when I wrote to you. I don't judge people that way.
When I say that only God can change a heart, what I really mean is that only God can move a heart to change. Some believe that God forces belief on people, but I have never accepted that, as I just don't see it in the scriptures. Rather, I believe that the Spirit of God awakens people people and calls them to Christ. Some may have moments in their lives where they have been tempted to believe, to take that step of faith. Some follow through on that, but others don't. I believe in free will.
There can be many reasons for why some do not follow through. As an atheist, I'm sure that you are keenly aware of those things that withhold you from belief. Some really struggle with these things. Especially, I find this to be true with agnostics, who sometimes would really like to believe, but can't seem to get past their doubts.
But the heart of the matter does seem to be where your heart is at. If your heart is inclined to pursue faith, you'll probably get there someday, if not, you probably won't. But that doesn't mean (in my view) that God won't be working on you, regardless of the choice you make.
As for my view of Evangelicals, well, I guess I would be considered an Evangelical, given the classic definition, but Evangelicals are really a mixed bag. There are many who would fall under that label, who I'm not very impressed with and others who I believe are good representatives of the faith.
Christian is such a blanket statement. From my point of view anyone who claims Jesus was God incarnate and follow the teachings of the bible, no matter how bad they twist them, is a "Christian", whether Baptist, Catholic, Nazarene, or those assholes who go to funerals and say God hates fags.
Well, as Jesus put it himself, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
You have have made some very good points here. I have known other agnostics who are very much like yourself. I have less of a problem with agnostics, cuz at least they are honest enough to admit that they don't really know and they are often open minded enough to want to find a reason to believe.
I would disagree with your assertions about the reliability of the scriptures, but well studied people often come to different conclusions. Still, I'm glad you find value in the teachings of Jesus.
It's true that some who totally sell out to their faith go down a destructive path. But, I can think of no better example to prove that truth is not relative. Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. If the teachings of Jesus are true and he has said there is only one true way, then that way is surely the road that leads to life. This is the way he taught his Apostles and in turn they, and those closest to them, wrote it down for posterity.
Through the process of textual criticism, we can see that the NT has a vastly better case for textual reliability than any other ancient work of literature. This is a subject I have studied quite extensively and have come out more than confident in the Bible we have today. As for the OT, we have Jesus himself confirming it as the word of God, so we must ask ourselves if we are only to believe those things Jesus said, when and if they agree with what we ourselves want to think?
So, I say all of these things, not to try and convince you, but rather to demonstrate for you, why I am personally quite comfortable with following the Word of God as found in the Bible.
Having said all of that, I understand that for you, as well as others I know, these things are not enough and that you need something that moves your heart to that hope which is certain. I pray you will find that someday.
P.S. It should not be assumed that everyone who enters the ministry does so because they have faith to the core of their being. People have all sorts of motivations for going into the ministry and those motivations are not always right. But even someone who does believe with all their heart, mind and soul, can become disillusioned if they get their eyes off of Jesus. Sometimes that translates into an apparent loss of faith, but I would contend that even those who walk way, still believe.
Whether or not they ever really become a true apostate is really between them and God, but deep personal faith is not an easy thing to get rid of and I believe that most of those who do get rid of faith, had some sort of disconnect that was actually in play the entire time.
Very good vid, Mike. As an agnostic you would expect my lack of faith to be intellectually based but that is not entirely so. As you say, my heart has not been touched.My agnosticism comes from trust in my inner conviction, my gut feelings based on a combination of things. I don't think intellectualizing God's existence will ever satisfactorily produce an outcome. After all, we are contemplating something entirely unknowable imo.
My "problem" is surrendering my heart to ANYTHING based on the need for faith. The power of faith can be all consuming for good or bad. The Germans were consumed with faith in their fuhrer and we all know what happened. Jim Jones followers were consumed with faith and they died because of it. Atheists are consumed in the same way often hardening cynical hearts. Fundamentalist believers of all religions are totally consumed and become locked into an rigid mindset.
There is a lack of flexibility, a lack of being open to new ideas and other ways of seeing things that bothers me about some who surrender themselves to faith. Therefore "knowing to the very core of your being that there is a God" to me really means that one has completely surrendered to a conviction on God and the scriptures. If they can surrender they can unsurrender their conviction which could be just as committed to God as the most staunched of believers.
Priests have left the priesthood because of a loss of faith. I would not countenance that their faith was any less than at the core of their being when they were true believers.You know me, Mike, I won't pick apart anyone's faith but I will say this: the scriptures it must always be remembered were written by men who lived thousands of years ago in a society ignorant of the things we know now about the world.
Who were "interpreting" the will of God in parables, stories handed down and passed on, rewritten and interpreted, translated etc many times over. The chances of the the scriptures being the very word of God are slim. If God speaks through the bible he does so within and beneath the words. The spirit of God is in the bible. In order for me to surrender to God and the Christian bible I would have to ignore my reasoning on this and I can't.
Better for me to believe in a God as part of the evolution of ongoing creation than a personal God that passes judgement. My jury is still out on this but of all the books, chapters and verses in the bible it is the *moral* teaching of Jesus of Nazareth that means the most to me. To this extent I consider myself a Christian as it is my desire to be true to his teachings. For instance, I do not believe in the death penalty on moral grounds. Would Jesus? I doubt it very much.
Yes Mike I agree that its very much a heart issue. The Christian has faith and belief in God because of strong convictions regarding the existence of God FROM THE HEART. The atheist also has strong convictions FROM THE HEART regarding God not being there as we cannot see God. I agree its far deeper than just the atheist saying, "give me proof and evidence" I agree, it is a heart issue.
this is exactly true...you cant be a real christian and want to quit it! Im to the core. Jesus moved into my heart . I aint going anywhere...never to return to the old ways of doing things..cant be real if you go back to being an atheist to me just cant happen ...because your so changed heart wise is right..makes no sense
wouldnt you say being a christian might be like a virgin? She is capable of getting pregnant alright enough..but until this small veil of skin is broken that wouldnt happen. so like us in spirit until God breaks that dark veil over us . we live in darkness to his love. Once he breaks thru the veil then we can truely see the truth. Or am i way off?
Not nice thing to say but I get the impression that a lot of militant atheist are a type of psychopath. And if you study materialist philosophy it is psychopathic in nature. So psychopaths would gravitate towards atheism. You could show stalin the gospels and he would disagree with everything in it because of his materialist philosophy. His heart is just someplace else.
Well, I won't comment on atheists being psychopaths, but the idea that Stalin would reject Christianity because his heart was some place else, is exactly where I was coming from. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Sure it can, cuz even that is a condition of the heart. As for atheists having a better heart, well, you can run with that, but me, I'll keep the one Christ gave me.
I'm sorry, but christians don't have the monopoly on heart. That hypothetical point that god is the source of your heart is completely unproven
And like I said, there are atheists who say that TRUE atheists can never be christians in the future. Just like you said there are never TRUE christians who can ever leave christianity.
Psychopaths are in every group. Christians, atheists etc. There does seem to be an awful lot of people in prison who are into jesus. Maybe he's the only one who will forgive them in their minds. Belief or nonbelief in God requires a lot of faith. I kinda of like the Catholic/agnostic way of thinking. Your reality based while still hopeful for the future. I think jesus would understand that ;)
That's strait up propaganda about jail. Haven't you ever heard of soap on a rope? The truth is that they are athiests/ materialists / psychopaths. They don't understand that they did wrong because there is no good and evil or even logic in materialism. A Christian will go in and try to rehabilitate them and then they say they are Christian. Just like they say they are innocent of their crimes while they look for someone to drop the soap.
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While reading books might not change where people stand in their belief, it can change what they see in other people. Isn't empathy more important than what we ultimately view about the universe, it's origin, and it's future? We live with people, and we rely on cooperation. Understanding each other is more beneficial than convincing each other when it comes to the intangible and invisible. This issue is really no issue at all. Everyone is passionate in a beautiful way, and no one listens.
SpikeOnTheFloor 1 year ago
Comment removed
SpikeOnTheFloor 1 year ago
While reading books might not change where people stand in their belief, it can change what they see in other people. Isn't empathy more important than what we ultimately view about the universe, it's origin, and it's future? We live with people, and we rely on cooperation. Understanding each other is more beneficial than convincing each other when it comes to the intangible and invisible. This issue is really no issue at all. Everyone is passionate in a beautiful way, and no one listens.
SpikeOnTheFloor 1 year ago
I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge that belief in a god is NOT about intelligence (and I say that with a slight smirk). I also like that you claim that the heart cannot be changed FOR your particular god UNLESS that god allows or stimulates the change. You've just put yourself into a position where you not only accept atheism as VALID, but you also admit that your particular god is the source of atheism (because if he's holding us atheists back, it's really not our fault). Cheers!
SubconsciousGatherer 1 year ago
You make a common theist mistake in talking about belief as a "choice." It isn't. You can't will yourself to believe something if you're not convinced it's true. You don't "choose" to believe in your particular god, you just DO, because you're convinced it's real. Atheists don't CHOOSE to not believe, they just don't. Do you choose to not believe in Allah? Does it take an actual CHOICE on your part to NOT believe in the Koran's validity? Belief has zero to do with choice.
SubconsciousGatherer 1 year ago
So there's a genetic predisposition to either have the capacity to understand empirical evidence or not to have that capacity?
Well, I'd hate to be the latter.
bjm4idplayer 1 year ago
THere's a difference between deism and theism. It's actually a bible problem lol.
Talking donkey, mass zobies running around (Matthew 27:50-53) people living to almost a thousand years, etc... It is a dissonance and an intellectual problem. I think that it is very dishonest of you to act like there is nothing in the bible to be skeptical about. Even children know the difference. And again ...you believe because you are selfish. You believe you are getting something out of it.
InFromTheVoid 2 years ago
Your emotions have nothing to do with objective reality. I would argue that Christinas are more lead by their emotions...considering they think they are getting something for believing. So really...you are acting on more selfish grounds than atheists..who get nothing.
InFromTheVoid 2 years ago
Atheism is technically just a label, and more so a byproduct of Agnosticism. I have never heard of a coherent verifiable definition of the word god/gods. Asking someone if they believe in something that they have no idea what "it" even is makes no sense. And that's honesty for ya.
InFromTheVoid 2 years ago
I'm only a couple minutes in to your video, and I already have to disagree with something.
You say that atheists and christians alike believe based on their hearts.
This is wrong, at least as far as atheists are concerned. You are presupposing that we actually believe in God and choose to reject him, which is stupid.
Atheists are thinking with their reason and rationality. CHRISTIANS are thinking with their "heart" (emotions).
There is no intellectually honest reason to accept any god.
OccamKant 2 years ago
No, you are quite wrong. I am not presupposing that atheists actually believe in God, but are rejecting him. Rather, I am stating that atheists as well as theists are predisposed by their will toward a certain thing, to be either inclined away from or towards evidence which might challenge or support their thinking. It's a sword that cuts both ways. Since theists can't prove and atheists can't disprove, there is a step of faith involved in claiming either thing.
preacherman777 2 years ago
Wrong.
I can't speak for all atheists, but certainly the ones I've spoken to and listened to all feel pretty much the same way: We are skeptical of any magical claims, anything that goes against observed reality.
If you claimed you had an invisible dragon in your garage, I would be just as skeptical.
I'm not going to believe something that goes against reality as we know and experience it without damned good evidence.
YOU, on the other hand, live in a fantasy world of wishful thinking.
OccamKant 2 years ago
@preacherman777 Is there faith involved in NOT believing in Santa Claus? Do you exercise faith to NOT believe in Thor?
SubconsciousGatherer 1 year ago
@preacherman777
Atheists don't need to disprove the existence of god to be justified in not believing in god.
logicalmind4 9 months ago
The Truth unveiling series has finally appeared.
"TRUTH UNMASKED: THE ARAB PROPHET AND HIS FAMILY (A TRILOGY)"
watch?v=1Ge_iMBX-ko&feature=channel
Know their real truth.
MAFHHZB 2 years ago
what happened? It's gone
metalpsalm 3 years ago
You're right, it's a faith and heart issue primarily. The One who is in us is stronger than the one who is in the world 1 John 4:4. The Spirit speaking through writing of a godly man can convict an atheist and cause him/her to convert, but the work of an atheist can never destroy a born-again Christian's faith in GOD. Scripture however is more effective than any man's arguments. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."---Rom 10;17
God bless you brother! Praise God!
Enoch2 3 years ago
Nobody can be sure of anything apart from faith. The Theist has faith that there is a God and the Atheist has faith that there is no God. If there is no faith, then you are just unsure and that makes you an Agnostic.
preacherman777 3 years ago
nope an atheist doesnt have faith there is no god. an atheist doesnt believe in god thats it
not all atheists beleive there is no god
yes there is a difference...
not many people will just say "there is no god" i know there is insufficient evidence to support the existence of a god and we dont have to provide evidence there isn't one
you need to give evidence one exists if you make the claim that it does
yahyahtoopy 3 years ago
If you don't believe in God simply on the basis that you don't have evidence of a God, you are an Agnostic. True disbelief is not passive, but rather active. Every true Atheist I have ever met identifies with the biblical passage which states, "The fool says in his heart there is no God." and they they are offended by that passage. If you say there is no God, you can only do so by your faith in that claim.
preacherman777 3 years ago
no im an atheist because i dont beleive in god my reason its because there is not enough evidence there is more than one reason to be an atheist and there is no such thing as a "true atheist"
yahyahtoopy 3 years ago
You are falling into a logic dilemma. The existence of God can neither be proven nor dis-proven, therefore logic dictates that one can not know for certain either way. This makes everybody outside of faith, an Agnostic. Now, you can have faith that there is a God or you can have faith that there is not a God, but either way, it has to do with what you believe.
preacherman777 3 years ago
no it has nothing to do with faith the christian god makes no scence its about logic and thats all i will say because you probably wont understand this now or will you ever please dont reply to this
yahyahtoopy 3 years ago
> The existence of God can neither be proven
> nor dis-proven
Who says? You are just saying that because you feel your god is real but have no evidence. If your god were real it certainly could be proven. For example your god could appear as a giant head over the 50 largest cities of the world - that would be compelling evidence. Why doesn't your god do this? You think he just chooses to act exactly like a false god, invisible and silent. I conclude he almost certainly IS a false god.
frid9999 3 years ago
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike" - Pascal
kidbt22 3 years ago 2
Abraham and moses did not have faith...they claim to have spoken directly with jehovah/ElShaddai along with other countless bible characters. You are only asked to have faith that jesus was ressurected to gain your prize. ANd again you are not defing what god even is. So what exactly are you refering to? ANd you are using the bible as YOUR evidence. Otherwise you are just a deist.
InFromTheVoid 2 years ago
Reason i dont believe in god is because i have no reason, you have talking as if the default thing is to believe in god, it's not, the default is not believing in a god and you then have to accept the belief in a god, as an atheist we don't see the reason to believe in a god, it's not because we disagree in our heart, it's simply no more than books and words for us.
MaMastoast 3 years ago
The default thing would be to say "I don't know." In reality, no one can know with 100% certainty. If you say there is a God or if you say there is no God. Either way, it's opinion based upon what you believe and not upon what you know. One person can look at evidence and say it proves there is no God, while another can see the same evidence and say it shows there is a God. We all choose, based on our convictions, how we are going to see things.
preacherman777 3 years ago
An atheist doesn't say "There is no god" some may, but that's not what it means to be an atheist, it means you just don't believe in a god, a person who's isn't sure is an atheist aswell, sure noone can be 100% but then again noone can be 100% about unicorns either..
MaMastoast 3 years ago
Actually no, those people are not Atheists. Those people are Agnostics. Atheism and religion are both belief systems. Agnosticism is not.
preacherman777 3 years ago
Agnostic is something completely seperate from theist / atheist, agnostic means you aren't certain and most atheists fall under that, theist / atheist is wether or not you DO accept the claim that a god or deity exists, being an agnostic is wether you are sure or not. Aslong as you dont believe in a god, you're an atheist wether you are sure or not.
MaMastoast 3 years ago
Science is the only truth, God is a myth created for the weak minded.
There is no God.
Its that Simple.
666Cryptorchid666 3 years ago 5
al. and i think if i had someone solve all my issues with scripture, i'd always have more. so my question is, if i change my faith from science to the Christian God. is it just to through science out the window?
1videoaday 3 years ago
So do you acknowledge that you're probably wrong about the existence of God? Your "heart" is just as faulty as anyone else's.
Although I agree that you can't change a believer's mind easily because of where their (indoctrinated) "heart" is at, I disagree that that is the case with atheists. Show a typical atheist some very good evidence that there's a god and he'll convert, but that's not the case with believers.
Psychosomatik 3 years ago
i assume you sent this video to me because you suspect i am not a true christian because of my political stance. i am sorry you feel that way. i can understand why you do. i assure you though that you need not worry. it is like you said in this video. i know in my heart that god is real. i know tha jesus died for me and rose again. good video.
leiapeison 3 years ago
Oh, wow, you really got the wrong idea about that. I send my new videos out to everyone on the list, in order to help alert people to the fact that I have a new video out. I have never suggested that I don't think you are a true Christian because of your politics and in fact, I believe I told you just the opposite when I wrote to you. I don't judge people that way.
preacherman777 3 years ago
If you set an atheist on fire who do they pray to to put them out?
I'll bet i can convert any atheist with a chainsaw in ten seconds......
Ha Ha
hugz!
from mikey
* To save time just assume I am always right!
mikesternberg 3 years ago
great video, as an atheist, i have a question to the beliefs of Christianity. Why has god not changed my heart?
ps. what is your view on Evangelical christians
zezimashelpr 3 years ago
When I say that only God can change a heart, what I really mean is that only God can move a heart to change. Some believe that God forces belief on people, but I have never accepted that, as I just don't see it in the scriptures. Rather, I believe that the Spirit of God awakens people people and calls them to Christ. Some may have moments in their lives where they have been tempted to believe, to take that step of faith. Some follow through on that, but others don't. I believe in free will.
preacherman777 3 years ago
There can be many reasons for why some do not follow through. As an atheist, I'm sure that you are keenly aware of those things that withhold you from belief. Some really struggle with these things. Especially, I find this to be true with agnostics, who sometimes would really like to believe, but can't seem to get past their doubts.
preacherman777 3 years ago
But the heart of the matter does seem to be where your heart is at. If your heart is inclined to pursue faith, you'll probably get there someday, if not, you probably won't. But that doesn't mean (in my view) that God won't be working on you, regardless of the choice you make.
preacherman777 3 years ago
As for my view of Evangelicals, well, I guess I would be considered an Evangelical, given the classic definition, but Evangelicals are really a mixed bag. There are many who would fall under that label, who I'm not very impressed with and others who I believe are good representatives of the faith.
preacherman777 3 years ago
thank you for your time =]
zezimashelpr 3 years ago
Christian is such a blanket statement. From my point of view anyone who claims Jesus was God incarnate and follow the teachings of the bible, no matter how bad they twist them, is a "Christian", whether Baptist, Catholic, Nazarene, or those assholes who go to funerals and say God hates fags.
altebanger 3 years ago
Well, as Jesus put it himself, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
Matthew 7:21-23
preacherman777 3 years ago
You have have made some very good points here. I have known other agnostics who are very much like yourself. I have less of a problem with agnostics, cuz at least they are honest enough to admit that they don't really know and they are often open minded enough to want to find a reason to believe.
I would disagree with your assertions about the reliability of the scriptures, but well studied people often come to different conclusions. Still, I'm glad you find value in the teachings of Jesus.
preacherman777 3 years ago
It's true that some who totally sell out to their faith go down a destructive path. But, I can think of no better example to prove that truth is not relative. Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. If the teachings of Jesus are true and he has said there is only one true way, then that way is surely the road that leads to life. This is the way he taught his Apostles and in turn they, and those closest to them, wrote it down for posterity.
preacherman777 3 years ago
Through the process of textual criticism, we can see that the NT has a vastly better case for textual reliability than any other ancient work of literature. This is a subject I have studied quite extensively and have come out more than confident in the Bible we have today. As for the OT, we have Jesus himself confirming it as the word of God, so we must ask ourselves if we are only to believe those things Jesus said, when and if they agree with what we ourselves want to think?
preacherman777 3 years ago
So, I say all of these things, not to try and convince you, but rather to demonstrate for you, why I am personally quite comfortable with following the Word of God as found in the Bible.
Having said all of that, I understand that for you, as well as others I know, these things are not enough and that you need something that moves your heart to that hope which is certain. I pray you will find that someday.
preacherman777 3 years ago
P.S. It should not be assumed that everyone who enters the ministry does so because they have faith to the core of their being. People have all sorts of motivations for going into the ministry and those motivations are not always right. But even someone who does believe with all their heart, mind and soul, can become disillusioned if they get their eyes off of Jesus. Sometimes that translates into an apparent loss of faith, but I would contend that even those who walk way, still believe.
preacherman777 3 years ago
Whether or not they ever really become a true apostate is really between them and God, but deep personal faith is not an easy thing to get rid of and I believe that most of those who do get rid of faith, had some sort of disconnect that was actually in play the entire time.
preacherman777 3 years ago
Very good vid, Mike. As an agnostic you would expect my lack of faith to be intellectually based but that is not entirely so. As you say, my heart has not been touched.My agnosticism comes from trust in my inner conviction, my gut feelings based on a combination of things. I don't think intellectualizing God's existence will ever satisfactorily produce an outcome. After all, we are contemplating something entirely unknowable imo.
sainter1 3 years ago
My "problem" is surrendering my heart to ANYTHING based on the need for faith. The power of faith can be all consuming for good or bad. The Germans were consumed with faith in their fuhrer and we all know what happened. Jim Jones followers were consumed with faith and they died because of it. Atheists are consumed in the same way often hardening cynical hearts. Fundamentalist believers of all religions are totally consumed and become locked into an rigid mindset.
sainter1 3 years ago
There is a lack of flexibility, a lack of being open to new ideas and other ways of seeing things that bothers me about some who surrender themselves to faith. Therefore "knowing to the very core of your being that there is a God" to me really means that one has completely surrendered to a conviction on God and the scriptures. If they can surrender they can unsurrender their conviction which could be just as committed to God as the most staunched of believers.
sainter1 3 years ago
Priests have left the priesthood because of a loss of faith. I would not countenance that their faith was any less than at the core of their being when they were true believers.You know me, Mike, I won't pick apart anyone's faith but I will say this: the scriptures it must always be remembered were written by men who lived thousands of years ago in a society ignorant of the things we know now about the world.
sainter1 3 years ago
Who were "interpreting" the will of God in parables, stories handed down and passed on, rewritten and interpreted, translated etc many times over. The chances of the the scriptures being the very word of God are slim. If God speaks through the bible he does so within and beneath the words. The spirit of God is in the bible. In order for me to surrender to God and the Christian bible I would have to ignore my reasoning on this and I can't.
sainter1 3 years ago
Better for me to believe in a God as part of the evolution of ongoing creation than a personal God that passes judgement. My jury is still out on this but of all the books, chapters and verses in the bible it is the *moral* teaching of Jesus of Nazareth that means the most to me. To this extent I consider myself a Christian as it is my desire to be true to his teachings. For instance, I do not believe in the death penalty on moral grounds. Would Jesus? I doubt it very much.
sainter1 3 years ago
what happenned to weightlossman?
shparker 3 years ago
He's still fat. He may be back someday, but not until I'm ready to really take it seriously.
preacherman777 3 years ago
Yes Mike I agree that its very much a heart issue. The Christian has faith and belief in God because of strong convictions regarding the existence of God FROM THE HEART. The atheist also has strong convictions FROM THE HEART regarding God not being there as we cannot see God. I agree its far deeper than just the atheist saying, "give me proof and evidence" I agree, it is a heart issue.
IntoHisImage 3 years ago
Thanks for adding your input.
preacherman777 3 years ago
this is exactly true...you cant be a real christian and want to quit it! Im to the core. Jesus moved into my heart . I aint going anywhere...never to return to the old ways of doing things..cant be real if you go back to being an atheist to me just cant happen ...because your so changed heart wise is right..makes no sense
SingwellaDeb 3 years ago
This is true, and if someone hasn't been there, it's pretty much impossible to understand.
preacherman777 3 years ago
wouldnt you say being a christian might be like a virgin? She is capable of getting pregnant alright enough..but until this small veil of skin is broken that wouldnt happen. so like us in spirit until God breaks that dark veil over us . we live in darkness to his love. Once he breaks thru the veil then we can truely see the truth. Or am i way off?
SingwellaDeb 3 years ago
Well, sure, I guess you could put it that way.
preacherman777 3 years ago
ok, subscribed. Excellent points. I am so glad I decided to click on this Video today!
ProdigalSonMuzik 3 years ago
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
preacherman777 3 years ago
Not nice thing to say but I get the impression that a lot of militant atheist are a type of psychopath. And if you study materialist philosophy it is psychopathic in nature. So psychopaths would gravitate towards atheism. You could show stalin the gospels and he would disagree with everything in it because of his materialist philosophy. His heart is just someplace else.
mr9482 3 years ago
Well, I won't comment on atheists being psychopaths, but the idea that Stalin would reject Christianity because his heart was some place else, is exactly where I was coming from. Thanks for watching and commenting.
preacherman777 3 years ago
I agree that Christians have a "certain heart" that's different.
Atheists have a different heart. (a better heart :) )
Christians can lose their heart.
So can atheists.
It's possible. There can be switches.
There are atheists who say the same you do, PM. Once an atheist "who understands" never a christian again. Your theory cannot explain that.
jinitron 2 years ago
Sure it can, cuz even that is a condition of the heart. As for atheists having a better heart, well, you can run with that, but me, I'll keep the one Christ gave me.
preacherman777 2 years ago
I'm sorry, but christians don't have the monopoly on heart. That hypothetical point that god is the source of your heart is completely unproven
And like I said, there are atheists who say that TRUE atheists can never be christians in the future. Just like you said there are never TRUE christians who can ever leave christianity.
jinitron 2 years ago
Psychopaths are in every group. Christians, atheists etc. There does seem to be an awful lot of people in prison who are into jesus. Maybe he's the only one who will forgive them in their minds. Belief or nonbelief in God requires a lot of faith. I kinda of like the Catholic/agnostic way of thinking. Your reality based while still hopeful for the future. I think jesus would understand that ;)
helterskelter1 3 years ago
Thanks for adding your thoughts.
preacherman777 3 years ago
That's strait up propaganda about jail. Haven't you ever heard of soap on a rope? The truth is that they are athiests/ materialists / psychopaths. They don't understand that they did wrong because there is no good and evil or even logic in materialism. A Christian will go in and try to rehabilitate them and then they say they are Christian. Just like they say they are innocent of their crimes while they look for someone to drop the soap.
mr9482 3 years ago
But yea it does go both sides. I've been agnostic for a long time and when you really think about it God makes more sense.
mr9482 3 years ago