Just finished your May 2024 piece on advice atheists can depart to Christians.
I enjoyed your approach to the issue of where truth might presence itself to the “believer.”
Last month I launched on Substack a publication called Spiritual Health Magazine (SHM). It consists of weekly essay I write for what has come to be commonly referred to as the spiritual but not religious folks (SBNR).
The aim of SHM is to help the SBNR folks successfully navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of self-understanding and finding one’s place in the larger world.
I’ve included the link below to my latest essay that happens to address how atheists and agnostics find meaning in their lives.
If you find value in this piece and like what I’ve presented, I’ll hope you’ll subscribe and tell you friends and your Substack subscribers about SHM.
Hmmm, as a pastor, I am a perplexed… should we be asking one who is blinded by the god of this age how to go about the business of fulfilling the Great Commission? Would we be better servants of the King by listening to him or one who is in opposition to him?
I think we can learn from many people, saved and unsaved alike. This man put forth some very smart advice. God can use anyone to preach His truths. I find this man's ideas to be wise and realistic. Do you find anything in his comments that contradicts scripture?
Faith is to believe what you cannot see and the reward for that faith is to see what you believed. Faith has substance and I live this everyday. Once you understand God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, it opens the door to Endless Possibilities! God bless!
Unless the desires of our hearts are in opposition to his will. If we desire our neighbor's spouse or house...God probably doesn't want to give us those things. Just sayin'.
As an atheist, I can’t get over the supposed fact that an invisible so called god was able to enter a teenage girl and deposit its not invisible sperm without her knowledge. Hmmm …. Is that why rape is so common among Christian men?
Because He is God. What is impossible for man is possible with God. Of course we humans try to rationalize and understand things that are just not explainable. But He is God. He wouldn't be any different than us if He had no other powers. He created this universe and everything in it. He raised and will raise people from the dead. I don't think He'd have any trouble impregnating a woman without her knowing it.
It is intetesting that one would choose to elevate a self-proclaimed atheist's advice to Christians instead of using the sword of Truth. I think it fine to hear the opinions of those outside the Christian faith but to give them accolades that solely belong to scripture and the Author of Creation is baffling.
If someone is moved by biblical points shared by this atheist... how low is their view of scripture and of Christ? Why is it more powerful coming from someone who is not saved by the blood of Christ than Christ himself? Even the demons believe Christ is who he is and know scripture... it's the saving faith and relationship that make the eternal difference.
During each Lenten season, philosopher Pete Rollins offers an opportunity for Christians to do "Atheism for Lent." Essenetially he introduces Christians to different atheists and encourages us to listen to their positions and see if they can help us understand our Christianity in meaningful ways we hadn't considered before.
I agree. This is surprisingly good advice from an atheist. If actually makes sense because he’s coming from the other side giving us his perspective so we don’t turn others off by the way we act. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. He says it like a true atheist. There's nothing new here. In point no. 6, he will never understand salvation unless he himself is saved. How would he even know what a nominal Christian is if he does not study the Bible? Jesus said, He would spew the lukewarm believers out of his mouth. So, although, I am happy to engage with an atheist if that's what they want, let's call a spade a spade. An atheist does not believe in God, so what can they possibly teach us about God only that we should be civil? However, Jesus wasn't always so nice to the unbelieving people.
BRAVO!! As a Christian missionary living in Guatemala who not only got shafted by my church and pastor WHILE in the mission field, but recently decided to break the mold and start writing about my somewhat hidden alcohol/sobriety battle, I applaud every single thing about this post.
The "church" as an entity has really started to break up more that I've seen in my lifetime and after what I and my husband went through, I can absolutely see how and why people walk away not just from Christianity but from any "organized" religion. PS, that is such an oxymoron! Religion is anything but organized.
The recent decision to start writing my blog was because in many ways I felt like a fraud. I wasn't being my true self and how can I serve the way I do when I am hiding who I actually am? I'm one of those sinners, so be it.
So again, thank you for sharing this, I love my God, I love my beliefs, and GASP! I love all of you too. Atheists, Agnostic, Buddhists, Hinduists, Sikhs, Islamics, etc. etc, etc.... whatever. If you want to talk about my beliefs and I can sit down and have an honest conversation about why it works for ME and a zillion others, rock on. If you're not interested, we can still go to Starbucks and have a coffee together and neither of us will spontaneously combust. If we do, well then, to me that would be the rapture, to you it might just be a really cool party trick.
I have some friends who also did missionary type work. It almost destroyed them and they returned to a state of health after emerging as atheists. They're lovely people and I'm happy for them.
Well I can say that the "missionary work" hasn't destroyed us but the people can and not the people we are serving. Luckily I am a bit older and know that if I was in my younger years I may have left the faith but my strength has taught me that it wasn't the faith or the religion, it was the humans. I still believe in my God and I'm perfectly fine with that.
Especially love the point about not treating people like projects. I'm a former Christian, now agnostic, but still deeply obsessed with religion (as a whole). There's something to be said about connecting and being with people for the sake of connection and no other agenda in mind. There's a greater love there. When I was still a Christian, I remember thinking that the best Christians I knew (in terms of living a godly life) were actually non-Christians/agnostics/atheists. It's something I still remind myself of as an agnostic...the whole be the change you wish to see.
Re, "love the point about not treating people like projects," - so true! My better half always says, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Evangelism isn't something printed in a pamphlet. I forget who said it but try to live it (paraphrasing), "Evangelize always, and use words if you must."
Spot on! Mic drop!
Hi Scott (or is it Pastor Scott?),
Just finished your May 2024 piece on advice atheists can depart to Christians.
I enjoyed your approach to the issue of where truth might presence itself to the “believer.”
Last month I launched on Substack a publication called Spiritual Health Magazine (SHM). It consists of weekly essay I write for what has come to be commonly referred to as the spiritual but not religious folks (SBNR).
The aim of SHM is to help the SBNR folks successfully navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of self-understanding and finding one’s place in the larger world.
I’ve included the link below to my latest essay that happens to address how atheists and agnostics find meaning in their lives.
If you find value in this piece and like what I’ve presented, I’ll hope you’ll subscribe and tell you friends and your Substack subscribers about SHM.
https://open.substack.com/pub/spiritualhealth/p/comparing-atheistic-and-agnostic?r=2w8vi6&utm_medium=ios
Cheers!
I love the list of ten things to do!
Hmmm, as a pastor, I am a perplexed… should we be asking one who is blinded by the god of this age how to go about the business of fulfilling the Great Commission? Would we be better servants of the King by listening to him or one who is in opposition to him?
I think we can learn from many people, saved and unsaved alike. This man put forth some very smart advice. God can use anyone to preach His truths. I find this man's ideas to be wise and realistic. Do you find anything in his comments that contradicts scripture?
Sounds like we are supporting what is simply referred to has human formation; being a good human
Faith is to believe what you cannot see and the reward for that faith is to see what you believed. Faith has substance and I live this everyday. Once you understand God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, it opens the door to Endless Possibilities! God bless!
Unless the desires of our hearts are in opposition to his will. If we desire our neighbor's spouse or house...God probably doesn't want to give us those things. Just sayin'.
Man I love good satire.
As an atheist, I can’t get over the supposed fact that an invisible so called god was able to enter a teenage girl and deposit its not invisible sperm without her knowledge. Hmmm …. Is that why rape is so common among Christian men?
Because He is God. What is impossible for man is possible with God. Of course we humans try to rationalize and understand things that are just not explainable. But He is God. He wouldn't be any different than us if He had no other powers. He created this universe and everything in it. He raised and will raise people from the dead. I don't think He'd have any trouble impregnating a woman without her knowing it.
Hilarious. And Joseph was just an innocent fellow immigrant, thinking when she yelled “Oh, my god!”, he thought she was dreaming, kinda like you are.
And how would you know that is the case, if I may ask?
You have a better explanation? Or was it magic? Or have you been fed a fantasy?
It's clear you don't want an explanation. You can disagree. No need to be nasty or sarcastic about it.
Awesome post. I wholeheartedly agree with all 10 points, and am convicted by a couple. Thank you.
It is intetesting that one would choose to elevate a self-proclaimed atheist's advice to Christians instead of using the sword of Truth. I think it fine to hear the opinions of those outside the Christian faith but to give them accolades that solely belong to scripture and the Author of Creation is baffling.
If someone is moved by biblical points shared by this atheist... how low is their view of scripture and of Christ? Why is it more powerful coming from someone who is not saved by the blood of Christ than Christ himself? Even the demons believe Christ is who he is and know scripture... it's the saving faith and relationship that make the eternal difference.
Good stuff here, Scott.
During each Lenten season, philosopher Pete Rollins offers an opportunity for Christians to do "Atheism for Lent." Essenetially he introduces Christians to different atheists and encourages us to listen to their positions and see if they can help us understand our Christianity in meaningful ways we hadn't considered before.
I agree. This is surprisingly good advice from an atheist. If actually makes sense because he’s coming from the other side giving us his perspective so we don’t turn others off by the way we act. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. He says it like a true atheist. There's nothing new here. In point no. 6, he will never understand salvation unless he himself is saved. How would he even know what a nominal Christian is if he does not study the Bible? Jesus said, He would spew the lukewarm believers out of his mouth. So, although, I am happy to engage with an atheist if that's what they want, let's call a spade a spade. An atheist does not believe in God, so what can they possibly teach us about God only that we should be civil? However, Jesus wasn't always so nice to the unbelieving people.
Jesus loves you and so do I, Kristen❤️
BRAVO!! As a Christian missionary living in Guatemala who not only got shafted by my church and pastor WHILE in the mission field, but recently decided to break the mold and start writing about my somewhat hidden alcohol/sobriety battle, I applaud every single thing about this post.
The "church" as an entity has really started to break up more that I've seen in my lifetime and after what I and my husband went through, I can absolutely see how and why people walk away not just from Christianity but from any "organized" religion. PS, that is such an oxymoron! Religion is anything but organized.
The recent decision to start writing my blog was because in many ways I felt like a fraud. I wasn't being my true self and how can I serve the way I do when I am hiding who I actually am? I'm one of those sinners, so be it.
So again, thank you for sharing this, I love my God, I love my beliefs, and GASP! I love all of you too. Atheists, Agnostic, Buddhists, Hinduists, Sikhs, Islamics, etc. etc, etc.... whatever. If you want to talk about my beliefs and I can sit down and have an honest conversation about why it works for ME and a zillion others, rock on. If you're not interested, we can still go to Starbucks and have a coffee together and neither of us will spontaneously combust. If we do, well then, to me that would be the rapture, to you it might just be a really cool party trick.
I have some friends who also did missionary type work. It almost destroyed them and they returned to a state of health after emerging as atheists. They're lovely people and I'm happy for them.
Well I can say that the "missionary work" hasn't destroyed us but the people can and not the people we are serving. Luckily I am a bit older and know that if I was in my younger years I may have left the faith but my strength has taught me that it wasn't the faith or the religion, it was the humans. I still believe in my God and I'm perfectly fine with that.
Especially love the point about not treating people like projects. I'm a former Christian, now agnostic, but still deeply obsessed with religion (as a whole). There's something to be said about connecting and being with people for the sake of connection and no other agenda in mind. There's a greater love there. When I was still a Christian, I remember thinking that the best Christians I knew (in terms of living a godly life) were actually non-Christians/agnostics/atheists. It's something I still remind myself of as an agnostic...the whole be the change you wish to see.
Re, "love the point about not treating people like projects," - so true! My better half always says, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Evangelism isn't something printed in a pamphlet. I forget who said it but try to live it (paraphrasing), "Evangelize always, and use words if you must."
I believe this is most often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.
Thank you for your honesty, Kim.