A Simple Atheist

[ApologeticChrist]

Well, no one has yet shared their testimony, and I'm known for being the loon who goes first all the time, so I figured I might as well.

My story begins when I was a kid. My father was (and is) a very hardened atheist. Despite the attempts by my mother, he would not allow me to hear anything about the Bible or Christianity. He regarded it as nothing but stupid stories that no one really needed in this age, and was very open about it, teaching me his ideas frequently.

Thus, I myself became very anti-Christian. I began by realizing just how foolish beliefs in an invisible all powerful being who doesn't do anything out of nature’s obvious path "because that's how God wants it." I was amazed at just how many people had been duped into such foolishness, prudishness and pointless wastes of their lives.

I'd grown up on evolutionism, and had studied it at great length. My thoughts evolved (no pun intended) out of it, and that is how my life made sense. My goal in life was to change the world eternally, and make my name last somehow. I could achieve that through greatness of action and through having children. As a matter of fact, I found it to be my duty as a child of evolution to keep the line going onward.

As for achieving fame, I discovered I had a knack for debate, and decided to put it to use. If I managed to convince every one of this 2 billion ignorant fools out of their beliefs, I'd be famous, have done a great service to society and live eternal in the minds of the future.

[ApologeticChrist]

I was also a nature lover, and figured that all people were by nature evil. We killed and destroyed everything that mother nature had made, so I wanted far away from that part of society. My goal was to find someone I could share my solitude with. In order to keep the rest of the world out in the meantime, I set up a kind of fake me to take care of the people I met so that they would never know the real me, and never be able to hurt me.

Granted, this is a pretty simplistic and strange set of goals, but it moved my life forward. In time, my parents split up and I stayed with my mother and went to where I reside now. It was a little rough, but I soon came upon a group of friends, most of whom were Christian. I loved this and debated to no end about their beliefs. I went online and smashed Christian after Christian in debate, reducing them to only condemning me. I won every time, and I figured I was well on my way to my goal of smashing the church. Until I met Eve.

Eve couldn't be beaten. She had an answer for everything, and a well thought out one as well. We debated and as time went along, I began to realize that not only was I not winning this one, but in fact... I had to back peddle. If God was real, and He really did it all, then it made sense. The Bible was actually rational from their point of view. After a long time, I was simply overpowered by the arguments in favor of God, and was left with only one question. Why couldn't I trust God?

There were a lot of reasons. I couldn't trust any human because they would all betray or destroy me. Humans were evil, they would do that. Nature on the other hand was perfectly in balance. It was something I could see and experience, wondering at day after day. It could be trusted for doing what was needed every time. However, I could not bring myself to trust something I had never seen, never talked to and never had any experience with.

[ApologeticChrist]

Even more frightening was the realization that I had no idea who I was. The barriers I had set up to keep others out had suffocated me. I had no idea what characteristics really made up who I was. I was a tremendous fake, leading a fake life and lying all the time to avoid revealing who I was, a big pile of nothing.

As I wrestled with these problems, I started dating Eve's younger sister, Abigail. She and I seemed to click perfectly. I lavished her with attention, and she loved me in return. It seemed like all my dreams and wishes from my entire life were falling into place. I'd found someone to save me from my solitude, someone to be with me for all time, and who wanted children. It seemed I would be able to walk away with beliefs intact.

Then Abigail abruptly dumped me. She had been at a Christian camp and had really come to understand being equally yoked. She simply couldn't date an atheist.

I was smashed. I cried and moped, and in this time, I was comforted by Eve. She added insult to injury though when she told me that God had called her to the ministry. God had done it again and screwed up my life. Then she described laying awake in bed at night and listening as she had tossed the idea back and forth. God knocking on her heart, very quietly begging for Him to be let in. I didn't quite get why... but I was interested. I asked her how it felt, and suddenly it made sense. God was knocking on my heart, and I the coward was afraid to let Him in. I heard it now, very softly.

[ApologeticChrist]

I ran out of the house, up and down the streets. I finally made it (somehow) to a church and stood in the parking lot. It was dark in there, and I doubt there was a soul in the church. I finally gave up all the barriers to those outside and decided I had to be myself. I promised to be myself from then onward. Then the feeling came upon me to open myself to that knocking. As I did, I cannot describe the feeling with due justice. The Lord purified me from all of my sin right then and there. It felt as though cold water were washing me from my spine outward. It was amazing. Thank the Lord and praise Him.

I had a long way to go yet, but I was baptized nine months later after I made a commitment to fully follow God. Now I have the goal of becoming a minister or missionary to help others in their walk.

Questions?

-R. S. of UC

[Misty Hills]

Wow! I read it all. What a touching and interesting story. Thanks for sharing your testimony. I really enjoyed reading it. ;D

I don't remember much of when I first became a Christian cause I was so young. But I might have to post sometime of what I remember of mine.

[glow=violet,2,300]~Misty:)[/glow]

[Misty Hills]

Oh I have a question.....what ever happened to Abigail? I mean you became a Christian, did she take you back?


~Misty:)

[Triphus (Titanian)]

Wow! AC great testimony!!!

What were some of the answers Eve gave you? I have this "friend" at school who is an aethiest and from your testimony sounds exactly like you. I mean he debates until he has no breath left about how stupid Christianity is. I have been trying my hardest to get throught to him but he's just like this barrier that won't come down. I had pretty much given up on him until I read this. Now I feel if Eve could change your life around like that that I need to keep trying on Alex. So it would be great if you could supply me with info or just ideas that Eve put in your head that could help me I would really appreciate it.

please pray for me and Alex that he can come to follow Christ.

Thanks ApologeticChrist,
Titanian

[Chocolate Bar]

My names Alex too! Anyway I'll will pray for him

[ApologeticChrist]

Well, I did kinda leave the story abruptly. Abigail and I split perminantly. Our relationship was based on things that neither of us could continue to pursue, and I earned the scorn of her parents. She's still a friend, and we even talk at church and school... but that's all. I mean, I have a pretty...shall we say interesting... love life that has a lot of soapoperaesque events in it. It's a wonderful memory though, and I treasure both of their help in coming to Christ.

Titanian, start sending me questions that you have a hard time answering. If I haven't answered them in my own head already, I'll give you a dollar for each one if I ever meet you. I'd go nuts if something didn't make sense, mostly because I'm just that kind of guy. Start letting me know his questions and arguements, and I can probably take them apart. Probably. Dang, I really AM arrogant. Gack, and it comes out just like that. Ick.

In the meantime, I'll pray for him as best as I can.

-R. S. of UC

[Triphus (Titanian)]

Thanks for praying for Alex guys.

AC one thing Alex is always saying is that he thinks the Bible is great and gives good morals, but he thinks it is totally fictional. I've given him proof that I have found, but he just shows how it could be wrong. What should I do?

Thanks,
Titanian

[Chocolate Bar]

That is a huge problem with alot of people. It also happens alot with Jesus people say he was a great prophet, teacher, and role model but if you don't realize that Jesus is the Son of God you have missed the entire point. The same thing applies to the Bible if you don't realize that it is completely true and the Word of God you have missed the point.

[ApologeticChrist]

"AC one thing Alex is always saying is that he thinks the Bible is great and gives good morals, but he thinks it is totally fictional. I've given him proof that I have found, but he just shows how it could be wrong. What should I do?"

I unfortunately don't know him, so I can't tailor an answer specifically, but I'll tell you what happened to me. Don't get into fights about the Flood, Creation or the Miracles. Those are tiny things that even we Christians fight about and are by no means necessary. Now and then they are interesting, but it is more important to stress that they COULD happen.

Picture this. I am an archer and I hit a bulls eye. Big deal, it could be chance. Same with an army. If I'm outnumbered and I win the battle anyway, it still could be chance. But let's assume one thing (this is the key). Let's assume that there is a truly all powerful God. If He existed, then any event is not amazing, it is only His nature. Creation of the world and everything in it? Simple. Create every skeleton in the earth, every rock from every date, people of all colors, languages and countries. Like nothing. All the miracles of the Bible could easily be true. I believe that every written letter is true, except for the obvious metaphor. You don't have to, but you must admit that if I believe in a truly all powerful God, it isn't that impressive to believe all the stories about Him, is it?

This is the core of any tiny historical problem that non-believers come up with in the Bible. They don't see humans doing it, so it can't be done or it was random chance or a myth. However, point out some things on occasion. Two towns were Sodom and Gomorrah should have been were found recently in the Middle East. They were covered in six inches of volcanic ash and sulfur dust. Isn't that interesting? The stories about Assyria, Babylon, Egypt and Alexander the Great all surprisingly accurate, even in prophesy?

These are all little things that open one's heart to the possibility of God, or at least it did in my case. Most people, once they convince themselves that they atheist, come up with ideas to prove what they think. If you can get him thinking, he'll soon realize that he's an agnostic, not sure.

The last part for me was that I was already hurting internally. I needed God, and the more you reveal a nature of God to him through the Holy Spirit, the more he'll understand. Emphasize no specific church, no specific doctrine, just a personal relationship between one person and Christ. Discuss our ideas freely, and make sure he does not get bound up in the history of the church. We are different now, and we aren't the old school Catholic Inquisition.

Let me know if there are any specifics I can help you with.

Still praying.

-R. S. of UC

[New Titania (TD)]

Wow, Titanian, you go to a Christian private school, no?

How is there an atheist in that school???

[Triphus (Titanian)]

AC: I have yet to talk to him about it he is kind of closed mouthed at this moment, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

TD: Um..... Well....... Let's just say he lied. Ok so he did lie. I don't know why, but he lied. In the beginning of the year we have to sign a contract that says we're Christians, but he lied. That's how he is in.

[ApologeticChrist]

How's it going titanian? Is he thinking?

-R. S. of UC

[Triphus (Titanian)]

Yeah, I can't really tell though. I think he went through a lot when his parents divorced. I told him though if he had any questions he could always come to me.

[ApologeticChrist]

Yeah, divorce is rough on a person. I've seen it a lot with friends of mine in the past, and even noticed it with myself. Going through teenagerdom without a dad has made life really stressful, and I have to look to committed men in my church and community to emulate instead of just calling on my father. Step-parents can be rough too, so I think your plan is best, just leaving yourself as an open person to talk to about problems.

My thoughts are with you man.

-R. S. of UC

[Triphus (Titanian)]

Thanks AC