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Atheist Tuesday Q & A: Why Your Way Only?

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This Atheist Tuesday kicks off a new season of answering your sincere (and not so sincere) questions. Feel free to leave your queries about me, my methods, or my God in the comments section!

Atheist Davy wrote  in response to a comment posted from a reader sometime ago. My answers to his concerns will be in red:

The comment: “Today the bible is more widely translated, published, and read than in all previous centuries combined. By its teachings weak people find strength, worried people find peace, confused people gain answers, and intelligent people grow wiser. ”

Davy’s concerns and questions:

This is a interesting statement. So it’s agreed upon that you use the Bible to target weak people, worried people, and confused people. And if you do not fall into any of those categories and don’t follow your specific belief or Bible you must be wrong and will go to hell. Sorry to disappoint but not everybody is weak, confused, or worried.

Davy, you neglected the “intelligent people.” Did you exclude them from the statement on purpose? When one reads the Bible “intelligent people grow wiser.”  No one ever said that we target the weak, worried or confused; it’s just a fact that in this godless, biblically illiterate age, it seems that there are more weak, worried and confused people.

You are correct though, that if one does not follow [my] specific belief you are wrong and will go to Hell. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:6)

Now you may protest that Jesus didn’t say that or the Bible can’t be trusted, or that this is a mistranslation or a myriad of other things—but I believe it. If he said he’s the only way, then, well, he’s the only way. Or, he’s lying or crazy.

Proverbs 14:7 says: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. You may choose any old way you want, follow whom you want, do what you want, but you will ultimately choose death. Not only death in the here and now, that is, fruitless deeds done in the dark that will lead to nothing productive eternally, but spiritual death in the end, in a place called Hell.

And why would you go to Hell for not believing the way I do? Because the Bible says: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10)

Of course, if you repent and trust in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died on a cross, was buried for three days and rose again, all that can change for you.

I can’t agree with the fact that an intelligent person would grow wiser by just reading one bible or following on belief though…i would assume that a intelligent person would explore more religions and beliefs than just one. Perhaps learn about many different religions and not necessarily go head first into the first one he comes across.

And that’s your problem, Davy. You may think you intelligent, but wisdom is lost on you, according to the Bible. Psalm 111:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.

My only questions to you Steve: Somebody is scared of death and confused in life and they believe in something….why must they only believe in your beliefs? Why can’t they find comfort somewhere else? Why do you and your followers constantly tell people they will still burn in hell even though they are good people just as lost as you were once? They just decided upon another religion or belief.

Please see the above answers plus this: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 14:12)

And finally, about your “good people” reference, here’s what the Bible says about them:

As it is written:

   “None is righteous, no, not one;
 no one understands;
   no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless;

   no one does good,
   not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
   they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
  in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(Romans 3:10-18)

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