Atheist Tuesday Q & A: Why Your Way Only?

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)

Comments (19)

  1. carl

    Reply

    Atheists don’t want answers they just want to argue. I have learned that from this blog.

    • BathTub

      Reply

      carls don’t like discussion, they just make unsupported claims and consistantly run away when asked to support them.

      I learnt that from this blog.

      • carl

        BathTub

        I am very happy that you learned at least one thing from this blog!

        🙂

    • BethTubbs

      Reply

      Reading this blog has convinced me that nonbelievers are more interested in debating and than they are in listening. Most of the questions that atheists ask are really means to attack Christian beliefs.

      “For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them. ”

      Matthew 13:15

      • BathTub

        Oh wow an Anonymous Troll for Jesus really put me in my place by showing how interested they are in actual discussion rather than simply trolling for cheap points!

        I was so pwnd!

        Double Pwnded for mocking my handle!

  2. Reply

    Even though I disagree with a lot of what you wrote, I like this new format Steve; at least now we cant accuse you of running from our questions. Hopefully you’ll address the concerns that arise from this post.
    Cheers.

  3. BethTubbs

    Reply

    “But studies show that the godless are some of the most biblically literate!”

    The source of that completely false statement is from atheists themselves.

    A new age healer saying “But studies show that nonmedical healers are some of the most knowledgable about the human body!”

    • theB1ackSwan

      Reply

      Oh, really? Can you tell us what source that was and how you know they were atheists?

    • Reply

      I just realized that Beth Tubbs was a play on BathTub.

      I pretty much let everyone post, Jim, whether they are “Sockpuppets” or not. I’d like them to stick to one pseudonym, but then that would leave me trying to figure out who’s who. The best thing to do when a Sockpuppet arises is to ignore them.

      I post as myself when I contribute to blogs and forums. I’d love for everyone to do that, too. Especially those who call themselves Christians.

    • BathTub

      Reply

      Well it’s good to see the good Christian Trolldiers follow your wishes for the blog.

  4. Reply

    Davy, you neglected the “intelligent people.” Did you exclude them from the statement on purpose?

    Ray and Kirk urge their students to bypass the intellect, Steve.

    • Reply

      Whateverman, you missed the point. Please reread my post in context. Thoughtfully. Thank you.

      If you are just being facetious, then never mind. I get it.

      • vintango2k

        Yeah, that whole bypass the intellect line just floored me…. face palm.

      • If you are just being facetious, then never mind

        I was being half facetious, half serious.

        It’s a FACT that Ray Comfort targets the weak (or rather, those who haven’t put much thought into their opinions). Remember him talking about using the “street understanding” the the theory of evolution? Kirk urging his flock to bypass the intellect? Discussing biology with undergraduates? We never get to see the videos of his discussions with college professors, or with people who spent a lot of time considering the question of abortion.

        To be fair, I don’t necessarily see this kind of behavior from you.

        What I reacted to, however, was the silly notion that reading the Bible makes people smarter, as if redefining the word “intelligence” absolves you (evangelicals in general) of Davy’s accusation.

      • From Psalm 119: 97-105

        Oh how I love your law!
        It is my meditation all the day.
        98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
        for it is ever with me.
        99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
        for your testimonies are my meditation.
        100 I understand more than the aged,
        for I keep your precepts.
        101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
        in order to keep your word.
        102 I do not turn aside from your rules,
        for you have taught me.
        103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
        sweeter than honey to my mouth!
        104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
        therefore I hate every false way.
        105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
        and a light to my path.

  5. Reply

    Actually, “Beth” (yes, I realize you’re a troll, but since you’re lying, I think I’ll call you out on it rather than letting it go unchallenged), if you look into it, you’ll find that the source of the information that unbelievers are more biblically-literate than the faithful is from a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a project of the Pew Research Center. Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

    So, sorry. They aren’t 100% Christian (they’re a diverse group), but they are primarily Christian.

    • Felix

      Reply

      I don’t like raining on the parade, but the study did not actually question about Biblical literacy. It asked more general questions about religion, its traditions and practices. However, it’s not exactly a medal to call yourself a Protestant and know less about your denomination’s foundations than an atheist. The most knowledgeable groups about religion in general were atheists, Jews, and Mormons, followed by white Christians of other denominations, then black Protestants, and Latino Catholics coming in last. It’s not surprising that the groups (sadly) associated with a lower average education also know least about religion.

    • Nohm

      Reply

      Felix is correct regarding the statement that the questions were more about religious (not just Christian) traditions and practices, and Felix is correct about the order of knowledgable groups.

      There’s a lot more detail than Felix listed, so I encourage everyone to take the quiz themselves, and look into the results.

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