Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Atheists can be the Most Intriguing Believers
I used to frequent a Religious Discussions Group in Facebook. When I first turned back to God and finally truly got serious with Him, I wanted a place to talk to others about God. I was amazed that my first time in the group, I was double teamed by two atheists and one of them was an admin of the group.
As time went by, it became very apparent that there were many of each religion in the group. I saw Christians and Muslims and New Aged believers and Jews and everything else. The largest group of people in that particular Facebook group however, were Atheists. They far outnumbered more than all but the Muslims who gave them a fair running.
I belong to several Christian groups in Facebook now. Every one of them seem to be filled with atheists who come in and ask the most ridiculous questions trying to stump us. They are constantly pointing out supposed contradictions like whether the robe they placed on Jesus when the guards were beating him, was purple or scarlet. As if somehow the difference in the color of the robe will prove to us that God is not real. As if that could prove there was anything wrong with our theology. In a strange way, many atheists seem to be as committed to God as the most devout Christians.
Before I believed in God, I don't remember even thinking about Him much. I liked baseball and Star Wars as a kid. I never spent much time even thinking about God. Today, most of the people I work with don't seem to give God much thought unless I mention it first. Even then I quickly get the sense that they don't want to keep talking about God.
You see, when you truly don't believe in something, you usually don't even care to think about it. If you don't believe in aliens, you don't spend much time thinking about aliens. If you don't believe in Sasquatch, you won't spend much of your day thinking about Big Foot. It is the same thing for things you don't like. If you don't like super heroes, you aren't going to spend your day discussing the X-Men or Spiderman. So what is it about atheists, who either say they don't like God, or simply do not believe in God, but will go out of their way to join a Christian group in Facebook so they can discuss God for hours every night?
Some will argue that they are trying to save others from the foolishness of believing in God. Really? Do you spend much time in Satanic groups? Do you spend hours in the "World is Flat" groups? Do you spend, much time trying to convince people there is no such thing as reincarnation? No, of course you don't. Because you actually don't believe in those things!
If you truly don't believe God is real, you are not going to want to spend your time discussing God. That is just basic common sense. The atheists who never think about God are the true atheists of this world. Those atheists who spend hours in groups trying to prove God is not real? I do not believe they are true atheists. I believe they are believers in denial.
It's true! They don't want to believe in God. They aren't convinced in their minds that God is real, but in their hearts, deep down inside, they know God is real. That bothers the living snot out of them too! It creates a contradiction in their own hearts and it makes them feel a need to get it figured out once and for all.
They will spend hours every night trying hard to prove that God is not real and it really bothers them that they can't. They need to prove it though. If they can just prove that God is not real, then they can rest easy. Do you know why they can rest easy once they prove God is real? Because it will put that contradiction in their hearts to rest. Because they are not trying to prove to the Christians that God is not real. They need to prove it to themselves!
Why does it bother them so much that they can't prove God is not real? Because deep down they know God is real. They feel God tugging at their hearts and they are afraid that if they don't prove God is false, they will have to finally admit god is real. The more they try to prove God is fake, the more important it is to prove it. The more they try, the harder it will be on them to face the reality that they have been wrong.
What they don't understand is that they can try and try, all of their lives, and they will never prove God is not real. Not even to themselves. They will tell themselves they are positive God is not real, but the truth is they have never proved it to themselves. Because if they ever did, they would not feel such a desire to still prove it. The truth is they will never prove God is not real. Nobody has ever proven that and nobody ever will. People have convinced themselves God is not real, but they have never once proven it. Because that is impossible to do.
If you can prove something is not real, you would be able to prove it to everyone as well. On the other hand, it is possible to prove to yourself that God is real and still not be able to prove it to anyone else. It's called personal experience. When you personally experience God's presence, there is absolutely no denying God is real. But because God has revealed Himself to you and nobody else, you can't prove it to anyone else. Yet you know what you experienced and you know God is real. But those who are trying to prove God is not real? There is no experience that can prove that. A lack of experience is not proof of anything.
Nobody will ever prove to themselves or anyone else that God is not real. That is impossible to do. Yet everyone who earnestly seeks God, finds Him. That's why there are millions of people who are witnesses to the fact God is real. Millions of Christians have experience God's presence. Millions have had prayers answered in unbelievable ways. If you truly want the truth, stop trying to prove what is impossible to prove and try seeking God and let Him show you He is real.
Unfortunately since they want to prove God is not real, they are not willing to truly seek God out. So they never find their proof and they just continue to look for proof that is not there. Some of them will spend all of their free time trying to prove God is false. I just can't help but think that if more Christians were nearly as committed to God as some atheists are, this would be one amazing world to live in.
As time went by, it became very apparent that there were many of each religion in the group. I saw Christians and Muslims and New Aged believers and Jews and everything else. The largest group of people in that particular Facebook group however, were Atheists. They far outnumbered more than all but the Muslims who gave them a fair running.
I belong to several Christian groups in Facebook now. Every one of them seem to be filled with atheists who come in and ask the most ridiculous questions trying to stump us. They are constantly pointing out supposed contradictions like whether the robe they placed on Jesus when the guards were beating him, was purple or scarlet. As if somehow the difference in the color of the robe will prove to us that God is not real. As if that could prove there was anything wrong with our theology. In a strange way, many atheists seem to be as committed to God as the most devout Christians.
Before I believed in God, I don't remember even thinking about Him much. I liked baseball and Star Wars as a kid. I never spent much time even thinking about God. Today, most of the people I work with don't seem to give God much thought unless I mention it first. Even then I quickly get the sense that they don't want to keep talking about God.
You see, when you truly don't believe in something, you usually don't even care to think about it. If you don't believe in aliens, you don't spend much time thinking about aliens. If you don't believe in Sasquatch, you won't spend much of your day thinking about Big Foot. It is the same thing for things you don't like. If you don't like super heroes, you aren't going to spend your day discussing the X-Men or Spiderman. So what is it about atheists, who either say they don't like God, or simply do not believe in God, but will go out of their way to join a Christian group in Facebook so they can discuss God for hours every night?
Some will argue that they are trying to save others from the foolishness of believing in God. Really? Do you spend much time in Satanic groups? Do you spend hours in the "World is Flat" groups? Do you spend, much time trying to convince people there is no such thing as reincarnation? No, of course you don't. Because you actually don't believe in those things!
If you truly don't believe God is real, you are not going to want to spend your time discussing God. That is just basic common sense. The atheists who never think about God are the true atheists of this world. Those atheists who spend hours in groups trying to prove God is not real? I do not believe they are true atheists. I believe they are believers in denial.
It's true! They don't want to believe in God. They aren't convinced in their minds that God is real, but in their hearts, deep down inside, they know God is real. That bothers the living snot out of them too! It creates a contradiction in their own hearts and it makes them feel a need to get it figured out once and for all.
They will spend hours every night trying hard to prove that God is not real and it really bothers them that they can't. They need to prove it though. If they can just prove that God is not real, then they can rest easy. Do you know why they can rest easy once they prove God is real? Because it will put that contradiction in their hearts to rest. Because they are not trying to prove to the Christians that God is not real. They need to prove it to themselves!
Why does it bother them so much that they can't prove God is not real? Because deep down they know God is real. They feel God tugging at their hearts and they are afraid that if they don't prove God is false, they will have to finally admit god is real. The more they try to prove God is fake, the more important it is to prove it. The more they try, the harder it will be on them to face the reality that they have been wrong.
What they don't understand is that they can try and try, all of their lives, and they will never prove God is not real. Not even to themselves. They will tell themselves they are positive God is not real, but the truth is they have never proved it to themselves. Because if they ever did, they would not feel such a desire to still prove it. The truth is they will never prove God is not real. Nobody has ever proven that and nobody ever will. People have convinced themselves God is not real, but they have never once proven it. Because that is impossible to do.
If you can prove something is not real, you would be able to prove it to everyone as well. On the other hand, it is possible to prove to yourself that God is real and still not be able to prove it to anyone else. It's called personal experience. When you personally experience God's presence, there is absolutely no denying God is real. But because God has revealed Himself to you and nobody else, you can't prove it to anyone else. Yet you know what you experienced and you know God is real. But those who are trying to prove God is not real? There is no experience that can prove that. A lack of experience is not proof of anything.
Nobody will ever prove to themselves or anyone else that God is not real. That is impossible to do. Yet everyone who earnestly seeks God, finds Him. That's why there are millions of people who are witnesses to the fact God is real. Millions of Christians have experience God's presence. Millions have had prayers answered in unbelievable ways. If you truly want the truth, stop trying to prove what is impossible to prove and try seeking God and let Him show you He is real.
Unfortunately since they want to prove God is not real, they are not willing to truly seek God out. So they never find their proof and they just continue to look for proof that is not there. Some of them will spend all of their free time trying to prove God is false. I just can't help but think that if more Christians were nearly as committed to God as some atheists are, this would be one amazing world to live in.
