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Mar. 20, 2006 I have been getting some emails concerning challenges from particular atheists who write for Useless-Knowledge. These emails ask why I am not directly countering the arguments and accusations that are leveled against me and other Christians here. First let me thank those who have been concerned enough to write. Second I will just explain that I do not read any of the atheists in Useless-Knowledge and that is probably why I haven’t bothered to address whatever it is they are saying. I also have not asked for a log in to the rebuttals section of Useless-Knowledge. I have no desire to get into endless debates with atheists who do not understand the writings of the Holy Spirit. If they wish answers to any particular thing they can still send me a direct email. Those that have know that I will answer those to the best of my ability. I only ignore the ones that are particularly slanderous or extremely vain and accusatory. Then there is the scripture: “17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity; they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” (Ephesians 4:17-19 NIV) I have been accused of not understanding atheistic thought. This is wrong. I understand it completely. I was there. The atheist on the other hand has no way of understanding the truly born again Christian. He has never been in the Spirit. He has never had that soft heart. His heart is perpetually hardened against the spiritual. The Christian is told he should “no longer live as the Gentiles do”. See? We were all Gentiles, or unbelievers, or agnostic in some way, or atheistic, or even religiously ignorant of Jesus. The Christian can be content in Christ. Those outside that body of faith still seek some sort of contentment away from God. That, of course, is fruitless. “20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (4:20-24) What no one who remains hardhearted wants to understand or witness is the change in the one having come to faith. I have written before that what I am in Christ now bears no resemblance to what I was before Christ. Did I care about any other soul? No. Did I worry about anything other than my own self? No. I was not a very nice person before I came to Christ. I was “old self”. The “new self” prays for the unbeliever because I know what I’ve been brought out of and I know what they can be brought out of. I now care whether another lives or dies and I have a reason now to surrender my life if that becomes necessary in the rescue of another. Was I taught this? Yes. The Spirit is the teacher. Once indwelt with the teacher, yes, I was taught. The “attitude of my mind” was made new. “25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” (4: 25-28) And this is me now. This is why I do not bother with the columns I know to be written by atheists. I prefer to speak the truth. I prefer not to hold anger or even be tempted to anger by exchanging thoughts with the spiritually corrupt. The devil must have no “foothold’. The work that I do must be “useful”. A couple of columns ago I wrote of the necessity of not hiding the Christian witness; not fearing the darts of those who chose to disbelieve. They have no valid spiritual argument. The Spirit indwelt Christian abides in a truth that is unimpeachable. It doesn’t matter how many times the unbeliever says there is no God. They are wrong. “29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (4: 29-30) And this must be me. I write to build my brothers and sisters in the faith. I cannot help it if atheists and religionists read what I write and take exception; just as I cannot prevent their desire to try to prove the scriptures in error. As long as I am faithful to the indwelling Spirit, bringing forth what he delivers to my fingers on this very busted-up computer keyboard, I will not deny what needs to be the testimony of the Lord to the faithful in building the church body. I write according to the “needs” and the “benefit” of “those who listen”. Those that do not listen or those who deliberately rebel against the written word of God are not the audience. They do not even have to read what I write. They would probably suffer less stress if they would completely ignore the columns I put together. I certainly make it a point to ignore theirs. “31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” And this needs to be me too. As I ignore the writings of opposition and general slander against God my bitterness is eased. The old saying is “what we don’t know can’t hurt us” and so I am practicing that. It is getting easier to avoid conflict and be more compassionate. I can pray for the atheists and find myself more forgiving because I know exactly where they are. I was there once. And I know God is still willing to forgive them just as I was forgiven more than 30 years ago. I will continue to write as the Lord leads. I pray before each column and I thank the Lord for the words that he gives me. If you are one of the Useless-Knowledge atheists having read one of my columns and suspect I am addressing something specific that you wrote, I can assure you that is not the case. Your misunderstandings are completely on you. ------------ Email Skip: skiptoomaloo@hotmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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