How can i help my atheist friend?

i want to show him God and how wonderful His word is, but i dont know how to do that.
Was an atheist for four years out of my life. It's stupid to categorize all atheists in one group. Some people are atheists because they ARE mad at God; others are atheists because they simply don't believe in a higher power. There can be multiple reasons.

I didn't get influenced in my walk by any Christians because typically they would insult you for not believing. I didn't get influenced until I was 17 when I met a man who really started to show me Christ's love. It drew me in.

I would say:
a) Pray
b) Share Jesus (when prompted by the Holy Spirit - it is not our job to save, but to plant seeds)
c) Show love. It goes a long way. Don't be conformed by the world.
 
i want to show him God and how wonderful His word is, but i dont know how to do that.

We need to reach people at their level. The mere fact that we are in this world and not heaven is proof of that. Hence, let him speak to you / entice him to open up to you. Scratch hard (and gently) to see where his stumbling block is and help him with that.

My faith has grown from my many discussions with atheists. It is important that you realize you don't need to win an argument in his mind (you do / should / can in yours). He will always argue and disagree. There is no peace to be had until his heart is changed. The irony of atheist claims to logic and truth!

After many nights of discussion you will see that what Brother Mike suggested in post # 2 is spot on. It is not about winning arguments, it is about being Christ to an unsaved person.

Christianity = Jesus laid his life down for us. Matt 16:24 says Christianity is us doing likewise. Be his friend when no-one else is. Turn the left cheek if he is a bully. Give him your last sandwich. Take a bullet for him. That is Christianity. Christianity is not winning arguments and being more blessed and prosperous.
 
i want to show him God and how wonderful His word is, but i dont know how to do that.
As others said pray! And slowly you will realize, there is really nothing you can do.. Only Holy Spirit can bring about the same.. Once you realize that, then Holy Spirit will use you as an amazing vessel..
 
We need to reach people at their level. The mere fact that we are in this world and not heaven is proof of that. Hence, let him speak to you / entice him to open up to you. Scratch hard (and gently) to see where his stumbling block is and help him with that.

My faith has grown from my many discussions with atheists. It is important that you realize you don't need to win an argument in his mind (you do / should / can in yours). He will always argue and disagree. There is no peace to be had until his heart is changed. The irony of atheist claims to logic and truth!

After many nights of discussion you will see that what Brother Mike suggested in post # 2 is spot on. It is not about winning arguments, it is about being Christ to an unsaved person.

Christianity = Jesus laid his life down for us. Matt 16:24 says Christianity is us doing likewise. Be his friend when no-one else is. Turn the left cheek if he is a bully. Give him your last sandwich. Take a bullet for him. That is Christianity. Christianity is not winning arguments and being more blessed and prosperous.
It's true. When you argue with an atheist, some atheists do lots of studies before they chose not to believe. Arguing with them isn't going to do or change anything. It's just a vicious circle. There has to be a bigger man to shrug it off and back away and that's what you have to do.

You don't need to have the last word. When someone feels the need to have a last word, it's typically a pride issue. Let them have the last word.

Show them love. Don't argue. Show them love and point them to the truth. When you feel led to share about Jesus and to maturely discuss, then go do it. But if it's completely led by flesh, just back away. :)
 
I didn't know where to post this so I'll try here. I have always gone to church I am just recently having troubles with my faith and doubts. Has anyone ever experienced something that in a way "proved" God's existence. I've had a few but of course science has an explanation for them. Also I am Terrified to death of the concept of eternity. I'd love if someone could help me with this. What's strange is I'm afraid either way.. (we die and nothing happenes) or ( we live in heaven for eternity) even if we die and nothing happens I still fear the end. Then I fear eternity in heaven. I just can't grasp the concept. I've been afraid since a child. I feel like heaven no matter how great it is... will get old. Any advise or encouraging words would be amazing.
 
I didn't know where to post this so I'll try here. I have always gone to church I am just recently having troubles with my faith and doubts. Has anyone ever experienced something that in a way "proved" God's existence. I've had a few but of course science has an explanation for them. Also I am Terrified to death of the concept of eternity. I'd love if someone could help me with this. What's strange is I'm afraid either way.. (we die and nothing happenes) or ( we live in heaven for eternity) even if we die and nothing happens I still fear the end. Then I fear eternity in heaven. I just can't grasp the concept. I've been afraid since a child. I feel like heaven no matter how great it is... will get old. Any advise or encouraging words would be amazing.


Are you "born again" spiritually through faith in Christ?
 
I never "fully" understood what that meant. I have been baptized and of course have not been a perfect Christian since then.

Well there are no "perfect Christians" at least not till we get to heaven anyway. You should read the Gospel of John Chapter 3 and take a look at the "Romans Road":

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:13
 
Do you understand my fear of eternity?

To be quite frank: it sounds like you need to get saved. Having a fear of eternity usually comes from conviction of some sort: being under the conviction of the Holy Spirit will bring you to Christ.

Being under conviction from something dark brings fear; but this is a scare tactic on our enemies part.
 
Do you understand my fear of eternity?

I had never heard of Fear of Eternity before now. However, it has an official name, uranophobia.

I do have some empathy because when I was six and seven years old, I had a basket full of irrational fears. For example, I refused to sleep in my own bed because I thought people would steal me, so I insisted on sleeping in the corner so I could defend myself.

My parents took me to a psychologist, and he, rather miraculously now that I think about it, convinced me that I no longer lived in a world where children get stolen or abused.

I had a sartorial experience that began one day when I was with the psychologist. He asked me if I was comfortable in the chair. I said that I was. He said that he wondered how that was possible because I was not sitting in the chair. I insisted that he was wrong; I was sitting in the chair. He told me to look where I was sitting, and when I did I realized that I was not in the chair. My hands had gripped the armrests, and I was holding myself in the air above the chair.

From that moment, (about nine years ago) I have been able to question my sense of reality. I have mostly learned not to act on negative or irrational feelings.

Sorry to be so wordy, and I bet that if you work with a therapist, you might get some relief.
 
I had never heard of Fear of Eternity before now. However, it has an official name, uranophobia.

I do have some empathy because when I was six and seven years old, I had a basket full of irrational fears. For example, I refused to sleep in my own bed because I thought people would steal me, so I insisted on sleeping in the corner so I could defend myself.

My parents took me to a psychologist, and he, rather miraculously now that I think about it, convinced me that I no longer lived in a world where children get stolen or abused.

I had a sartorial experience that began one day when I was with the psychologist. He asked me if I was comfortable in the chair. I said that I was. He said that he wondered how that was possible because I was not sitting in the chair. I insisted that he was wrong; I was sitting in the chair. He told me to look where I was sitting, and when I did I realized that I was not in the chair. My hands had gripped the armrests, and I was holding myself in the air above the chair.

From that moment, (about nine years ago) I have been able to question my sense of reality. I have mostly learned not to act on negative or irrational feelings.

Sorry to be so wordy, and I bet that if you work with a therapist, you might get some relief.
I have worked with a therapist but it's weird that everyday people's advice helps more because I feel like they won't sugar coat like a therapist will. What I hate most about this fear is that it's inevitable. Unlike maybe a fear of highs. Your only afraid when u are faced with that fear. In my case I can't escape. It's nice to know people aren't afraid of eternity because it makes me see that it's irrational kinda.
 
I didn't know where to post this so I'll try here. I have always gone to church I am just recently having troubles with my faith and doubts. 1. Has anyone ever experienced something that in a way "proved" God's existence. 2. I've had a few but of course science has an explanation for them. 3. Also I am Terrified to death of the concept of eternity. I'd love if someone could help me with this. What's strange is I'm afraid either way.. (we die and nothing happenes) or ( we live in heaven for eternity) even if we die and nothing happens I still fear the end. 4. Then I fear eternity in heaven. I just can't grasp the concept. I've been afraid since a child. I feel like heaven no matter how great it is... will get old. Any advise or encouraging words would be amazing.
Hi bud

1. I want you to try and realize how silly that question is. Do it whilst using the amazing mind God gave you. I have been reading Isaac Newton's quotes this week, here are some that should help you.

“This most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”
“A man may imagine things that are false, but he can only understand things that are true.”
“He who thinks half-heartedly will not believe in God; but he who really thinks has to believe in God.”
“Sir Isaac Newton was asked how he discovered the law of gravity. He replied, "By thinking about it all the time.”
“Whence arises all that order and beauty we see in the world?”


2. Science can only observe what is. Not how it got there. The best they can do is play a silly game of cat and mouse. Who made me?...your parents... :giggle: o_O.

3. Die and nothing happens? Think about that for a while. Does it really seem logical. You, with your great mind, great and wonderful personality, uniqueness, ability to dream and imagine wonderful things...will just....cease to exist....like the ant I just squashed....really? Have you ever made anything? If you made a nice kit car, would you just throw it away when the fuel ran out?

4. How can heaven get old? We serve God and He is good. 1 Cor 2:9 However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him. According to that scripture we can expect heaven to much better then earth. Earth isn't that bad if you had to remove all the wicked people (y).
 
I have worked with a therapist but it's weird that everyday people's advice helps more because I feel like they won't sugar coat like a therapist will. What I hate most about this fear is that it's inevitable. Unlike maybe a fear of highs. Your only afraid when u are faced with that fear. In my case I can't escape. It's nice to know people aren't afraid of eternity because it makes me see that it's irrational kinda.

I still have performance anxiety, which is a cowbungaly cool phase that means I won't be a able to do want I should do.

In school, I deal with it with study habits and study pals, so that when I take a test, I feel like I will do as good as I can do.

As an athlete, I deal with it by practicing the fundamentals and weight training. So when the umpire says, "Play ball," I feel like I have done as good as I can do.

I never thought about having performance anxiety with God. Maybe it could be the same sort of thing. In my case, I'm a Catholic, so I would follow the Sacraments, which is sort of like practicing the fundamentals as an athlete.

:):):):)
 
I gave an atheist a Bible once as a present. We talked and discussed the origin of the world, life, God, praying (I prayed too) etc...
They finally came to terms with this and may not be a Christian but apprechiate our faith and how powerful God is and that God will always be there for them.
 
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