The Jeffrey Dahmer Murders

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Jeffrey Dahmer, 34-year-old son of fundamentalist Christian parent’s, brutally murdered seventeen homosexual, mostly black young men, raped their corps, and ate their body parts. Was what he did wrong? Matter Atheos, Pan Unitheos, and Chris Theon met to discuss this appalling matter.

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Matter, the distinguished white-headed professor, spoke first. “Gentlemen, I’m terrified of serial killers who roam our streets, invade our homes, rob, rape, murder our children. They frighten and force us to become an armed camp. Shaking his head, eating people and human heads in the refrigerator, it’s loathsome. Maybe we’re tasty and nutritious, but it’s utterly repulsive. We make laws to protect citizens from such lunatics. I know we’re only evolving animals who return to dirt. But we want peaceful, fear-free lives. So we should respect fellow human beings--practical expediency and the golden rule should be our goals. What do you say, Pan?”

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Pan, a handsome bearded philosopher from India with hand on chin, nodded affirmatively. “Hum, I agree Dahmer was wrong to murder those men. It prevented their working off bad karma from a former life. It prolonged sufferings in their next life. And eating meat is wrong too. My parents taught me not to eat meat since it may be a person or animal from a former life. Everything and everyone are parts of this universe of spiritual energy—I call it the World Soul or god. Things return to the ground and are reborn in different forms a thousand times to achieve justice. Then these temporary illusions cease to exist.”

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“Pan, have I got wax in my ears or what,” protested Matter? “Are you claiming karma means we shouldn’t help suffering people? Would you outlaw fire rescue, police aid, hospitals--things that alleviate human suffering? What happened to human compassion? The world’s Jeffrey Dohmers’ shouldn’t be allowed to run wild terrorizing us! And how can karma—an impersonal energy—know anything about our behavior? How can you say everything’s illusion? Don’t you wear clothes, look in the mirror, look when crossing streets and a thousand things you couldn’t do if all is just illusion? If the universe is one unity, how can it take separate forms, separate appearances, separate actions? Pan, is it your physical senses, or your common sense, that’s the illusion? I can’t see how your way of thinking has any ethical basis.”                      

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“Matter, if I understand you correctly, you’re also without any ethical basis. You believe we’re just sophisticated animals, a chance arrangement of atoms, who at death return to dirt. So, you’ve no authoritative source of goodness, you’re not accountable; you’ve only your subjective biases and opinions without authority and that will one day cease to exist.

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“Further, you despair that some catastrophe could end life on earth--an atomic war, an asteroid smashing earth, volcanic eruptions. Yes, practical expediency would make life more comfortable and secure. But! But! Human nature is sensual, passionate, craving--it’s seldom sensitive and compassionate. Why not fulfill our own pleasures? Why not satisfy our own desires--be they robbery, rape, murder, drug suicide, shooting persons at random? Since life has no ultimate purpose, since chances are great we’ll get by with it. Why not go out in a blaze of glory?”

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Chris could contain himself no longer. “Fellows, if we’re only animals without souls who return to dirt, that’s no basis for ethics. And, if after a thousand lives, we’re absorbed into universal energy, that only delays incentive, destroys compassion to live ethically. Ultimately, it makes little difference if we give dying persons a drink of water or dice their throats.”

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“I believe we have eternal dignity because we’re not evolved but created in God’s likeness and created immortal. An infinite, eternal, personal, ethical and loving God created us, set standards for us to live by, and will one day judge our every thought, every word, and deed. That makes life meaningful, that gives us hope. It motivates us to live ethically.”

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“But Chris that sounds too good to be true. Why should we believe it?”

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“I’m glad you asked, Matter. Our Creator visibly entered our space-time world in human form and told us who He is. He gave abundant signs open-minded persons could recognize and believe. He fulfilled hundreds of detailed predictions written centuries earlier. He did things we know neither nature nor man can achieve such as walk on water, heal blindness, lameness, and skin diseases instantly, and even raise the dead. Check it all out in the Bible--a book proven true time and again despite all the critical assaults.”

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“And here’s the real ethical incentive: Jesus’ blood, soaked the cross in our stead, showed us his great love, and paid our penalty for trampling God’s laws. The guarded, sealed tomb could not hold Him, which confirmed His divine claims.”

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“We have forgiveness, become God’s redeemed children, and receive His gift of eternal life by trusting in Christ. That’s a foundation of authority, that’s ethical incentive when limited, conflicting, human guesses are not.”

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“But Chris how is God love when the Bible says sinners will be cast into a lake of fire forever?”

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“Thanks for asking, Pan. First, people mistakenly believe God would be unloving to punish sin or wrongdoing. They want a permissive God who will overlook their sin. That’s not the perfectly just, holy, righteous or loving God of the Bible. That’s not the love society really agrees with either. We put thieves, rapists, murders, any law-breakers in jail to protect society—that’s love. Breakers of God’s laws must receive His perfect justice, which is the very foundation of His love. Indeed, there can be no real love apart from justice.”

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“Second, the lake of fire is a metaphor to represent the wrath of God (John 3:36; Ps. 89:46; Ezek. 21:31; 2 Thess. 1:8-9). Jesus used metaphor or symbolic pictures to grab people’s attention and warn them of literal realities. Fire burning flesh certainly does that. Other pictures describing Hell are a bottomless pit (Rev. 203); outer darkness (Matt. 8:12), torment (Rev. 20:10); beating (Luke 12:47-48).”

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“Third, Jesus taught Hell is degrees of punishment for degrees of sin--a lake of fire suggests equal punishment. It’s terribly unjust to punish both a murderer of millions and a moral but unsaved person equally in a furnace or lake of fire. Indeed, God would be less just than human jurists would be not to punish sin to the degree it deserved.”

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“How much WORSE punishment, do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has  trampled the Son of God underfoot (Heb. 10:29).” See also "more tolerable" in Matt. 10:15; 11:22-24. Mark 6:11.

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“Forth, Hell is forever. God respects the free will He gave us. Some persons despise God to the death. They don’t have to be mean, nasty, brutal killers. They may be likable, moral, good intention persons who just prefer doing their thing to God’s will. But their sinful self-will prevents them entering and corrupting God’s perfect Heaven. God is the Lord and we must abide by His terms. He gives us one life and after that the judgment (Heb. 9:29). Every knee will one day bow to the Savior then our Judge, and admit He alone is right (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10).”

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The utterly just God of the Bible who knows every thought, motive and act of every person will give us pure justice. His principles are mentioned in the Bible Book of Romans the second chapter. He cannot allow us to do things in His perfect Heaven that we do now on this earth. When we see God, we will have no excuse to justify our evil behavior. Now is our time for repentance and commitment to serve Him. Creation, conscience and God's Spirit witnesses to us and God will find a way to save all who want to know Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus the Messiah or Anointed (Acts 16:31). We may trust in His love now but will receive His justice later. Jesus is Creator, Lifegiver, Lawgiver, Savior, and Judge. Will you pray, Lord, I trust You to save me a sinner right now and forever.

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Interview with Professor Mater Atheos

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Chris Theon arrived for his two o’clock appointment at Professor Atheos’ office in the administrative building at secular university. Knock. Knock.

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“Come in, Mr. Theon.” Opening the door, the professor greeted Chris with a casual smile and invited him in to sit across from him at the little round table. Looking around the office Chris was much impressed. He said, “You sure have a lot of earned and honorary degrees and honors professor. You have filled your wall with them. You must be quite a knowledgeable man.”

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“Ha, ha. Oh, I’m just a humble person who worked hard and persevered. I understand you want to interview me about my beliefs.”

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“Yes, and thank you so much for giving me some of your time. I believe you’re called by many names.”

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“Yes, ha, ha. Some people think I’m an antichrist in league with the devil because of my beliefs. They call me atheist, humanist, materialist, naturalist, secularist, antitheist and some other things I won’t mention. They all mean I don’t believe in any God, miracles, angels, divine revelations, human souls or any religions and superstitions. The universe is eternal and self-sustaining. There’s no God and we should justify our beliefs by science and reason. I believe the scientific method of laboratory controlled, repeated, observable experiments is the only way to gain knowledge.”

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“Yes professor that’s certainly true in physics and chemistry. But wouldn’t you say archaeology, paleontology, geology and forensics qualify as sciences and give us knowledge as well? All these depend upon data of intelligent design in nature. Moreover, we can’t subject past events to laboratory controlled, repeated, observable experiments. And suppose there’s a Creator God who’s an infinite Spirit. Do you think he would submit to our laboratory, controlled, repeated, observable experiments so we can know he’s real? And who was around to observe and report on what happened at Creation. But here again scientists now know the universe is not eternal and this points to a personal intelligence to account for the persons and things we observe in the world.”

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“Ha, ha, well Chris I think evolution answers this whole question of God and creation and shows we no longer need God to account for things. Who can deny that evolution is a proven fact?”

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“Of course Dr. Atheos, if by evolution you mean many varieties of dogs and monkeys exist (microevolution). But, that’s no evidence that dogs change into horses and monkeys evolve into men (macroevolution).Where’s the evidence in nature that molecules can come alive, develop intelligence and arrange themselves into men? If it happened, shouldn’t we see thousands of fossils or transitional steps that would decisively prove it true? Besides, life forms are genetically programmed. Mutations are detrimental defects and don’t accumulative over generations. Enormously complicated animals and plants would have to be alive and functional from the start. So is evolution proven fact or mere speculative theory?”

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“Hum! (Professor Atheos became tight-lipped and raised his voice). Young man if a God of infinite goodness exists, he would desire to purge evil and suffering from the earth. And a God of infinite power could fulfill his desire. But evil and suffering exists. I think that does away with any notion of such a God.”

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“Professor, Sir, you’re right that this is a serious problem and I don’t think we limited humans have answers in specific cases. But we have some general answers that show it’s reasonable that a good God and providence exists. First, to prevent evil and suffering, God would have to create us as robots without free choice to either accept or reject him. That’s no honor to us or glory to him. Also, if God is infinitely good and powerful, then he certainly can defeat evil and suffering. Do we know he doesn’t have a good reason for the delay? Further, we’re all sinners who brought evil and suffering into the world, destroying them would be destroying us. So shouldn’t we be grateful for God’s delay? The Bible says God is patient and it’s not his will that any should perish but all come to the truth. Finally, if there be no God, everything is a given or just is, how can we even define good or evil as anything more than just our individual preference?”

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“Ah haw! You’re a Christian believer in the Bible. Well, I don’t believe in that heinous book. It’s full of evils like warfare, murders, and lies even of its supposedly holy people. It’s not the so-called ‘good book.’ How can you accept such literature and say it’s inspired by God?”

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“I’m glad you asked professor, sir. You are right the Bible is full of these things. But God doesn’t approve the lies, adulteries, murders, human sacrifices, sex with animals and other evils committed by persons in the Bible. He had them recorded to show they bring death and just retribution. God’s servants provide Bible lists showing how God wants us to live for our best interests. Consider the Ten Commandments, Sermon on the Mount and others.”

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“If we reject God’s authority for chance and evolution, then limited, conflicting, human opinions, and guesses are the result--we have no absolute truth or authority to say what’s good or evil. We’re without human dignity, without ethical standards, without human rights, without ultimate purpose, and without hope for an afterlife. Isn’t that what atheist philosophy offers us professor Atheos—chaos and complete despair?”

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“In atheist countries, it starts with lying promises of hope and citizen reforms followed with indiscriminate merciless human slaughter. Atheist countries destroy prosperity, human rights and belief in a higher authority in order to establish control. They have to build walls to prevent brave citizens from escaping their tyranny to a land where God is honored and people prosper.”

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“I’ve had enough of your impudence, Christian! The interview is over. Leave! “.

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As Chris walked out the door, he heard it slam behind him and Professor Atheos scream--“Christians are arrogant, narrow-minded, ignorant, intolerant, bigoted and just plain evil. They don’t believe in science and reason. Christians are atheist-phobic. How dare that upstart make me look bad?” With head held high, “I’m the professor with all the degrees and awards. He’s nothing. He’s just a piece of soulless dirt and    .  .  !!”  

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Chris left sadden that Professor Atheos was closed-minded in naturalistic philosophy. He prayed the professor would be willing to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins and give us a new understanding and help us make a better world here until we live with Him in the new Heaven on the new earth.
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A Theist Atheist Fun Discussion

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Professor Allan Atheist and Professor George Godtruth are friends at the university. Sitting in the faculty lounge one evening when classes and faculty were out and enjoying coffee together, they got into a deep discussion over religion.

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“I show my students a secular understanding of the world,” said Allan, “There’s no God and I resent those ignorant believers who dare to challenge my views in class. They’re just ignorant hypocrites and arrogant closed-minded proselytes of religion.”

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That really ruffled George’s feathers. He squirmed a bit in his chair, stuck his tongue to his lip, looked stern, but kept his cool.

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 “Are you saying Allan that it’s alright for you to try to change their faith but not alright for them to try to change yours? And that’s what makes them proselytes, arrogant, closed-minded and ignorant hypocrites? Do you not believe in free speech guaranteed by the American constitution? Isn’t diversity of viewpoints what constitutes a good well-rounded education? Do you deny your students human rights, the right to believe in God and even to think? You know belief in a higher power is the basis of all human rights.”

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“Hum”, Allan hesitated and took a long sip of coffee. “Well, I’m right and they’re wrong. I’m the Ph.D. professor and they’re just students--God believers at that. Nobody with good sense believes in God today. We don’t see God any more than we see the tooth fairy.”

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Leaning in toward Allan with wrinkled forehead “But Allan we know the tooth fairy exists only as a child’s parent. But people write doctrinal dissertations’ on whether Jesus Christ is God. There’s more historical evidence for Jesus than for Aristotle and Tiberius Caesar. If we can put aside our bias and check it out, we might discover good evidence Jesus is God. Besides, statistics consistently show over 90% of the population believes in God and many have Ph.D.s. Are you saying that all these God believers are stupid while you’re smart?” Ph.D.’s don’t necessarily have degrees concerned with proving or disproving God. And some Ph.D.’s I know don’t have the good sense to come out of the rain.”

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“I’m getting impatient with all this kind of talk. Don’t you know George that the scientists deny God and that evolution explains everything so that we don’t need God?”

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“No. Have you taken a survey that you can say that? I have scientist friends who believe in God. I know of organizations of hundreds of scientists all over the world who believe in God. Look up on the internet Answers in Genesis, CARM, Reasons to Believe and other apologetics blogs. You will find that just isn’t true. Besides creation believers sometimes aren’t vocal because they know evolutionists would cause them trouble and get them fired.”

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“Oh come on George, everybody knows science has proved human evolution true—the fruit fly experiments, the ape-man fossils, the arguments that show a common ancestor.”

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“The fruit fly experiments showed that fruit flies can be made to mutate long or short legs and wings or develop deformities preventing them from flying. These experiments proved only that mutations and acquired characteristics never produce anything but deformed fruit flies that die, shall I say fruitless. The thousands of missing links from molecules to man are still missing, and the arguments claimed to show a common ancestor can just as well show a common Designer.”

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“Oh but George, haven’t you seen the horse exhibit showing that dogs evolve into horses. And the pictures in science books of the monkey that takes steps to become a modern man.”

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“Yes Allan, I saw the horse exhibit that was removed from the museum because scientists finally realized it was a fake. And an artist will draw a picture to accommodate any bias we might have. Those things don’t show true scientific evidence. But they do prove a closed-minded naturalist philosophy that rejects consideration of God from the outset. I can name some scientific findings that point to God and away from atheism.”

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“Oh really, and what might they be?”

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“The scientific physical law called entropy. Like a wound clock, the universe is running down. Since something can’t come from nothing, something infinite, eternal, immaterial, immutable had to exist to account for all the things we know exist in the world. Only an uncaused cause or divine Mind can adequately explain the things we know exist—matter, life, mind, ethics and truth. So creation points specifically to a Creator like what Christians call God.”

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 “Well”, Allan took another long sip of coffee. “I haven’t turned over every stone, looked behind every star, that I can dogmatically say no God exists anywhere. But! Ha! Ha! I’ve seen some guys who looked like the missing link. And I don’t see such things as evidence of God. Besides, God hasn’t given me the things I want when I’ve prayed. That’s good enough proof for me.”

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“My friend Allan the whole time we’ve been talking here, I haven’t seen where you’ve given me any reason or evidence for not believing in God. In fact, you’ve dismissed the actual scientific evidence and only made wild accusations and criticisms which really seem to apply against your atheist position.”

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“Well George, it’s getting late. We’ll talk again another time. I guess my believing students are just blind and stubborn. I’ve got to go home to my fine loving Christian wife. If I’m late for dinner, she’ll wonder if something bad has happened to me. Ha! Ha! I guess I’m really blessed”

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George thought when Allan left,  Oh Allan, my friend if  you only knew the love and forgiveness of the Savior and the good you could do for your students. Maybe the find example of your wife will lead you to know Jesus in a wonderful transformed life.  The good life of wifes can do that. "Lord, I pray Allan will come to know you."

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Unbelief’s Issues and Answers

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We object to statements that we think untrue. Disbelievers in anything Christian often attack Bible believers who try to live a godly life and be a witness to their faith. This essay will address these issues with answes. It will uncover their assumptions, misunderstandings and give a response. I’ll present the objection in bold print and the following paragraph will be the response in each case.

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Jesus was only a good man and great teacher but not the Son of God.

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This statement is self-refuting. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and our Savior. If that’s not true, then Jesus is a liar or lunatic. And that would mean he’s not even a good man. Moreover, he did things over three years that demonstrated publically before large crowds that only God could do such as heal diseases instantly, walk on water, raise the dead, and assent into Heaven. Neither man nor nature can do such things—only God alone. Therefore, Jesus must be God as he claimed. Friend, have you read the Bible with an open mind or just uncritically assumed someone’s negative comments were correct?

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Man is not evil, but good.

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Though good, a bad environment can make persons turn bad. Provide good education, housing, jobs, and all basic human needs and people will be good.

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History and psychology show conclusively that man is naturally corrupt in thought, will, and practice. Children don’t need to be taught to lie, steal, cheat, or harm people or things. If man is good, why do people everywhere have locked doors, a police force, judges, prisons, and armies? This shouldn’t be true if people were really good. We can have evil thoughts even when we don’t act on them. Nazi Germany was the most educated people, yet murdered millions of Jews and anybody who disagreed with Hitler. Of course, monists can redefine sin and evil as illusion, but they can’t live at though it’s true—ask one to step in front of an oncoming train. Human pride prevents people from admitting their sinners. Scripture is true that man’s heart is deceitful and wicked (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 1:18-32).

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I’m an atheist who says dogmatically there’s no God of any kind.

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Just because you haven’t seen anything you would call a personal God, does that mean he can’t exist or can’t be an immaterial Spirit? Do you know what’s going on in the next town, next house, even the next room? If we could draw a circle big enough to represent universal knowledge, a period, if that, would represent a man’s knowledge. A person would have to know everything in time and space to say there’s no God, or God can’t act in our world, can’t perform a miracle, or can’t speak to a human mind. Isn’t atheism then an arrogant self-contradictory pretention to having a God-like knowledge? The agnostic says, ‘I don’t know or we can’t know about God’. Of course, he’s right that a mystic’s subjective claims about God (Muhammad, Buddha) have no evidential value. But he’s fooling himself if he hasn’t addressed the ancient detailed prophecies about the Jewish Messiah fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Christ’s miracles, sinless life, and resurrection?

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Christianity is okay for you, but not for me.

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People have right to their own lifestyle. So don’t bother me with your religion. What feels good is true and right for me, not Jesus.

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Hedonistic lifestyles lead to disaster. They are a selfish disregard for others. They destroy trust, objects, friendships, families, and nations as well as the Hedonist. Some persons take pleasure in deception, robbery, rape and murder--would you call such things right? If a compassionate friend had the cure for your cancer, would you say, “don’t bother me?” Christians show compassion to tell sinners of the Savior from godless living and eternal Hell. Do you know no judgment day and no Hell exist? Can you prove it? And how would you feel and be if everyone applied your inconsiderate lifestyle to you, you’re friends, and your loved ones?

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I am not a sinner.

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 A sinner is a social outcast--a drunk, dope addict, or whore, but I’m not bad like that.

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We can always find others worse than us and condemn them. This makes us feel superior, self-righteous, respectable and prideful like the Pharisee in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). The truth is we all sin to different degrees and in different areas. Our list for respectability is different from our neighbors and usually doesn’t include our own sins. Unless there is an infinite, ethical Creator and Judge, nothing is absolutely true and morally right—then no higher authority than individual preferences exist. Abundant evidence shows there is such a God, which means there will one day be a judgment of all our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. We cannot obey God’s laws 100% of the time, which means we must humbly acknowledge our sin and trust the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man and Savior of us sinners.

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I’m too bad a sinner.

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I’m not respectable. I’m a no-good, a whore, drunk, drug addict. God could never forgive me. Christianity is only for good, respectable persons.

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Surprisingly, the Bible teaches that “good people” go to Hell and “bad people” go to Heaven. Jesus said he had not come to call the righteous but sinners. In other words, prideful self-righteous persons unwilling to acknowledge their sin and unworthiness before God are doomed to Hell. But persons who humbly confess their sin and need of forgiveness, like the tax collector praying in the temple with the Pharisee, are justified (Luke 18:9-14). God will save any true repentant believer in Christ (Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-10).

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I don’t believe Jesus arose from the dead.

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Jesus’ resurrection depends upon evidence, not an assumption of universal knowledge about nature. Five hundred witnesses saw Jesus after he arose from the dead (1 Cor. 15). Brilliant skeptics have devised a dozen failed theories to explain it away. The sealed guarded tomb, left grave clothes, Jesus appearances, skeptical disciples, establishment of the church, martyrs, Sunday worship, and the New Testament, dating time B.C to A.D., make no sense unless Jesus arose. See my articles on Jesus’ resurrection.
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Life is filled with difficulties, perplexities, injustices. I'm far from perfect, but am counted perfect in Christ who paid with His life for my sins in His death on the cross. I've trusted in Jesus' promise of eternal and more abundant life. I'm growing in learning God's will and love. Won't you too say: Lord, I trust You now as a sinner seeking a Savior and Guide for my life. Use me in love to learn Your way and share it with others. Thank You Lord Jesus.   

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­.                   .               .                      .                       .                     .

May I recommend some books to strengthen your faith? The New Atheism and The Erosion of Freedom by Robert A. Morey and The Christian Combat Manual by Dan Story. If God doesn’t exist, then human dignity, rights and freedom mean nothing. We’re mere soulless dirt as atheists believe or recycled energy on our way to nothingness as pantheist reincarnationists believe.

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Twenty-five Question Bible Literacy Test

Twenty-five  Question Bible Literacy Test

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General knowledge, even Bible knowledge, is a mark of an educated person. Sorry to say so few persons today know much about the Bible even though it's always been the best seller. I invite you to take this general test and hone your knowledge. Answers are at the bottom of this page. Go for it!

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1.      How many books are in the Protestant New Testament?

27 -  29 - 39 - 14 - 66

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2.      Which book never mentions God?

Psalms – Acts – Luke – Easter- Ruth

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3.      Who asked that if a man dies, would he live again?

Lazarus – Martha – Job – Jesus – Pilate

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4.      Which book is an account of the life of Jesus?

Jude – Galatians – Mark – Philemon – Revelation

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5.      Which is NOT true of the Holy Spirit?

God –Indwells believers – A Force – Convicts of sin –In the O.T.

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6.      Which is NOT one of the twelve tribes of Israel?

Judah – Joseph – Dan – Levi – Benjamin  

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7.      Which book gives the Ten Commandments?

Numbers – Exodus – Judges – Leviticus – 1 Chronicles

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8.      Who was the first Christian martyr?

James – Matthias – Peter – Paul – Stephen

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9.      Which is the resurrection chapter?

1 Cor. 13 – Hebrews 11 – Isaiah 53 – 1 Cor. 15 – John 11

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10.  Who wrote five New Testament books?

Peter – Moses – Luke – Thomas – John

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11.  Which book describes Paul’s conversion three times?

Romans – Acts – Matthew – Galatians – Ezra

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12.  Which book states that God helps those who help themselves?

Mark – Titus – None – Nehemiah – Easter

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13.  Which book says that God will destroy the universe by fire?

None – Genesis – Lamentations – 2 Peter – Judges

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14.  Which person was not a judge in Israel?

Deborah – Gideon – Sisera – Samuel - Samson

15.  Which book says the new Heaven will be on the new earth?

Revelation – 1 Peter – Titus – 1 Thessalonians – Ezekiel

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16.  Which Bible passage says we earn our way to Heaven by good deeds?

Titus 3:5 –  None  -  Ephesians 2:8-9  – Romans 6:23 – Romans 11: 6

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17.  Which Bible text specifically says that Jesus is God?

Romans 9:5  – All  –  Hebrews 1:8  --  John 20:28  – Titus 2:13

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18.  Which action shows Jesus Christ is God?

Accepted worship – Forgave sins – Raised the dead – All – Came from Heaven

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19.  Which Old Testament text describes the Jew’s Messiah as being God?

Isaiah 7:14 – All – Micah 5:2 - Isaiah 9:6 - Psalm 2:7

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20.  Which Bible text says Jesus died in the place of sinners?

John 1:29;  10:11 –  Rom. 5:8-9  -  1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:24; 3:18  – 2 Cor. 5:18, 21  –  All

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21.  Which Bible text says Jesus alone is the way to Heaven?

All  -  Acts 4:12  –  John 14:6  –  John 10:7-9  -  1 Timothy 2:5

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22.  What Bible text says no sin or evil will be allowed in Heaven?

Revelation 22:15  –  Rev. 21:8, 27  –  1 Cor. 6:9-10; 15:50   --  All  -  Galatians 5:21

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23.  What Bible text shows there is only one God?

Deuteronomy 6:4  --  All  --  Mark 12:29  --  John 17:3  -  1 Corinthians 8:4, 6

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24.  What Bible text shows there are NOT three persons within the one God?

Matthew 28:19  --  None  –  2 Corinthians 13:4  --  Matt. 3:16-17  --  Isaiah 63:7-10

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25.  Which term DOESN’T describe what God calls evil or disapproves?

            Lawlessness – Rebellion - Selfishness – Apostasy – Kindness

ANSWERS:  1.  27.   2.  Easter.   3.  Job.  4. Mark.  5.  A Force.  6.  Joseph.  7.  Exodus.   8. Matthias.

                      9.  1 Cor. 15.  10.  Luke.  11.  Acts.  12.  None.  13.  2 Peter.  14.  Sisera.  15. Revelation.

                      16.  None.   17.  All.  18.  All.  19.  All.  20.  All.  21.  All.  22.  All.   23.  All.  24. None.

                      25.  Kindness.

An Atheist's Journey to Jesus

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I’m an atheist. I don’t believe any god of any kind exists. Pantheists say universal energy can repeatedly assume many forms, even gods. This energy exists; it’s no illusion. But I’d hardly call it god since it’s not a personal consciousness that can know, think, feel or do anything to help or hurt me. The deist claims a Creator who abandoned us to nature’s laws. That’s no God I could respect or worship--he’s irrelevant. Six centuries after Christ, Muhammad informed us an angel revealed the Quran making him God’s final prophet. Then centuries later Joseph Smith Jr. claimed the same thing for the Book of Mormon and Mormons claime we can become gods and have our own planet. Well, I don’t believe in angels and I don’t see that any of them furnish any proof that provides a foundation for religion. Couldn’t anybody say these same things? 
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Now if a real God exists we would see evidence of him everywhere--but we don’t! The world’s evils and sufferings preclude a God of infinite love and power or he would eliminate them. The Jews believed a Messiah would come to set the world right, but he never showed. And most absurd, Christians claim Jesus is God who fulfilled prophecies, performed miracles, died on a cross to take away our sins and arose from the dead. I’m not deceived or stupid to believe the impossible. And unlike Christians, I’m not prejudiced, exclusivist, arrogant, intolerant and narrow-minded. I try to be honest and reasonable. Yet, I have doubts.
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Of course, I haven’t turned over every rock or checked out everything in earth’s history nor peered behind every star that I can rightfully conclude there’s no God; I just assume it because I don’t see any evidence anywhere. I’ll admit that if God’s not like a big man somewhere in space but is Spirit, then he could surround me and I not know it. I’m just trying to be honest.
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The amount of suffering and injustice in the world is enormous—rapes, robberies, murders, wars everywhere. A truly good and powerful God would eliminate them or at least restrict the amount. But restrict who and to what extent? We’d never agree to that. If a good God prevented our evils it would destroy our freedom, dehumanize us. I sometimes lie, cheat and steal a little, incriminate others, not keep my promises. Frankly, I throw trash on the streets, trash peoples’ lives and I don’t care! It’s just so natural--it seems to be inborn. I can’t help it!
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We’re all to varying degrees evil, so a truly good or perfect God would have to punish or remove us all. That must be what Christians mean by sin and judgment. Then grace would be God delaying justice and punishment to let us see our bad ways and make constructive changes? If there’s a perfect place called Heaven, then it must take something more than just natural living to get there--something supernatural must take place to get us there.
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Now here’s what really bothers me: If there’s no God, how can I even complain about evils, sufferings, and injustices? If there’s no God, there’s no Authority to complain to, no Judge to hold us accountable, no Lawgiver to set standards or say what’s evil. But, if a perfect and powerful God does exist, then one day our grace period will end. 
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But where is there any evidence of God? Astronomer Hugh Ross says there’s 122 constant factors designed to enable human life to exist on planet earth—earth’s size, thickness of crust, distance from and size of our sun, one moon and its distance, right atmosphere, water, gravity. Physicists say the universe is running down—heat disperses, metals rust, wood rots, motion will cease—which means it had a beginning or uncaused cause. Biologist Louis Pasteur’s experiments showed life comes only from life. Microbiologists say the DNA cell in every life form is a library and blueprint of how things must develop. All organs and systems must be complete and functional from the start; slow development of useless appendages and injurious mutations arenn’t transmittable. Mindless molecules can’t magically arrange themselves into men no matter if eternity. Then this uncaused cause of our dependent universe must be a living, powerful, eternal, intelligent cause. Oh no! It looks like what Christians call God. 
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This greatly upsets me. So what if my atheism is a biased exclusivist position! I staunchly believe in evolutionary chance origins. But whether things pop into existence by chance, or by the gods, or by fate, I can never be certain my mind is not deceiving me. It all means no rational source of things, no firm basis for truth, logic, justice, science, ultimate purpose, human dignity, life, hope, or ethics good or evil. People are on their own to decide what’s best for them. And whoever gets control forces their agenda on us. Anarchy leads to kingly tyranny as evidenced throughout history. It honestly seems atheism in practice is our ruin—it’s bankrupt slavery and poverty.

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Could it be possible that the Christians are right? Could there be a higher power to set standards, guide our lives, and hold us accountable? It would give life meaning and make sense of everything. I’ve always read books, which supported my atheism like Bertrand Russell’s Why I’m Not A Christian and Julian Huxley’s Evolution in Action. I’ve made fun of the Bible and Christians. But what I know of the Bible is hearsay and I really don’t understand the Christian faith.

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To be intellectually honest and understand what I’m objecting too, I purchased a Bible to read and the Christian books, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, Without a Doubt by Kenneth Richard Samples, and The New Atheism and the Erosion of Freedom by Robert A. Morey.

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In reading these books, I discovered that Jews and Christians have sharp minds, are anything but stupid, and that I’ve been entertaining false stereotypes. I’m ashamed to say I’ve been belittling and ridiculing people and their beliefs of whom I knew little about and who had shown me respect and deep concern. I would vehemently protest such unfairness, arrogance and intolerance if they did this to me.

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 I discovered there were some three hundred detailed predictions about the coming Jewish Messiah. The Rabbis knew about them centuries before as shown in Alfred Edersheim’s book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Some Jewish scholars said Scripture taught Messiah was both a suffering servant and a reigning king, which seemed contradictory. But what’s incredible is the ancient prophecies said Messiah would be Bethlehem’s virgin-born God-man who would fulfill prophecies, perform miracles, die for our sins and rise from the dead. Now there's no way we human being could simply guess about such paticular things centuries before they occurred.

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Now opposed to critic’s claims, the Jews had no prophets for four hundred years until John the Baptizer appeared. So they were astonished at Jesus’ miracles, his fulfilling ancient prophecies, his blasphemous claims to be God--they knew nature’s laws as we do today.

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The Jews ridiculed Jesus’ disciples and expelled them from synagogue that condemned them to Hell. Then both Jews and Romans hunted them like animals and tortured them to death. It is incredible nonsense to think Jesus’ disciples would endure this all the while knowing it a lie.

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A life and death decision is required here. I don’t see Jesus on earth today, but that doesn’t disprove his past presence. Unless I unwarrantedly assume there’s no Creator God who can act in our world, I must choose-- delay too is a choice. The evidence shows our sin and willful rejection of Jesus will lead to eternal darkness, torment and fiery wrath. But to trust in the loving Lord who paid for our sins on the cross brings eternal life with Him and our believing friends in Heaven. It's true! It's all true. Jesus is the Messiah and God. Lord, forgive me a sinner. I trust You now and forever and look forward to one day walking down those golden streets. Praise God! I'm saved.