I have a question.

Confusion is a tool of Satan.

 

And by that do you mean that the reason why any one is an atheist is due to satan and not because the person simply chose to not believe the bible?

 

I'm not saying Satan "makes" anyone an atheist, no. There is always choice involved. However, I do think that his influence in the world over time is a contributing factor in a global sense, if not on an individual level (although I think that can happen as well).

Does that make sense?

 

So being an atheist is one of the "end products" of Satan's machinations?

Just want to be clear on this. Since I am,to keep things in simplistic terms, an atheist, I have been separated from God by Satan? I have somehow been manipulated by one supernatural being to take, what is in my view, a logical and reasonable stance on the probable non-existence of another supernatural being?

 

Sure, just as evidence in a trial can be manipulated by the guilty in order to try and make a jury reach a "logical and reasonable", though incorrect conclusion regarding an innocent person.

 

No, and I apologize if I gave that impression. According to the Bible (Romans 2), at the end of the day the choice is ours and ours alone. Satan cannot force us away from God.

That being the case, his tactics are to lure away, to tempt, and to deceive. He tries to convince us of things that are not true, and tries to hide things from us that are. He tries to blind and enslave us with our own pride, pain, guilt, greed, anger, and/or fear. But it doesn't have to be overly dramatic. In fact, most often it's not. C. S. Lewis said in his masterpiece, The Screwtape Letters, "Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick." (The trick, of course, being to distract us from God.)

I know and respect several atheists on this board, including you, Vito. And while I honestly believe the reasons for your beliefs are to some degree academic, I also know that based on our prior conversations that your unpleasant experiences with Christians have been a contributing factor as well.

In other words, the hypocritical/judgmental/poor witness of Christians can and does turn people away from Jesus by the thousands. And while Satan doesn't make Christians behave badly, the consequence of that behavior does serve his purposes.

 

The poor witness/hypocrite/etc. turned me away from a specific church. My journey to non-belief is a little deeper than that.

No disrespect was taken, HB. This thread has been pretty illuminating about the thought process of how certain Christians see themselves and others. One of the best parts of this forum, IMO.

 

Which should NEVER happen, imho. Unless someone was just too huge to fit through the doorway, but that's a different story, right?

Satan is the assholes who yell and hold up signs at the abortion clinics and the gay pride events. They do more to damage the ability of Christians to reach out and love and show compassion to their fellow man than any atheist ever could.

 

AGREED.

Couldn't agree more.