April Fools - Insight from an atheist

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good.
Proverbs 14:1

I think this is a fitting article for today, since Resurrection Sunday and April Fools' Day fall on the same day this year. Prior to my conversion to Christ in the spring of 1987, I was a hardcore atheist. As a singer in a punk rock band, my lyrics were often pointed at making fun of Christians for their beliefs. I also engaged in debates with anyone who claimed to believe in God, and I often went out of my way to mock those who proclaimed faith in Jesus. True story.

I am not boasting by any means, I am just saying this to give my fellow believers some insight into what the atheist is really thinking.  My experience on the other side of the argument was not a passive one, so listen.

Let me tell you first of all, that arguing with an atheist or an agnostic is pointless. You can show them a million indisputable facts and that will not change a thing, to do so is a waste of time and will result in your own frustration. There is so much evidence in the earth to support creation and the one true God who designed all of this. Just take a walk outside and look at the sky. The heavens are constantly declaring the glory and majesty of God.  Also, just the fact that you are conscious and breathing without effort is only one of a million proofs in God's existence.

What is the issue then? Why don’t people believe in God? If you examine the scripture at the top of this article, it explains the situation clearly. The fool says in his HEART that there is no God. It’s a heart decision, not a logical conclusion that causes disbelief. They’ve decided at some point that they did not want God in their knowledge, so God basically allows them to continue in their ignorance. 

So, do they really believe there is no God? Yes, but that belief is not based on their knowledge or logic as they proclaim. It is based on their choice, and their knowledge and logic is then thwarted because of that.

Here is another scripture that describes the mindset of many in the current world we live in:

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
2 Peter 3:3-6

Does that sound familiar? “When is he coming back? Ha, ha, ha!” Notice it says they ‘deliberately forget’ that God created the heavens and the earth. It is a choice they are making. The latter part of the passage is comparing the last days to the mindset of the world in Noah’s generation.The King James Version of the same passage describes the people as 'willingly ignorant'. It's a matter of choice.

Let me give you one more passage that also confirms this:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
Romans 1:18-28

Does that sound like 2018 or what?!  That passage is straightforward and really needs no commentary, but let me highlight a few things. It says that creation itself displays the attributes and the power of God, so the unbeliever has no excuse. Another point to highlight is: the people suppressed the truth (there is one God, the creator) with their desire to continue sinning and so they exchanged the truth for a lie. The last point is: they did not want God in their knowledge. Again, that is a decision they made, not a conclusion they came to. And so, God gave them over to the delusion.

If you want to win over an atheist, it cannot be done through debates, even though you provide them with undeniable proofs. You need to get to their heart. Love is the only way to turn the atheist's switch from not believing into accepting what is true. Go out and show love on some unbelievers and quit trying to persuade them with your words. I speak from experience on both sides of the big debate.