Does the Atheist hold to any "Hope"? Yes, the Atheist or Agnostic, express "Hope" in their Beliefs |
The Liberal "Christians", "Garden Variety" Unbelievers, Other Religions, & Real Christians with little Bible knowledge, have these Beliefs |
The "Born Again", True Christians, have these Beliefs |
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* The "thinking", "moral" atheist hopes that by living a "good" life he will contribute to society, making this life a better time for all. He, having no belief in God or an after life, has no hope for the long term where he expects to simply rot in the grave, dying like any other animal. But, of course, he hopes he is correct, that there is no God and therefore no judgment. (Interesting series, of thought provoking "drop down" questions.) The agnostic, claims to believe there is a God, but that he has no way of "knowing" Him. He probably hopes that, by living a "good" life there will be some sort of reward for him in the unknown here-after. Both the atheist and the agnostic can have serious failures and disappointment in this life. And may, as a result, live desperate lives expressing their hatred toward the Christians and the God they don't "believe" in. Some, often use considerable foul languages and curses, discussing their belief, or ridiculing others, giving evidence of the disappointment, and frustration caused by their belief. Many atheists are quite "evangelistic" and spend considerable effort, hoping to win religious persons (primarily targeting Christians), over to their belief . While this, obviously gives them considerable pleasure, at least some of them, feel they must justify this activity, by saying they hope to improve life for all, by converting people of "faith" away from religions that they claim "smother" mankind. The atheist accuses the true Christian of being delusional, believing in "fairy tales". However he, lives in his own delusion;
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* The liberal "Christian", who has "settled" into his convictions, considers himself adequately informed, probably has some belief in the Bible, and may accept portions, outside of the "judgment" passages, as being "inspired". He usually is not believing in the miracles of Jesus or His endorsement of the wonders of events like the universal flood, judgment of Sodom and Gomorah, Jonah and the big fish etc.or the literal return of Jesus as stated in the Bible. In his delusion, he hopes that his good works will out-weigh his faults. (He probably doesn't see any real sin in his life). Essentially, while giving "lip service" to Jesus, even knowing that the Bible declares that He died and is the only way he can have forgiveness for himself, he is, in reality, hoping that his "good works" and religious rituals will get him a place in heaven. Actually, his fate is described when Jesus said "He never knew" "him" and he is on the "wide road" to destruction! He probably doesn't really believe that there is a hell, so, like "Universalists", he believes that somehow God will allow all into His Heaven. He just ignores the fact that God has to have some disposition for the "really bad" people, like Hitler etc. Of course, he may believe and hope, that God, being a God of love, will forgive all, regardless of their extent of evil. Believing some level of this, his faith doesn't impell him toward evangelism, so he "gets along" pretty well with both the atheist and other religions. He is a "tolerant" person. "Garden Variety" Unbelievers The world is full of unbelievers who have no real faith, and have no personal relationship with God. They may believe in God, but have no real knowledge about Him. They will usually tell you something like this, "my god would certainly not send someone to hell". They think they are better than average and certainly, if there is a heaven, they will go there at death. They "believe" much as the "Liberal Christian" described above. (Interesting series, of thought provoking "drop down" questions.) Other religions: All religions, other than true Christianity are based upon "good works" hoping their reward in an after-life, is some version of heaven. Some, cults like Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and Scientology are evangelistic in practice. To the extent they work at this, they hope God will reward them with salvation. They deny the existance of hell. So, they hope for entry into heaven for their "works" of evangelization. Real, Christians with little Bible knowledge: Now, there are many Christians that are not "settled" in the above described levels of unbelief. They have accepted what truths of the Bible they have heard. And they gain enough to make a decision for Jesus as their Saviour. They have their hope in the evangelistic Biblical presentation they received and accepted. They may not have access to good Bible teaching and may not engage in the debates and issues raised by un-believers and "Liberal Christians". If they remain at this level of knowledge and "faith" they are susceptible to being mis-lead into the un-belief of the "Liberal Christians". So, when they encounter the deceptions of the "Liberal Christian" and aggressive un-belief, they are at a critical juncture. If they are truly saved and have God's hope in their lives, they will, sooner or later come to hold the beliefs that describe the "born again, true Christian" seen in the right hand column. Otherwise, if they slide into un-belief it is because, their initial "faith" was insufficient to rate as true belief. They live with a false hope. (Interesting series, of thought provoking "drop down" questions.) ------------------------------------------------ Continued from the left hand "Atheist & Agnostic" column:
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* The "born again", true Christian, acknowleges that he is sinful, deserving the judgment of his holy, righteous God. He has come to this conclusion by the Holy Spirit's conviction, high lighting the sin in his life, as spelled out in the Bible. His hope is based entirely on Jesus and His written word. He has God's word on it that there is just one way into God's heaven. He knows that he will not be saved by his "good works". He believes God is All-powerful, so it is easy to see that He created the entire universe by simply "speaking" it into existance as the Bible declares. Accepting this of his God, makes it easy for him to believe in the miracles of the Bible. The skeptic, unbeliever regularly scoffs at three Old Testament accounts as being impossible. The well grounded Christian points out that Jesus, his Creator God endorsed all three during His earthly ministry, the universal flood, judgment of Sodom and Gomorah, Jonah and the big fish etc. Because he believes and trusts the Bible as God's written word, he has accepted the free gift of God's salvation. This resulted from the Son of God, Jesus Christ, dying in his place, forgiving him, erasing all his sins, (past, present and future), obtaining this salvation for him. Jesus proved that his sins were forgiven and actually erased, by rising from the dead. As a result he is born again, has everlasting life, being instantly delivered from the penalty of sin. He has the Holy Spirit of God living within, giving him the relationship with God as a His child, with the power to resist sin. He has the hope of spending eternity with Jesus in Heaven completely away from the presence of sin. As the Bible uses the word "hope" it often refers to the return of Jesus, when He will gather all living believers, with the resurrected believers who have died, giving both glorified bodies in the wonderful act, called "the rapture", taking us bodily into His Heaven. This use of "hope" is unlike our common usage where we say, "I hope it doesn't rain on our picnic" etc. This Biblical "hope" is seen as a secure "hope" simply awaiting God's timing. He tries to be obedient to the commands of Jesus, hoping to live closer to His desires for him. Knowing that when he falls short and does sin, he confesses these sins to maintain a good fellowship with his Saviour. He knows he is secure, being spared future judgement for his sins. He knows too, that if he is living when the Great Tribulation. that Jesus spoke about, arrives, he will be spared the worst of it! He believes Jesus meant it when He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me". John 14:6. So, he does not want anyone to go into eternity with out Jesus, literally chosing to go to hell. Therefore he is quite evangelistic, urging others to join him in trusting Jesus for salvation. My Written Contract with God! 1stJohn 5:11-13,"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (Interesting series, of thought provoking "drop down" questions.)
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