Unbelievers Excuses

Not now. Someother time. When I'm older. After I've 'lived' some.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 I really don't need to write to you about how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape.....

 

The top 2 I hear in my ministry:

I don't like organized religion.

How do you know the Bible is true? It's been translated so many times and there are so many interpretations that we don't know what it says.

 

Should post this 3rd one I deal with all the time as well:

There are many paths to God; no one religion is right.

 

"I'm Catholic" is pretty common, too.

 

The main one I hear is "Isn't God a forgiving God, He will just forgive me on judgment day"

 

or "If God loves everyone, why would He send anyone to hell?"

 

The main response is this one:

"I had a very bad experince." When I ask them to go into detail. Most times I am horrified how they were treated. I got this REASON this weekend. Wasn't an excuse at all. I got this one from my husband when we got together. I decided to go and let my actions speak for themselves. And, they spoke volumes because he now attends church when his job allows and is a wonderful man beginning to walk with his savior.

 

The one I get most is: "I'm just as good as you people who go to that church. Besides, the church is full of hypocrites." So I ask them: "if the church is full of hypocrites, does that mean you are smaller than a hypocrite, because you are hiding behind them." They sometimes respond "well, I go to such and such a church already and I don't believe like ya'll do."

 

I gave at the office

 

True story: not long ago while we were on the streets, a man came over to talk to the pastor. After a bit, the fella said he would catch him later, as he didn't have time right now and if he did die before he got saved, he'd be in hell drinking coffee.

Not long after that, he died instantly in a freak accident. As far as we know, he never got saved, nor is he drinking coffee...or anything.

One more: another man who was popular around town was approached by one of our street-preachers, and his answer was that he was a good person, so yes, he'd go to heaven. He recently died of natural causes...and without the Lord.

 

Have had many tell me that the Bible says Christians are to all be of one mind and serve the Lord together. Then they point out that there are so many sects of "Christianity" and say that they can't believe in a religion that is so fractured and unBiblical.

AVL1984

 

It is amazing to me how unbelievers seem to know more about how a christian is to conduct himself than many professing christians do.
"If that is christian then..."
Also amazing to me is their legitimate observation that the plethera of bible versions makes it hard to know just what to believe.
I won't go into that one but it SHOULD give one pause to consider.
The most common objection I get is, "Well that is fine for you but I believe..."
In His service;
Jim

 

I would like to see proof of your alleged "legitimate observation" concerning Bible versions. I knew some KJVO would bring it up as an option in a thread where it didn't belong.

AVL1984

 

LOL....Believe it or not, I've heard this one MANY times!

AVL1984

 

Brother Tim, I can't explain why that excuse struck me as funny just now. I know that it is a serious thing.

What I have gotten from my stepmom was well ___ down the street is so pushy and forcefull with her beliefs and I just don't like it. Stepmom is the kind of person that when she feels pushed/pressured she will go the opposite way just to do it. The other thing she said was well if I don't like you (referring to pushy people) then why in ** would I want to spend eternety with you?

I have started reading an interesting book that attempts to answer alot of the skeptic's questions/excuses. I think it's called "When Skeptics Ask". It helps you answer their basic questions.

azwyld
<*}}}><

 

Typically, it's that they have a negative view of religion. Ttheir view of a saved person is not a normal average person, but of some hyper-biblethumper who wants to indoctronate everyone. I suppose we Christians are partially to blame for that stereotype. As I've gotten to know a non-nbeliever (as opposed to an unbeliever) I typically find that they think they've done stuff so terrible in their lives that God doesn't love them, so they stay away from God out of fear of getting judged for their past.

 

Johnv what you have said is true from what I have seen also. Another problem may be that some non and or unbelievers have very verry deep trust issues and they don't trust any person so why would they trust God? They build their little walls and they strike out at people that try to get close to them...kind of like a "I'm gonna hurt you before you can hurt me" feeling. Again this is where my stepmom seems to be...that and her mom was one of them hyper-bible-thumpers. What I try to remember is that each person has a "key" and is a key to another person. Plainly put, you can tell someone something all their lives and they not believe you and then someone else can come along and tell them the same thing then it makes sense. Hence they've found their "key". I know that must sound really strange to everyone, but that's just what I've seen in my short 27 years here on earth. =o)

azwyld
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The above quote is for AVL1984's benefit.
Clear as a mountain stream my friend.
There's your proof. If unbeliever's use the "version issue" as an excuse not to listen to the gospel, then the problem is obvious to the honest observer. This is a legititmate concern if they use it to dismiss the gospel.
BTW just how do YOU answer that objection.
They won't buy the "Well you have to learn ancient Greek, then ancient Hebrew, and for good measure you need a little Aramaic with a smidgen of Latin for good measure" line that some would throw at a Bible believer.(that means KJVO to you)
In His service;
Jim