Over the years I have engaged many atheists online and, to my knowledge, failed to convert any of them.
Have you had any success?
Have you had any success?
Have you ever converted an atheist?
- Thread starter K9Buck
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- Aug 10, 2012
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Me, no, but I saw the Lord do it. Christians were being friendly with him, but that alone didn't bring him to Jesus. God had to show him some things he personally needed to see.
I got one person who said he was an atheist to say he wasn't at the end of the conversation. Does that count? I mean he didn't get saved at that moment, but at least he admitted he believes in God and in Jesus.
I will say it this way... "I are one!"
Though I have not personally been instrumental in the conversion of an atheist to my knowledge, I can speak to the experience of being a converted atheist.
Online is difficult since "politeness" is rare, and personal connection is limited. Most conversations are public, and some Atheist will high-jack the conversation to re-affirm the recipients biases and unbelief. My experience was one-on-one, personal.
Most people are not looking for truth so they can follow it. So the best way in most cases is to create doubt in what they currently believe.
All the arguments in the world will not convict or "convert" someone. Only God can do that. I see that our job is to get the unbeliever to open their heart and mind up so that they can be open when God speaks to them.
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@K9Buck I think it's good to remember that if anyone is converted, it is because, as with Lydia in Acts 16, 'whose heart the Lord opened'. The Lord does indeed use instruments in blessing, although it's not merely about winning arguments.
Yes...a few. One of these ex-atheists became best man at my wedding.
He also became a pastor for a time.You don't change people just with words...they need to see your actions. You need God to witness to them WITH you and through you.
I've never been able to understand why, no matter how much evidence and logic one shares with an atheist, they absolutely refuse all of it. And then I read Corinthians 2:12 and then I understood why they could not understand. I suppose it's sort of like showing a color chart to a blind person. They simply cannot see it.
I believe the best thing we can do for them is to pray, which I have done for some of them.
I wouldn't say the success was mine, but my friend and I met a fellow in the park once, who was staunchly athiest, but after a few weeks, became a Christian.
Much love!
@K9Buck Well, as with Lydia in Acts 16, it needs nothing less than for the Holy Spirit to open their hearts...
I believe we can. And anytime we witness to others...we plant seeds.
Some plant, others water, but it is God who gives the increase...
@Heart2Soul
Here's Mary Maxwell's hymn in full:
- How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That I might Thy channel be.- Refrain:
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous pow’r
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.
- Refrain:
- Just a channel full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around,
To tell out Thy full salvation,
All Thy loving message sound. - Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no pow’r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command. - Witnessing Thy pow’r to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou who bought me to possess me,
In Thy fullness, Lord, come in. - Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know,
That the streams of living water
From our inner man may flow.
Stan B
Well-Known Member
My best teenage friend of 60 years ago converted, but preferring his lustful lifestyle quickly fell away within a few months.
Then there was a girl, who I would not characterize as an atheist. She just needed direction. When I explained the gospel to her, she exclaimed:
"That's what I have been looking for all my life!!!"
She went on to help establish Christian Women's Club as well as leading a large neighbourhood Bible Study for 35 years.
She also went on to be my wife and mother of my children for 50 years.
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marksman
My eldest granddaughter showing the result of her
No, that is the Holy Spirit's job. Maybe we don't have success because we think it is our job. Our job is to disciple those that the Spirit adds to the church.
marksman
My eldest granddaughter showing the result of her
Atheists love a good argument and unless you are fully versed in their arguments, you will never win. The best response is to blindside them with something only the Holy Spirit can give you. I tend to use scripture that refutes what they say and let the Holy Spirit do his work convincing them of sin, judgment and etc. If he can't do it you never will.
No, I have no had any success.
But that doesn't mean you have failed. There are planters and there are waterers. But the most important thing is to remember it is God who makes and causes the seed that was planted and watered to grow in people's hearts.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
Cristo Rei
Well-Known Member
Oh online, that would be difficult cos most of the ones online are activist type anti-theists.
I've only ever converted one atheist and that was myself...
Cristo Rei
Well-Known Member
Depends what you class as a win i guess...
I think a win against an atheist online would be getting them to acknowledge that its possible that God does exist.
I think a win is also if you tie them in a knot. Their argument rests on the fact that we can't scientifically prove God. Thats a fallacy of ignorance.
"You can't prove ghosts exist therefore they don't exist" --- "You can't prove ghosts don't exist therefore they exist"
Ask them to prove to you that God doesn't exist. And don't accept their "you can't prove a negative" cos that is just false if u think about it.
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