You cannot love something with all your heart that you simultaneously do not believe it exists. This question is a logical fallacy....
Atheism and Christianity
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If any one of us loved God that completely it would be Gods love flowing from within us, outward. I am assuming We will most likely agree that we do not love God that perfectly?
So then you are discussing Gods love and holiness whereas the op was discussing the righteousness men are capable of, which is to care about others at least as much as we care about ourselves.
So you are placing a requirement on a man that not even you are capable of?
Good morning, by the way. I hope you are feeling okay today.
All of us were [or are] dead until and if we receive the Life which Jesus is. The person who never partakes, be he atheist or other never comes to Life, Life that is as Jesus describes Life:
| Joh 14:6 | Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" |
| Mt 8:21 | And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. |
| Mt 8:22 | But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead |
Ha! Yes...the first son represents the Pharisees the second one I think represents the righteous as the Pharisees talk a good talk but, it's all lip service as they do not do as they teach.
The second son obeyed his father in the end.
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Pharisees are men who teach obeying God but who actually cancel out the word of God with traditions and doctrines of men, while simultaneously claiming they are righteous and holy.
For example: yes, that man may appear to be humble and to obey God and feed the hungry but he is really wicked. I, on the other hand, do not feed the hungry but I am as righteous as Jesus and I give thanks to God that I am not like that other man.
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Good morning to you too.
All I am saying is that the question is a logical fallacy. An atheist denies the existence of God. Therefore he cannot love the LORD with all his/her heart, because part of loving is believing they exist and are there to receive love.
This is a "trolling" question to show how illogical Christians are. I Have encountered similar questions before.
bbyrd009
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ok, i would not call them atheists, but as near as i can tell that is how they were widely regarded by Hebrews (the hearers of the parable) at the time.
W
The people who were left in the land of the northern tribes after many were carried away were already very far from the God who brought there forefathers out of Egypt. They worshipped from the time of their first king in Dan and Bethel rather than in Jerusalem. They had priests other than the sons of Aaron or of Levi serving for them. This very confused remnant was then mixed with the assorted peoples brought into the land by the king of Assyria:
"Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
They feared the LORD, AND served their own gods [they served God and mammon], after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence." II Kings 17:23-33
Mixed belief was initially the case, was it not?
The people who were left in the land of the northern tribes after many were carried away were already very far from the God who brought there forefathers out of Egypt. They worshipped from the time of their first king in Dan and Bethel rather than in Jerusalem. They had priests other than the sons of Aaron or of Levi serving for them. This very confused remnant was then mixed with the assorted peoples brought into the land by the king of Assyria:
"Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
They feared the LORD, AND served their own gods [they served God and mammon], after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence." II Kings 17:23-33
Yes, I suppose you are right as the Hebrews did not believe they were God's chosen...
You think the man is a troll? Hmm…I will give him the benefit of the doubt and Think he has seen the conundrum of the hypocrisy our doctrines force us into.
bbyrd009
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believers tend to bend the definitions of words imo, likely unintentionally even…but “existence” implies “objective evidence,” so imo that puts one right back in court, under the law, talking like a lawyer…
Thank you John! Such clarity...did not know this was speaking of the Samaritans. I thought they DID serve the same God and that the only reason the other Hebrews hated them was because of their blood line but, I now se there is much more to the story.
bbyrd009
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Yes.
It is like the question many atheists use on Christians, "who created God?" It is a Logical fallacy disguised as a question.... It assumes there is a someone or something almightier than the almighty.....
This question makes the assumption that an atheist can obey the ten commandments the first of which is summed up by Jesus as "Love the Lord Your God with all your heart." But denying God's existence is to hate God, therefore they already have failed the premise of the question.
I find it disturbing that so many here are responding to this question as if it is a possibility.
I think you are forgetting Jesus’ answer to the man who asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus answered: You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.
And neither are most men. EVEN when they say they are. Most men are some mixture of agnostic but still follow their conscience and can see injustices and hypocrisies.
But suppose the man WAS an atheist, even though most men really aren’t. What if an atheist had asked Jesus that question? Would he give a different answer do you suppose?
Would the answer not still be to care about your neighbor as much as you care about yourself?
Will the meek inherit the earth? Is it the poor or the wealthy that inherit the earth?
Is it true that men will be welcomed in who had no idea they gave a kindness to one who belonged to Jesus?
What does this mean? And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
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now you are changing the question. The question said atheist. An atheist denies the very existence of God.
Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. If the question stated agnostic, that qualification would pertain. Being an agnostic would mean a lack of faith. So all the "OBEYING" this agnostic does is for no gain, apart for being able to say he lived a moral life.
Now there are Christians who have faith, but only partial faith, like the Israelites who failed to enter the promised land. Even they are likely to not escape the judgment of God.... Outer darkness perhaps.
But to say an atheist can attain eternal life by obedience to a law that states you must Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, while denying the existence of the LORD God is a logical impossibility. Read the following verse carefully....
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Why do you say God does not accept and make a place for men who care about their neighbor at least as much as they care about themself?
Once again, He answered the man with THAT tablet. Read further and He said, well, if you want to be PERFECT, if you want to know what you still lack - sell all you have and follow me.
You are saying God only makes a place for perfect men?
And what of this? If you didn’t claim you could see you would have no sin, but since you say you can see your sin remains.
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