I hold that the values/premises of operation and thinking valuations/gyrations of atheists are a spitting image of mainstream Christendom. It's often extremely difficult to see any potent differentiation between the two.
Examples? Well, let me give a bit of an introduction to them....
Really, to sum it up, there seems to be such, well, how to say it without you thinking that I'm picking on you personally, there seems to be such hypocrisy and wickedness and spiritual/scriptur-al penury in the church, it grieves me so much and angers me so much, words fail me. Kind of like it says in the gospels of Christ, "and he, being grieved at their hardness of heart, burned with anger." I have the same response for much of the church, specifically it's leaders, but it overflows to the laity that takes authority upon themselves.
For the rest of the laity, I am filled with compassion, for they are much like sheep without a shepherd, and are led into all sorts of things damaging and unscriptural.
That's the summary of it, really.
Just look at the proof of the pudding: basically the same (and some even put it higher) immorality rate, adultery rate, lying rate, homosexuality rate, etc.. Yet the church purports to have what the damned need! Preposterous in the extreme. And it seems that everyone states that their church isn't like that, but sample all the churches and the statistics basically don't fluctuate all that much. Very revealing indeed. "spots and blemishes while they feast with you." Yes, we feast with them, but either are totally ignorant of them (which is very telling of our own spiritual ineptitude), or we kind of recognize them yet insist that we can fellowship with them and not have problems with it, because "God's OK with that --- He's big enough to handle it", or whatever other reason contrary to the word of God and sound doctrine that we can come up with. And I've heard some real doozies. It's just amazing.
It seems as though no corner has been left pure in the church. Everywhere we turn, the doctrines of demons that are expressly contrary to the blunt word of God, are fully accepted by the sequacious masses of the church. You're probably wanting some sort of example for my "harsh" statements. Here's one: "you must love yourself before you can love others or God", and ones like unto it. Amazing perversion of the truth, and an outright contradiction of a number of scriptures. But that doesn't seem to make any difference for what we will swallow hook, line, and sinker, and immediately profess that we are wise in the Lord and mature.
And at the same time, I hear such forked tongues from almost every believer: we have victory in Christ (actually, we are more than conquerors, they say!) but out of the same mouth I hear these very words, "we are sinners just like everybody else". Those are diametrically opposed statements. Both cannot be true of a person. So much scripture states this, it's incredible, but again, we read but read not, we see but see not, we hear, but hear not.
So for some additional examples now....
Ask yourself this, and be completely honest before God: "When was the last time that you heard the voice of God talking to you?" And, "how often do you hear Him speak to you?"
Test yourselves, and see whether you are actually in the faith.... "The doorkeeper opens to him, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him. For they know his voice. And they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:3-5) If you don't pass this test, you are a full liar to say that you know God and are born of Him, unless you are just a newborn in Him. Know the difference!
example #3....
We can’t even count to three, it seems to me. But on what basis do I say that? Fairly bold, heady, arrogant claim, isn’t it? Take Good Friday for example. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” If crucified on Friday, that’s one day. Friday night is one night. Saturday is 2 days. Saturday night is two nights. Sunday morning, very early is 3 days. But where, or where, is the third night? It was impossible by counting to three, that Christ was crucified on Friday. Even a child can count better than most Christians. And if we study out the law of Moses regarding the feasts, Sabbaths and High Sabbaths, we see in the gospel accounts that it mentions the high Sabbath, the Sabbath, and two preparation days during the passion account. This, too, by the law of Moses itself, proves that Christ could not have been crucified on Friday. It’s a total impossibility both by counting to three, and by the statements of the word of God regarding Sabbaths and such in conjunction with the feast week. But Christendom just insists on Friday. And considers itself to be knowledgeable of the word of God and correct in it’s beliefs. Crazy.
example #4....
So many state that the thief was in heaven with Christ that day that Christ died. But that is not what the word of God states. In fact, the word of God states that that is a lie. Christ, when talking with Mary in the very early morning of the first day of the week, (Sunday, right?) stated, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet gone to the Father.” If the thief had gone to heaven with Christ that day when they died, then Christ lied to Mary. In fact, the other scriptures, even the old testament scriptures, state that Christ went down into hell and was there for three days and three nights, but the Father did not let His soul see corruption. And then Christ led the captives free! He led them free. At which time He arose bodily from the grave, and saw Mary before He went to see the Father. What a powerful truth of the order of events! Astounding. But we don’t accept the truth of the word of God.
example #5....
We have all these bible stories that we have taught in Sunday school, and we have all these pictures in our children’s bibles. One of them is of when Joseph was in Egypt, and his brothers had come there for grain. You know the story. We all do. And we have these pictures of Benjamin as a small lad, or at the very least as a teenager, right? Show me just one single picture that has Benjamin as a full grown man. I’d bet my bottom dollar that you, too, have believed that Benjamin was but a young lad. But the scriptures state that Benjamin was a man with 10, yes count them, TEN sons when they moved to Egypt very shortly after this cup in the grain sack event! Again, we can’t even read the word of God, it seems, and accept the simple statements in it. But we tell everybody that we know God and His word, so listen right up while we tell you the truth. I beg to differ.
example #6....
We have so, so many believers that firmly believe that the Israelites spent 400 years in slavery. Novel concept. Paul, in Galatians, states unequivocally that God gave the commandments to Moses 430 years, yes, 430 years after He had given the promise to Abraham. But we have Isaac, Jacob, the 12 patriarchs, their offspring, and then finally the exodus, all within 430 years. And quite a few years of Abraham’s life after that promise was given. At least 50 of them. So by simple math, we see that 400 years of slavery is a mathematical impossibility. To take simple math a little further, and ignore the statement of Paul because it’s a “lie”, we have Levi, Amram, Kohath, and Moses. Count the years that those fellas lived. Let’s assume that they each impregnated their wife with their last breath. And that child was born a year later, not just 9 months later. Add it all up. And it still comes to under 400 years. So there are at least three different ways that we have the word of God state and prove that 400 years of slavery is a lie. And we even have Paul’s statement of 430 years after the promise to Abraham to the ten commandments, and yet much of Christendom still insists on believing in 400 years of slavery. And we tell everyone that we know God and His word. I beg to differ.
example #7....
We even have believers that state that Paul called Cretans liars, brutes, beasts. Novel.
Shall I go on with a whole multitude of additional examples from the word of God that contradict the beliefs of many Christians? They are all such simple examples, too. Nothing wise or deep to them. Simple math. Simple dates. Simple counting to three. Simple words and statements. But they argue endlessly over prophecy, adultery, homosexuality, etc.. Words fail me.
The church is far, far too wise and godly and righteous in their own eyes to perceive that they contradict the word of God in most of their lives and in most of what it says. The word of God says that it is false teachers, those who are spiritual fakes, who teach that which they don’t understand, leading others astray. The righteous sure don’t do such a wicked thing! Common sense. By their fruit we will accurately, openly know them. I believe the word of God. And it says that when one speaks on behalf of the Lord, but it isn’t true what he says, to not have anything to do with such a one. That we are not to look on their countenance and have pity. Even if it is a father. Or brother. Or friend. Or relative. But we can’t seem to even recognize when they speak lies against the word of God, let alone separate ourselves from them and be clean. “Do you not know that bad company corrupts good character?” I believe that one, too.
And I believe this one, too, and therefore I live it: “And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Therefore come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing. And I will receive you and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Enjoy the fall weather, y'all