I just talked with my friend, Dana, who is reading my book, and she expressed how timely it was since she has a new atheist friend, and also brand new Muslim neighbors, headscarf (they call it “hijab”) and all!
Before we hung up, I mentioned that half the battle is getting relationships moving in the right projection where a “safe” honest conversation could develop. What they don’t need is for someone to just go tell them the gospel! They need someone to come alongside in a relational way to create the context for a rich journey to unfold.
She thanked me for the book and how I had articulated the way to engage. Of course, reaching those who are more distant will require other skills. In Soul Whisperer, I breakdown the skillset into: Pattern, Process and Paths. Dana will need to dive deeper in her own understanding to garner spiritual influence traction. And the paths will be dynamically specific for each person.
Blessings to you, Dana, and all others who take up Christ’s call to reach our world!
when did atheism grab old in america, it almost seems like ppl address that there and atheist like ppl address reveling a dark secret from their past
Hi James! Here is an excerpt from my book, Soul Whisperer. Thought it might be helpful. Bless you brother!
Getting Into Atheistic Shoes
Due to their refusal to practice their culture’s civil religion, the Romans called early church Christians “atheists.” Not every Roman citizen believed in their gods, but it bothered them how the early Christians would not worship in the civic sense. “Atheist” was a derogatory term then, but not now. Many today are proud of their atheism considering it part of their identity and a badge of honor to their intellectualism. Atheists typically cannot see why anyone believes in God. Religion doesn’t make rational sense. To us it seems obvious there is a God, and we can’t see how they don’t believe.
To bridge the chasm, let us try for a moment to understand their perspective. We could begin by agreeing that God has placed mystery in the universe. Just as he chose not to give us foreknowledge of the future, requiring faith in him, so he did not make belief a given. We have to choose to believe in God. Additionally, some gravitate toward beliefs in definable categories. God is “out of the box,” and anything but definable. He is not visible, measurable, or quantifiable in any way. Can you see why people with scientific, rationalistic thinking have a hard time with the un-test-tube-able God? Furthermore, it is said that believing in evolution is a bigger step of faith than theism. Though this may be true, atheistic faith is passive. It is where they already are, and does not require an active step of faith like Christianity does. That means it is easier for people to stay in the familiar comforts of their own reason. Finally, with a seemingly viable theory like evolution to explain the universe they can maintain their passivity. Mystery + Rational Bias + Alternative Explanation + Passivity = Atheism.