Hello All. First and foremost I want to express my sadness at what has occured in Japan. The enormity of this situation is beyond sad, it is heartbreaking. I feel like we have been here before, watching almost helplessly as our fellow human beings are suffering in ways we could never quite fathom. My prayer is that God will be with them as they go through this tribulation.
When situations like these arise, there is an almost immediate outcry from those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus. To them, natural disasters, and every other terrible situation that occurs is further proof that God does not exist, and if He does, He doesn't care about humans. It is almost with glee that they point the finger. Like the accusers they are, they ask for evidence of His existence. They call Him names and test Him. They never get the evidence they desire and it further strengthens their disbelief.
I have seen atheists coming out of the woodworks lately. On webanswers ( http://www.webanswers.com/), a question and answer site I participate in, we have many dialogues and debates about the existence of God. For the most part I give a basic answer and continue on. Lately I have been paying more attention to these questions, as it is becoming evident to me that Christians are really taking the brunt of the anger of atheists.
One questioner asked, in a nutshell, why atheists are so hostile towards Christians (view the question here: http://www.webanswers.com/social-sciences/spiritual-religious/why-are-many-atheists-hostile-toward-christianity-7f6e4a ), and it really opened up a can of worms. I won the award for my answer, (that's me, GoldenGirl), but I got a lot of slack for it. I agreed with the questioner that it appears only Christians are so vehemently hated for their beliefs. If atheists do not believe in ANY God, then they should hate EVERYONE who believes in A god. However, the brunt of their anger seems to be directed at Christians. Why is this?
Some other answerers suggested that they dislike Christians because Christians are "pushy" and try to force others to believe as they do. The reasonings were weak at best, and not based on fact, but rather opinion. Boy, this question really demonstrated, in full view, how much Christians are detested by those who do not believe. It truly is disheartening at times, to realize how much you are hated for what you believe in. Although the excuse is that Christians are judgemental, I disagree. The real problem is that Christians uphold a high moral standard, and those who do not believe in God are those who are too arrogant to accept that Someone else pulls the strings.
Yes, it is discouraging to feel like no one understands you. It honestly feels sometimes like I am fighting an uphill battle. True, I don't go around trying to convert people, but the knowledge that there are soooo many who will never accept the Lord Jesus is overwhelming at times. They simply will not hear, or acknowledge the existence of God, no matter how that truth is told to them.
As I have matured in my faith, I have grown more understanding of other faiths. I have a live, and let live attitude. After seeing the hate of other groups toward Christians, I must admit, conversion is not a high priority. It would be great if everyone could go to Heaven and have a relationship with the Savior, but ultimately, some will be lost. I don't want to waste my time trying to teach others about the Lord who simply will never accept Him. At the end of the day, it's their loss, and ultimately their knees will bow, either now or later.
While feeling like the oddball sucks sometimes, at the same time I am honored to be a peculiar people. I am proud to be in this world but not of it. The fact that I am hated is evidence that I serve the one true and living God. I am called hateful and judgemental because I believe my God is the True God. If serving God makes me judgemental, well, I wear the title proudly. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I am not interested in conforming to this world, because this world and everything in it is passing away.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I encourage you to stand firm in your belief. Love all people, but do not bend over backwards to appease those who hate our God. Anyone who is an enemy of my Father is an enemy to me. I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to serve God and do His will. Know that we are persecuted and will continue to be so until the Lord cracks the sky. As these days get more oppressing, and trouble surrounds us on every side, I do so look forward to being with my Heavenly father. In His arms there is safety and the cares and troubles of this world will be no more. Until next time...
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