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I Also listen to a good amount of NPR on my way back from school. So I kinda listen to secular music in a way I guess… Hehe
I think the only real music (I mostly listen to music when I’m doing computer programming related stuff or managing stuff) I listen to is musicals. Right now I’ve been listening to parade and Hamilton a lot although Sweeney Todd is my favorite.
I’ve been wondering, have you ever spoken to a person who used to be a Christian about God? I find this to be far more difficult, because they already know what the gospel says. How can we encourage former believers to see Christ in a new light?
Hey, I’m not sure if it’s the same kind as what you do, but I really like to do computer programming too! I like to make games in C# coding language. How about you?
I have had lots of conversations with both friends who call themselves Christians but don’t respect God. How I would encourage them is trying to bring up God in anything I can, and to act like Jesus in everything I do. Then, if there is a good opportunity, mention Bible stories and try to understand their view on things a bit more. Once I know what the problem is, it’s easier to address. So if any time I mention a Bible story, they act like it’s fake, maybe it would be a good time to tell them how it actually happened. If they simply act like the stories aren’t cool and so they don’t respect them as truth, I would try to get it across to them that they aren’t “uncool”, because they actually occurred in real history and whoever believes in their message goes to heaven.
I would also just try to share with the person as much information as possible about Christianity. Once they know it, it’s easier to say something like, “You probably shouldn’t be doing that, because remember when Jesus said…” and then go from there.
Just always remember that God has tasked us with knowing this stuff. So it is great that you are obeying God’s calling and figuring this stuff out! 1 Peter 3:15-16 says:
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.Keep doing what you’re doing! I hope all these conversations can help you influence others to Christianity.
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
the verse you mentioned is a great one to go by. Lots of people will try to use it the wrong way and say that since Jesus says to have childlike faith, we are somehow unresponsible for knowing how to defend our faith. But that’s not true. By childlike faith, Jesus meant to be humble and respect God as Father, knowing that we need Him to care for us and to save us.
And also, when you mentioned, “Who created that hill over there?” This is one of the best ways to convince someone of Christianity. It can either be called the Teleological argument or the Fine-tuning Argument, either one works. But if you use it properly, it is powerful. If you can memorize even just 3 to 5 sets of numbers that show how rare our earth is, then all the sudden the Big Bang isn’t a possibility. It completely destroys an atheist’s argument.
Now they could respond by saying that there are infinite universes and we just happen to be one that has a sentient human race, but there’s a whole other argument for that. You brought up several wonderful points. I applaud! 🙂
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
I mostly use python, JS and HTML although I am taking a class on Java next year. I mostly use my programming for my classes (ie Ap compsci) for computer security (white hat hacking). I’m also on my schools robotics team (we made it to worlds last season) so even though I’m on the build team I’m trying to lead Java so that I can read the robot code. I do like attempting to make board games though.
Cool! I’ve always wanted to learn JavaScript and HTML, mainly because you can make websites with them. I want to be a preacher and Christian game designer (I know, weird combination), so I thought it would be good to build a website for it all. Python’s neat too. I’ve seen it used for stuff like API for different websites, but I’ve never learned how to use it. It’s great that you’re learning all that! 🙂
I’m working on a game called Crusaders, currently. It’s about the end times and all that good stuff. I’ve wanted to make it since I was about nine, but never knew how. Now I have the chance, so there’s that.
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
I may have misread your question. I thought you meant encouraging someone who is already a Christian, but now I’m thinking you meant someone who is no longer a Christian but used to be.
So, if that’s the case, I would try to say something like, “Hey, you wanna come to church/youth group/a church event, etc.?” Then if they say no, I would ask why not. Now they might just be busy, but most likely it’s because they don’t want to go hear about God. I would then say, “Why’d you stop being a Christian?” Once I know what caused them to leave God, I would explain how that shouldn’t dissuade them. There are many reasons they may have left God, so I won’t try to list them all 🙂
Sorry for the misunderstanding XD
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
No problem.😄 I appreciate both of your answers. Thank you for being so careful to cover everything in each response!🙂
Ok, so I love this forum! Though I would like to challenge your original argument for God at the beginning of the forum. A learned atheist would likely point out that you’ve used a causality argument, which they would either say “god of gaps” or if they want to think a little more, they will ask “Who caused God”. You may say He caused Himself, to which they will say “then why can’t the universe cause itself?” I’m assuming your argument here would be similar to the ones against the infinite universe idea you alluded to, what are some of your thoughts on that?
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
So…
I don’t believe that God created Himself. I believe that He is immaterial and does not need to be created. Just like concepts aren’t be produced by labor– they just exist. He also created time, which means He exists in the past, present, and future all at once. So, He didn’t exist “forever”, at least not how we often mean it. We exist bound by time. Though it is hard to understand, God exists outside all of that. So, that’s no issue. The universe can’t have just appeared because it is material, and material cannot be created through natural processes. That’s why it took God to do it. I can’t prove that God exists, but I can prove that this world could not have come about by natural laws. And understanding that puts me in a position to say that it would take an all-powerful, supernatural being to create the world. That is the definition of God, an all-powerful, supernatural being. (He has many more attributes, but anything that is all-powerful and supernatural would be “God”)
If you have any adjustments to that argument, please let me know! I’m always looking to improve my skills on defending the faith. I’m so excited that there’s another one who thinks about this stuff!
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
Fascinating point! Here I actually differ theologically concerning God being material, as I’m actually a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Regardless, the argument is interesting, however when you introduce the idea of a “concept”, you should probably define that a little more, because that’s really open ended. The concept of a unicorn exists, but that doesn’t mean a unicorn exists. That’s not your meaning however, since you don’t seem to be regarding God as a concept, but something else akin to concepts, as well as the point of God being immaterial, thus a unicorn doesn’t work the same way. In the end though, I argue the issue is still unresolved. If God was immaterial as a concept outside of time in some sense, then how does He have a will to assert? Was the concept of a unicorn always was before it was conceived of, even though that’s what concept means, but that’s linguistical, and not logical, so that’s beyond the point. Anyway, the concept of a unicorn can’t really do anything, though it’s possible that it always existed. So God isn’t just a concept, and you recognize that, but what gives Him will and ability to create? This goes back to causality again. He is the cause of reality, but what caused Him? He can’t just be as any concept is, because any other concept could have been as He is. Then I draw back and point out that matter can be created by natural processes, in fact, it happens constantly. While we do say that matter/energy can’t be created nor destroyed, that’s not the full story, as vacuum fluctuations occur, manifesting in a positive and negative particle suddenly appearing into reality, and then quickly destroying each other, in fact, this happens constantly. So why couldn’t this be how the universe creates itself without any of the supernatural? I agree with what you said on time, but so do many Atheist’s, and the thing is that eliminating time doesn’t eliminate causality, as time needs a cause, which we agree is God.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
@Orangearmadillo You have some great answers to those questions!! Are you planning to work for/start an apologetics organization someday?
@smiley @mackenzie I’ve been to the Ark Encounter too! It was really fun.Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
That’s awesome!😊
I don’t really know where it will take me, but I do want to become a preacher. I plan on including lots of apologetics in my sermons. I am learning to code, so I’ve considered making a website that includes Christian apologetics.
@smiley @mackenzie @keilah-againI went to the Ark Encounter too!
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
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