I’ve had spirited debates with many atheist/agnostics, I try to avoid them because they tend to be fruitless. Usually it’s not for the sake of the atheist that I jump in, but for the sake of an honest agnostic or seeker in the middle of the crossfire. Even in my early seeker days of being agnostic and watching atheist/christian debates I notice a pattern. 1 They deny Jesus existed, then when you put up evidence that he did, apparently beyond a Reasonable doubt even for them because they move on to the next argument. 2 They will concede He existed but claim He didn’t do what the Bible says, then this gets proven beyond a REASONABLE doubt and it’s on to 3 Ok he was a good teacher but not the son of God, this to is proved by his own statements. Then the truth comes out the reason I think so many stay away from God, and the reason I ignored him for so long “OK even if this is all true, I don’t want to follow him anyway, I mean look at the evil has been done in the name of God”

I know for every intelligent/educated argument for Christ, there is one against. same can be said of church doctrines. So how do we get the message out? We know from history that force doesn’t work, neither does coercion, or arguments. here’s a parable…. put someone in a pitch black and cluttered stadium and tell them where the flashlight is and they may head for it, they would stumble and fall and maybe find it eventually, but they would have to believe that the flashlight was there, and that having said flashlight is better than stumbling around in the dark. However if you were to turn on the flashlight, they could not deny it’s existence, and they would have a better chance of getting to it, still with the world being compared to a stadium piled high with crap, they have to have a desire to find the light. and the brighter we let the light shine the better chance they will head for it.

Luke 8:16″No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

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