There are a lot of atheists out there, and they are really smart, so it’s silly to believe the Bible… right?
Wrong…
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
-Matt 14:29-30
We have listened to Jesus’ call to “come” and we have followed him. But, just as was the case for Peter, it is easy to look at the circumstances around you and get discouraged. The tone of those who seem to be against God seems to be getting louder and louder from more and more people. But is this the case?
I don’t think so. less than 12% of Americans are “nonreligious” and the number of Atheists is less than 7M (that’s about 2.3%).
The reality is, most people are not opposed to the idea of God and faith. Though the majority, perhaps, do not have a genuine faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Matt 7:13-14), there are not as many opposed to faith as we might be lead to believe.
The Bible is God’s word. It is inerrant and we should trust it! This doesn’t mean we make it say something that it’s not saying, but it is not a silly belief to hold to the idea that the Bible does not affirm anything that is untrue!
We should be emboldened to go out there and invite our friends and neighbors to join us. Come to church, follow Jesus, become a Christian. The Gospel really is the answer! Don’t let the “new atheists” shout you down, they are the minority, they will not win the day (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10).
Take courage! Witness…
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* “Worldwide Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-2005”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
