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Milan - "Resurrection of Lazarus" from the San Giorgio church
Most of the time I do not bother to respond to the online rantings of atheists. That's because most are not worthy of a response since they tend to be one of the following:
- Ad Hominem attacks that have nothing to do with the question at hand
- Fiat statements that are not only completely wrong, but have absolutely no backing evidence in science, reality or truth
- Gross misstatements or
misunderstandings of science whose corrections cannot be explained
in a single tweet.
In my experience most atheists online are not seeking the truth, they merely want to pour the nonsense and trash of their worldview on everyone and expect everyone to swallow - hook, line and sinker - the lies they themselves have become accustomed to. Amusingly, they consider themselves bastions of reason and science, but always seem to miss it when they themselves are spouting irrational, illogical nonsense.
I came across another one of those completely illogical statements from an atheist troll who takes delight in stalking my account. Since he considers himself a bastion of reason and science, it seemed appropriate to expose him as the illogical, angry-at-God atheist (as are all atheists) that he is. The title of this article refers to this brief exposition. It is not me vs the atheist, but rather the rational truths of the Christian faith vs the illogical, contradictory statements of the atheist. So without further ado, here we go:
The Illogical Statement
Let's start with his illogical statement.
As you can see from the above the atheist troll was responding to my article titled "Hell is for Liars" that I had tweeted out. The reality of hell is a frightful thing that I have increasingly felt the need to warn atheists about. Of course, since they are in a deep, strong denial about it as I out out here, they act like it's a big joke or a delusion. Or, as they do in this case, they make nonsensical statements. Consider his statement: "You are a liar. Since you think they go to hell, enjoy hell." Not only is this a self-contradictory statement, it denies both atheist and Christian dogma. Here are the problems:
1. "You are a liar"
About what am I lying? In passing, isn't it interesting that for
atheists, Christians are never mistaken? They're always lying - which is
intentional deception, never mistaken. So about what am I supposedly
lying? That Christianity teaches hell exists? Even an
atheist knows Christianity teaches that.
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." - Jesus
Mat 10:28
If I'm not lying about Christianity teaching about hell, then it must be about the existence of hell. Atheists don't believe in heaven or hell, and clearly this atheist doesn't either as he has elsewhere said "the bible is made up BS." So he thinks hell is not real. That brings us to the next illogical statement:
2. "Since you think they go to hell, enjoy hell."
The "they" is apparently liars, so here the atheist mixes two worldviews - and in so doing makes an illogical, contradictory statement. So he claims I'm a liar. Which means he thinks I know there is no hell. And thus according to my statement, he reasons, I must be going to hell. But If I'm a liar, and atheism is true, then there's no hell, so there's nothing for me to worry about - just like atheists don't worry about hell. On the other hand, if I'm correct, there is a hell. But as a Christian, I know I won't go to hell because I've been saved from hell by my belief in Jesus, the messiah. Because Jesus said:
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
(John 5:24)
Before he raised Lazarus from the dead (depicted above) Jesus told Martha the sister of Lazarus:"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'"
(John 11:25-26)
The teaching of Jesus is, that I, and every Christian who believes in him, has now, as in right now in this present life, every true Christian has eternal life. We have escaped being condemned to hell - the second death. (Rev 21.8)
So even if we die the first death, that of the physical body, we are ushered into the presence of Christ there to await being clothed, or given our new eternal, resurrection body (2 Cor 5.4). So the specter of hell has been removed as a threat from every Christian. There is nothing that can remove me from the care of Jesus and the Father, and my arriving safely at the house of the Father in heaven. (John 10.28-29; 14.2-3) This is what Christians believe. And it is a rational faith because Jesus showed that he indeed holds "the keys of death and hades" (Rev 1.18) by releasing Lazarus from death by raising him from the dead. And for further proof, he was himself raised from the dead to eternal life thus decisively proving his mastery over life and death. (John 5.21, 6.40) Arguments against his resurrection are unconvincing as pointed out here.
So it's really rather amusing that an atheist, who doesn't believe in hell, is threatening me with hell - me, a Christian who has had the punishment of hell removed by the sacrifice of Jesus (1 Pe 3:18) and has been promised a new home in the very house of the Father in heaven. (John 14.2-3)
So either way, the statement from the atheist troll makes no sense. If I take it from an atheist worldview, there is no hell for me to fear. If I take it from a Christian worldview, there is a hell, but since I've been redeemed by Jesus, even if I were lying about something (which I'm not) I'm not in danger of going there.[1]
The only people who would be in danger
of going there, hell that is, are people like the atheist troll - who deny
God, heaven, hell, angels demons, in fact anything spiritual,
exists; and refuse to repent of their blasphemous denials.
So I have a question for the troll. To pose it, let me borrow a phrase from Admiral Kirk as he mocks Kahn in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn." Kirk mocks Kahns "superior intellect":
So to my atheist troll stalker: are you
going to admit your statement about me enjoying hell is an illogical
statement? It contradicts your atheist worldview, and it contradicts
Christian worldview. I thought you atheists were supposed to be bastions
of truth and knowledge. Will you admit your statement makes no sense, or
will I, like Kirk, continue to mock your supposed superior rational
prowess and intelligence, as I am now?
Duane Caldwell | October 12, 2022
Follow @rational_faith_
Notes
1.
Least someone misunderstand and believe I contradict myself about liars
going to hell please keep in mind that 1. Christians are called to
repent of their sins - they are not to continue in them. So if they lie,
they are to repent. And 2. God forgives and justifies sinners (Rom 4.5).
That includes liars. Forgiveness is, after all, the whole point of the
message of Jesus. That is the good news. That is why Jesus says "The
kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1.15)
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Milan - The
resurrection of Lazarus from The San Giorgio church