Opinions of Wednesday, 23 August 2017

Columnist: E. A. Adu Gyamfi

Should Christians dissociate from atheists to avoid getting polluted by them? My view!

Over the years, Christians have had the problem of entering into a logical debate with atheists. Atheists have always argued that, “the name of the game is evidence, but not beliefs”, and so if there is God, who is omnipotent and all-loving, then there shouldn’t be any suffering at all in this world.

In their opinion, God and Satan are imaginary beings in the sky and the earth respectively, and so are inexistent. Therefore, meeting as a group, worshipping God and asking for His assistance is something atheists consider as the greatest nuisance ever practiced by mankind. To them, mankind is the only master behind every good and evil.

When you tell atheists that there is God, they ask for empirical evidence, when you use evidence of how the application of Gods power has effected miracles, they don’t believe it, and when you explain to them that God is a spirit, and so cannot be seen and perfectly understood in the physical realm, they go berserk and wonder why Christians waste time on God, who is loving and has power, but, according to them, remains unconcerned as many people wallow pitiably in joblessness, poverty, diseases and other challenges that confront mankind in this physical world.

They look upon the Bible as just a powerless historical material that is a compilation of ancient facts, and so do not believe in it. Due to this, it is a waste of time in quoting the Bible when confronted with atheists. In their bid to discredit the Bible, atheists take time to read it, only to ask well-planned questions that are geared towards deceiving Christians that the information in the Bible is not reliable.

Truly, if you are a not a mature believer, some of the questions that atheists ask can confuse you, and eventually lead you astray. It is, therefore, not surprising when immature Christians are easily deceived and hooked away with the falsehood propagated by atheists. When atheists are in the spree of spreading their message, should Christians argue with them, or we should ignore them?

Well, some Christians always settle to argue with atheists, but majority of Christians posit that, such arguments with atheists are needless. They advise that we should ignore atheists, and if possible, dissociate entirely from them. And here is where I strongly disagree with those Christians.

Can falsehood overcome the truth? Can darkness overcome light? Whoever is grounded in truth and has facts to buttress his claims fears no arguments; but the person who is harboring a lie, and is fearing that he may get exposed, is the one who always refuses to get entangled in the debating arena.

If I know the truth, why should I keep mute for another person to deceive others with falsehood? If I know the light, why should I remain in my shell when people are mistaking darkness for light? I will quickly crawl out of my shell, and assist them to know the truth and the light.

When someone invoked “Antoa Nyamaa” against another person, was there not an effect? Haven’t there been instances where witches and wizards have disclosed how they engineered several mishaps in the livelihoods of others? Haven’t there been instances where people have resorted to occultism in making money quickly, manipulating others, and rendering their bodies impenetrable to bullets and cutlasses so that they can perpetrate atrocities and come out unharmed? Can atheists explain these occurrences? Is there not an unseen power behind these occurrences?

When I pray, I don’t see anybody around, yet somebody hears that prayer and answers me. Whenever I mention the name of Jesus, wonders happen. The question is, if there is no supernatural being, who answers those prayers?

I haven’t forgotten that prayer session which defied the laws of medical science and human logic, and caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, the death and dumb to verbally communicate, and the cancer that had overpowered the body of some people to evaporate away. You are also a living witness of how God’s miraculous power has wrought miracles in the lives of many people, aren’t you? Was there not an unseen power behind those occurrences?

I don’t only believe that God and Satan exist, but I also know that there is God and there is Satan who act antagonistically. God is for good; and Satan (devil) is for evil. Satan is doing everything within his wits to make man suffer in this physical world. The Bible teaches that, this world is not the eternal abode of Christians, and that Jesus is preparing another place for us. So why should God border in making this world a very enjoyable place for us? In heaven, there will be no suffering.

Satan has power, but when the power of God is in action, Satan’s power is nothing. That is why, when the name of Jesus is mentioned, “Antoa Nyamaa”, witches and wizards, occult grandmasters etc begin to tremble. That reminds me of the deliverance session during which evil spirits manifested and were cast out of a man when the name of Jesus was mentioned.
Atheists believe in evidence, and the best evidence we can give them is making them experience a supernatural encounter with God. If you pray for an atheist and his illness vanishes instantaneously, will that not be enough for him to believe that there is God? If you fail to go near an atheist, how will you know when he is sick, and how will you get the opportunity to pray for him to be healed? If we cannot convince atheists with words, signs and wonders will do the trick.

We must read the Bible very well, and pray for God’s guidance so that we can help atheists come out of their dungeon of ignorance. We must strive to answer all their questions. If you cannot answer a question asked by an atheist, contact mature believers for help.

If you know an atheist, always pray for him, and when he experiences a supernatural visitation from on-high, he will clap for God and serve him forever and ever, and the next time you meet him, he will be a changed person. That will be incredible, just as it will be unbelievable, but it will be the truth, because, alas, he has known the truth, and the truth has set him free.

Ignoring atheists and leaving them to their fate is a great disservice to God, because Christians are to rescue the perishing. Jesus came for the lost, not the redeemed. By associating with atheists, answering their questions and tirelessly praying for them, we shall win them for Christ, and by the time we are aware, there is no atheist left.

Let’s arm ourselves with the weapons of prayer and deep knowledge in the word of God, and indulge atheists in hot debates, and they will surrender. Never use sarcastic and offensive remarks against atheists. If we ignore them, they will think they know the truth and so will deceive many with their falsehood until they end up in hell, and get lost forever.