Question:Why do atheist persecute Christians? Why do they care?
Answered by: Grant McKenzie, who has been a volunteer with us since October, 2009.
Answer: First, I think it is important to point out that not all atheists persecute Christians. In my life, I have had the opportunity to speak with a number of atheists who did not persecute me for my faith. They disagreed with what I believed, but they were still willing to be friendly toward me. This has created opportunities for me to live out 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
Those atheists that do persecute Christians, however, often do so for a variety of reasons. Some have been hurt by people claiming to be Christians who have acted in a decidedly non-Christian manner. Because of this, they see all Christians as hypocrites and as a threat that must be countered. Before they can trust our faith, they must first be able to trust us as individuals. I had an experience like this once with a devout Muslim. Although he was not an “atheist,” his faith and his experience had taught him not to trust anyone claiming to be a Christian. Ultimately, we had many long conversations about faith and religion, but before we could get to that point, he had to know that he could trust me as a person. He did not choose Christ during the time that I knew him, but I know that the seeds of faith were planted on receptive ground during our conversations.
Another reason atheists persecute Christians is a misunderstanding of what Christianity really means. Since they do not believe in any god, they see all religion as mankind’s made-up way of controlling each other. They do not wish to be controlled, so they rebel. Unlike other religions, though, Christianity is not about controlling mankind. I have seen this come out numerous times in debates between atheist and Christian scholars. Many times, the atheist’s argument comes down to, “I want to do what I want to do, and no god can make me do anything differently.”
In Christianity, though, God does not “make” us do anything. We live in a fallen world where we are already slaves to the desires of the flesh and of the world. God saw fit, in his mercy and through his grace, to free us from that servitude through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Those of us who choose that gift are then free to serve God, not because we are forced to and not because we fear punishment, as some atheists believe, but because we can. What they see as rules and control and restriction, we see as freedom.
Question: Does ministry involve a lot of Christian discipleship?
Answered by: Fred Becker, who has been a volunteer with us since January, 2015.
Answer: Thank you for a great question. There are many different types of ministry and the amount of discipleship involved will also vary greatly. I can think of two in my area that really have very little discipleship involved. There is a place in a nearby city called “The Lord’s Diner”. They provide free meals for anyone that walks in the door. The people that work cooking and serving may only say hello to the guests or not even that if they are in the back cooking. They are ministering to the people though and opening doors to share the gospel. There is a ministry in our little town that provides furniture and things for people in needs. They don’t disciple the people but again, they open a door. The other end of the spectrum is the pastor or seminary instructor. They are the most involved in discipleship which just means teaching.
If we go back to scripture, we see that even giving someone a cup of cold water is ministering to them in the name of Jesus. Helping someone in need is ministering to them.
Mar 9:41 ESV
(41) For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
Mat 25:34-40 ESV
(34) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
(35) For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
(36) I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
(37) Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
(38) And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
(39) And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
(40) And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
When we help someone it then opens a door that later we can or someone else can share the gospel. That brings up my next point. Discipleship is just sharing what we know about Christ and GOD. Every one of us can share something about Christ if we are a Christian. We may only be able to share what has happened in our lives because of our faith but that may be what someone needs at the moment. We don’t need to be a seminary trained pastor to share the gospel. At some point someone shared the gospel with you out of love. Now you can share that same gospel with someone else.
The last thing that I would like to share with you is that just because you don’t know the answers now doesn’t mean that you can’t disciple someone. None of us know all the answers. Whether it is a pastor or a college professor or the people that write for this web site, we all have to go back and look at the Bible and pray at times for the right answer. Many pastors will tell you that they learn the most and are convicted about their personal lives when they are preparing their sermons. Pastors study regularly so that they can share the gospel. Many people will tell you that when they are preparing to teach a Sunday school class is when they learn the most about the subject. There is no sin in telling someone that you don’t know the answer. We can always tell them that we will try to find an answer or someone that knows the answer. Discipleship comes in many forms also. Whether it is in the classroom, in someone’s living room, the church, or even over the telephone, we can share the gospel and how to live as a follower of Christ.
I hope that this helps. Go out and share the gospel with those around you. Go out and help those in need. The first few times it may seem strange but you will be amazed at what GOD can do through you. Have a blessed day.
