Why I am Atheist no Longer.

       The first 21 years of my life were spent with a book bag on my shoulder and the latest copies of the Watchtower and Awake magazines in my hands.  Believe me, my childhood was far from easy or normal.  While children my own age were watching the "Smurfs" on Saturday morning's I was out knocking on doors and getting chased by strange dogs.  Sadly, when I wasn't knocking on doors, I was either going to meetings or preparing to go to meetings.

     I never really took the time to consider that my life wasn't normal because this is what my family did.  That's not to say that there  weren't plenty of times when I didn't complain about going to  the meetings or  having to participate in  field service, but with every complaint that I made my mom would rebuke me with, "Kim, you are not a true friend of Jehovah."  Eventually, I learned to keep my mouth shut and just do it.  

     For 21 years I was forced to serve a God who I had no relationship with and didn't even love. It is my opinion that   forced love isn't love at all, it's control.

     After escaping the organization I wanted absolutely nothing to do with religion or God.  I denied the Bible,  Father and Son at every given opportunity.  In college I took delight in composing essays on how God and the Bible were phony.  If there was a Christian around, I would start a debate with them.  I went out of my way trying to make other's feel insecure about their beliefs,  because deep down inside I was insecure about  my own.  Even though out of my mouth, I was professing, "There is no God,"  intellectually, I realized that I couldn't prove that God the Father, Christ the Son,  and the Holy Spirit did not exist.  Nor could I prove that the Bible was not written by men who were inspired by God.

     One of the major reasons that I am no longer Atheist is because I met the Son.  I love the Son.  He is my friend and I know that He lives.  How do I know that Jesus  has the best deal to offer?  Because,  He has changed my life.   Through studying His example in the Bible; Jesus has taught me about mercy, compassion and love.  I think that it is impossible for anyone to apply the principles in the scriptures and not have a better life, or be a kinder person.

      My atheist years were spent being frustrated because I wanted answers to everything.  If I couldn't argue God intellectually then He didn't exist.  How wrong I was.  Humans can not answer everything.  If anyone disputes that, then answer this, "Who laid the foundations of the earth?  Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveys line?  What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone?"  Job 38: 4-6.  The truth is; human can not even answer simple questions about creation.  If we can not answer questions about His creation, then how could we ever  understand everything about the creator.  "So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters?  God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.  Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching  to save those who believe.  It is foolish to the Jew's; who ask for signs from heaven.  And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.  So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all non-sense."  1 Corinthians 1: 20-23.

       I must say that when I was an atheist I would defend my belief's, but I would not defend them to the point of discomfort or death, but Jesus I would.  Not only does He offer a better life for me right now, He offers a indisputable future.  No one offers anything better than that, and that's why I'm atheist no longer.

   

Now What?

So.... what is going to happen on the morning of May,22 2011?  I can only assume that there will be  many disappointed people.   Literally, the only thing that can be said to Harold Camping's followers is; I'm sorry for your pain. However, experience is a very good teacher, and if you can use this new knowledge to help others and help you avoid making the same mistakes in the future then it's worth it.

I believe that there are three steps to use when determining whether or not a prophet or teacher is legitimate.  I can guarantee that no false prophet can slip through these steps.  If  an organization or person fails in just one step,then I'm encouraging everyone to go against Granny's advice and  "throw out the baby with the bath water."

The easiest way to spot a false teacher is to consider their history.  If the person has made a  false prediction in the past, then they are likely do it again.  We do not allow false prophets a three strikes and your out courtesy.  They are either hearing from God or they are not.  "But any false prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.  If a prophet speaks in the LORD's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message.  Deuteronomy 18: 20,22a.   According to Jehovah, there are no second chances for  false prophets.
After Harold Camping made the claim that the end was coming in 1994, when his prediction didn't take place then that should have been it.  I don't know where he is getting his information, but he isn't getting it from God.

Another sure way to find out if a prophet is legitimate is to compare what they have said up against the word of God.  Just because someone appears to be holy and seems to have an interesting argument does not mean that they are a teacher sent by God.  Even the scriptures indicate that  the devil poses as an angel of light and that  he has the ability to deceive and mislead many.  See  2 Corinthians 4:4.  So then what's a person to do?

Jesus said, "If the blind lead the blind they both fall into a ditch."  So, how can we avoid falling into a ditch?  By developing the same attitude as the Bureans.  "They listened eagerly to Paul's messages, and they searched the scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth."  Acts 17:1. When a messenger's words do not measure up with the word of God they need to be discarded..

The final step when evaluating teachers is to take God's words over that of a man.  The Bible warns us that in the last days we would have a problem with false prophets.  Jesus said, "And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people."  Matthew 24: 11.  Jesus could not have been more direct with His warning to us. 

"Paul warned, "That in the last days there will be very difficult times.  For men will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God."  2 Timothy 3:1,2.  A boastful person says, "I know something that your incapable of knowing."  A proud person says, "I don't care what you say, I'm right."  I propose that Herold Campings has done both.  In fact, he has went so far as to elevate his own words against the words of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, "However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven, or the son himself.  Only the father knows."  Matthew 24:36.  Jesus did not say that when we get close to the end someone would be given the actual date.   He said, "No one knows."  Harold Camping has placed his own thoughts and opinions above Jesus Christ.  He has called Jesus Christ a liar.

But Jesus Christ is not a liar.  So.... on the morning of May 22, 2011, just remember that God will always be found true, even when every other person is proven a liar.

Stepford Mentality

     Yesterday, as I was waiting to pick up my daughter from school, I was approached by a  warm, graceful woman, with a very friendly face.  She smiled  at me as she enthusiastically thrust into my hand the latest copies of the Watchtower and Awake magazine.  Very politely I said, "Thank you, but I can not accept this.  She asked, "Why?"  And I said, "I am a Christ follower and I believe He is the one and only way to salvation."  Much to my surprise the woman replied, "So do I." 

     Not wanting to kill my opportunity to witness to a witness, I neglected to  mention the fact that I had been an active Jehovah's Witness for over 20 years.  From my past experience I already knew the answer that she had  given me was incorrect.  Jehovah's Witnesses have never believed that Jesus Christ is the only means to salvation.  Instead, they believe that a person must  be one of Jehovah's Witnesses in order to be granted eternal life and spared from Jehovah's great day of judgement at Armageddon.  This woman was was being dishonest with me, but I think that I know why.

     One of my favorite movies is Stepford Wives.  A very brief description of the movie is;  husbands were moving their families to the town of Stepford.  The men had all the power, and the women were excluded.  In four months, the women were murdered by the men and replaced with identical looking, robots.  Although on the outside the women appeared to be the same, on the inside they were non-thinking, preprogrammed machines. 

     I feel that this movie depicts perfectly what it's like to be a Jehovah's Witness.  They are trained to give automatic responses without really thinking about the question.  For example; if the Governing Body in Brooklyn,  New York tells them that it's acceptable to lie to non JW's, then the members truly believe that it is acceptable.  Even when the Bible condemns telling lies of any kind.   I think that because  the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society claims to be the only organization on earth who  processes the truth, they actually feel that not only is it permissible to lie, but that they are doing the unsuspecting  receiver a favor by lying to them.   The witness has one agenda and goal in mind and that is; to establish trust, ward off any suspiciousness and ultimately start a home Bible study  and eventually get the recipient  baptized as another witness.  Then kaboom;  you are in line for everlasting life.

        To people who have not been a witness  it's easy to assume that what happens to members of this group  is a result of the their own doing.   Many conclude that the members are  mentally weak, or just plain gullible,  but this is a misconception, it is not the truth.  Jehovah's Witness members are reprogrammed.  This standard  reprogramming  process can happen in as little as two months or it could take as long as 10 years.  In my experience the process did not happen all at once but a little at a time.

      All the woman thought about yesterday after she heard me mention Jesus, was the preprogrammed response that she had been trained to give.

     So...after five minutes of debating whether Jehovah's Witnesses consider Jesus Christ to be the only savour, I finally decided to switch approaches.  I suddenly felt lead to look her in the eyes and ask her if she believed that a person had to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses in order to be saved?  She side stepped the issue and never answered my question.

     Why couldn't she answer my question?  I believe that it's because just like the women in Stepford,when the question was not a  part of the programming the women were caught off guard and clueless, and the same is true with Jehovah's Witnesses.  When they have not been supplied with a response by the society they panic and say nothing because they are not sure about what to say.

     I encourage everyone who is approached by one of Jehovah's Witnesses to take the time and talk with them.  Ask them point blank if they believe that only Jehovah's Witnesses can be saved.  Even if they do not answer take the time to show them from scripture that, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."  Romans 10: 9,10.  Let them know that if they are using their mouths to promote any other means of salvation, that they are making the blood of Jesus invalid.