I. Cause #1: Religious Division:
'Christianity appears to be divided, divisive, contradictory and hopelessly confused'. The world is filled with many religious bodies, each claiming to be part of Christianity and yet each contradicting the other. It may be surprising to find out what the Bible actually says on this point. Jesus prayed for unity among His immediate followers and those that would be converted through the message preached by the apostles (JOHN 17:20-21). (They may be one).
By inspiration, Paul condemns religious division (1 CORINTHIANS 1:10) (Plead with you to agree, be of one mind).
The Bible predicts religious division coming upon Christianity (ACTS 20:30; 1 TIMOTHY 4:1-3; 2 TIMOTHY 4:2-4).
Conclusion:
The divided religious world is not the will of God. Don't blame God for that. The presence of religious division in the world today only confirms the truth of the Bible. The world of "unbelief" is just as divided! Sceptics, atheists, agnostics, evolutionists, etc..are divided and in disagreement among themselves on many topics. So if the argument is good against Christianity it can be no different for the world of atheism.
II. Cause #2: Faith in others shattered, trust betrayed:
Some turn to unbelief after having been 'hurt, let down, abused' by people that professed Christianity. For some reason we tend to blame God when people hurt us. One writer said: 'A sexually abused woman once told me, "When God did not intervene to stop the abuser, He lost any right to require me to do anything. He owes me; I owe Him nothing' (Bold Love. Dr. Dan B. Allender p.70)
The writer made the following comments: "Our thoughts run along this course: If only you understood the unbelievably tough decisions I am called to make everyday, you would not hold me accountable to make any more...even more, if you only understood how much I've been hurt, neglected, and abused, you would know that God requires little or next to nothing from me"
YET WE WANT IT BOTH WAYS: We want to be excused for our own sins, mistakes, and weaknesses. We don't want to be held accountable for our sins! And yet we DEMAND everyone else to be held accountable for what they have done against us!
HOW OFTEN HAVE WE PLAYED THE PART OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT -Mat 18:23-35? We desire, plead for forgiveness and mercy for ourselves (18:25-27). We turn around and have no patience or forgiveness for anyone else, for someone we feel that OWES US! (18:30).
When I allow the sin and imperfections of Christians to move me away from God; in reality I have truly forgotten MY OWN SINS! Col 3:13 - forgive each other as God has forgiven you.
III. Cause #3: Life is so Unfair:
Why do the innocent suffer, why does God allow bad things to happen to 'good people'? We cry out for 'justice', but complete justice would require that all of us go to hell! JESUS SUFFERED THE PUNISHMENT DUE FOR OUR SINS TOO! Was that fair?
IV. Cause #4: Freedom from Moral Responsibility:
Aldous Huxley once argued that belief in God and viewing the world as having meaning were hindrances to sexual freedom.
People who think that God 'hinders' their personal happiness have accepted the premise that 'GOD CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO BRING HAPPINESS'. 'Cares, riches, and pleasures' all become problems when we have lost confidence in God. Moses Heb 11:25. So leaving the church might free us from moral responsibility for a while, but it is fleeting a day of reckoning is coming. Financial peace is good only for this life, peace with God is what lasts and is actually where financial peace begins. When you give your life to Christ you will live like no one else, so you can live like no one else - that's the motto that Moses lived by. Heb 11:25 states, Moses lived like no one else, so he could LIVE like no one else.
V. Cause # 5: Human Pride:
Friedrich Nietzsche, the atheistic philosopher who made such an impact upon Hitler, once said, "If there were gods, how could I stand it to be no god?" In other words once I admit, once I face up to the truth that God is God and I am not, in the exact same moment 'I'M FIRED' FROM BEING THE BOSS OF MY OWN LIFE.
"For there is one thing that man always has liked to feel ...that he is sufficient for all things ...that he is going to bring about a better world by his own ingenuity, that he is the greatest and highest and most important phenomenon in the world, and that beyond him there is nothing worth considering" (Therefore Stand. Wilbur M. Smith p.151)
If you were God, I would not want to be subject to you. And maybe, knowing me you would not want to submit to me if I were God. We must acknowledge one who is greater than ourselves, look at the news, look around our own town and ask if we ourselves have the solution to the world’s problems. While you do not accept God, you have made yourself your own god. Your motives for that might seem reasonable if you feel let down by God or his people. But closer, honest examination will show those things do not mean he does not exist or care. The evidence shows that God who created the world loved us so much he gave His only Son to die on our behalf. If you do not accept that sacrifice and all the blessings that go with it, then nothing in this life will truly be satisfactory.
We would be happy to discuss matters arising from this study or any other topics that may be of interest to you.
