Page 122 - SoulWinning Crash Course

LESSON 7

REFUTING ATHEISTS

The lost people discussed in previous lessons all had one thing in common:
They all had a sense that the Bible can be trusted (in general) as an authority
for determining truth. Atheists however think they have no reason to trust
the Bible at all. Even when they let you speak, you can read scripture to
them all day long, and it will be "in one ear and out the other." There's
seldom much you can do with them except plant a seed. That is, tell them
what they must believe if they ever find a reason to believe it. It is difficult

to even get an atheist to take a tract. You can improve the chances if you
challenge him to find fault with the tract and contact you or your pastor with
his criticisms. If he tries, it may be the first and last time he'll ever read the
gospel.

APOLOGETICS

Atheists consider their position intelligent, so it sometimes proves useful to
give them intellectual reasons to believe the Bible. You should expect
desperate mental gymnastics and blanket denial of your conclusions, since
being an atheist is more often a matter of the will than the intellect. But it
doesn't hurt to leave them with the impression that you're not the
uneducated, delusional idiot they assume you to be. (Acts 4:13-18)

Many former church-goers who turned agnostic or atheist will brag about

being "enlightened" by documentary programs on "educational" television
channels. These shows have only two purposes: to make money, and to
promote an anti-Christian worldview (to reduce societal disdain for
hedonism). Ask the atheist if it ever occurred to him that people can LIE on
TV? Ask him what the GOALS of these documentary producers might be.
Ask WHO or WHAT decides who is correct when two professed educators
contradict? The issues are trust, final authority, and absolute truth.