Quote of the Day: "Those Who are Attracted to Atheism are First Repelled by Theism”

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"History strongly suggests that those who are attracted to atheism are first repelled by theism." -- Alistair McGrath.

The Church's message is not, "look at us". It is look at Christ. The Christian's message is not, "look at me". It is look at Jesus.

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When I became a Christian, it was not because I was attracted to the Church. I did find my New Testament professor an attractive person, but he was the exception. What I was attracted to was the person of Christ. He is the idealist's best friend, and the moral perfectionist's best hope. When I looked at him, the gap between "is" and "ought" made perfect sense.

Dissatisfied with the "is" of your life? Look to the "Ought".

You want to see moral perfection? Look at Christ. You want to see God-at-work? Look at Christ. Want to hear words of wisdom? Listen to Christ. Want to see a man who loves God with all his heart, mind, soul, and body? Look at Christ. Now, look at him on the cross.

Do you want to see evidence of the saving power of God at work -- the power of God to overcome the evil of this life and "make things right"? Look at Christ raised from the dead, ascended, and seated on high. Do you want reason to hope that evil will be finally overcome? Look to Christ, the soon-coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will establish the rule and dominion of God on this earth.

Speaking of dominion, do you want to know what Canada's destiny is? "He shall have dominion from sea to sea."

"We preach not ourselves, but Christ crucified".

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Quote of the Day: "I Turned My Back On One Faith And Embraced Another"

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My doubts about the intellectual foundations of atheism began to coalesce into a realization that atheism was actually a belief system, whereas I had assumed it to be a factual statement about reality. I also discovered that I knew far less about Christianity than I had assumed. As I began to read Christian books and listen to Christian friends explain what they actually believed, it gradually became clear to me that what I had rejected was merely a religious stereotype. I had some major rethinking to do. After checking out Christianity's credentials and discovering its immense spiritual vitality and intellectual potency, I came to faith in the God whom I had once regarded as little more than an obsolete curiosity. So in the end, I turned my back on one faith and embraced another. -- Alister McGrath

 (Alister McGrath's essay "Challenges from Atheism" in Beyond Opinion: Living the Life We Defend. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publisher, 2007: 23)