Atheist: If your children believe in God, does it not effect you?

If you're a person who believes there is no God, and when we die that's it. Life is a puff of smoke. Being a Christian, that's a very depressing thought. However I've often pondered what it would take to give this atheist-way-of-thinking another thought.

Say you had a son/daughter who was a believer and believed what the Bible says and how you can have eternal life, and those who do not believe will not be saved and perish. Is it worth anything to you having this conflict of opinion? I mean just think for a second... living a Christian life, the worst that could happen is you may treat your wife a little better, your family a little better, your neighbor a little better... you'll think twice about doing things you know is wrong and maybe you're original thought was right and once you die, that's it....

But what if your wrong and there is eternal life IF you believe? It means EVERYTHING. How could you be at peace knowing you could potentially be spending an eternity away from the ones you love. I've seriously wondered this for the longest time and just hadn't brought the question up to many people. So please, enlighten me because I'm genuinely interested in your answers.

Thanks.

 

I understand your response but I was referring to the opposite of that. The parent letting the child do as they please, and when they choose to believe in ever lasting life and coming to the crossroads knowing that if your wrong in your atheist beliefs, then you missed out on the chance to be with them after death.

Maybe the misunderstanding comes in because some people may feel "this is the way I feel and if I don't want to believe in an afterlife then that's that" but what gets me is knowing your own flesh and blood believes the opposite, and if they are right in their beliefs, then you missed out on that invaluable opportunity for whatever reason.

 

God easily fooled? Nah, he's God. He knows whats in your heart. You can't act like you believe, what good is that for anyone?

 

Excellent response. To get to the bottom of both opinions of their religion, I would dig deep and research the text in which each religion was intended, the the words truly meant at the time they were written and so forth.

For instance, even in the church there are much different interpretations of the Bible. Baptism, comes from the word baptiso and it means to submerge. To fully submerge... not a sprinkle of water on the forehead, not just a dip in the water, but to be fully submerged just like you would do a cucumber to make a pickle.

Between every church and place to practice religion, there are alot of misinterpretations along the years and that is one of the main reasons people tend to turn from a certain religion. "Why would I believe in a story that is ever changing?" Someone once told me.

 

Im just trying to put myself in the shoes of the people that would fit this scenario. If I believed in a one and done life, and my children believed in eternal life... would I not love them enough to try and try and try to understand if not fully for myself but the reasons they themselves believe in it? I can't even stand the thought right now of being seperated (whether it be thats just not the way you were raised or a personal choice you made later in life) with a child that you would be so set on your ways that you wouldn't exercise your mind just for a moment, even if you don't go anywhere in your way of thinking.

 

There are non believers that eventual convert and believe. Why is there? A number of reasons could happen. I've attended multiple churches and I can honestly say I think the most effective way to get the message across is the one speaking the message. I can hear the same message spoken by 50 different pastors, and I could pick 1 or 2 that hits me directly more then any of the others.

That to me is the number one reason... if I had listened to the same preachers I grew up listening to for my entire life, I would still have question after question. Now, my eyes have opened up to so much more and I can comprehend what I hear on a weekly basis.

 

After saying all that....

What if believers are right, and Jesus comes back. What would the atheist say about why they didn't believe? Will they cry that there wasn't enough physical evidence to warrant a belief in it? Will they deny that they didn't have equal opportunities in life to find this peace others found in finding God? What will they say Jesus/God could've done to have prevented their eternal damnation?

Trust me, knowing at that time an eternal lake of fire awaits them they will kick, scream, and plead to an extent in which not even you can comprehend at this moment. But it will be too late... if believers are right.