Sadly, there was a time when the message of this graphic (found on an atheism internet community) was very true.
Arrogance ruled the roost. Christians, often in positions of influence, sought to increase their power over people who, because they refused to believe the same thing, were obviously defective and could be treated like enemies.
Indeed, 500 years ago, ISIS (the murderous radical Islamic terrorist group) could just as easily have been Christian.
So this meme was correct. Was.
Things are very different today and pretty much everyone (except the creator of this graphic, perhaps) knows it. Maybe it’s because Christians are not in positions of power. And that’s a good thing.
We all know power corrupts. The history of Christianity is certainly compelling evidence. Now, serious Christians understand that God is primarily about love and love does NOT threaten or coerce. Love offers a gift.
In Christian terms, that gift is Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s son. Jesus – His teachings, His sacrificial death on a Roman cross and His resurrection – is offered to a world that I think we can all agree isn’t doing very well.
For much of my life, I thought I was was doing just fine without this gift. In fact, I believed what North American media, and most of my friends and colleagues, said about Jesus: nice guy (if he lived at all), but long gone and what does he have to do with anything?
He has everything to do with making people like me – and you, if you say yes to Him – more thoughtful, less greedy, more compassionate and less judgemental.
He has everything to do with seeing the things that our culture values in a new and discerning light – and discovering most of those things are trivial and ultimately irrelevant. Just think new cars, better smartphones, bigger TVs, yet another pair of shoes.
He has everything to do with feeling less lonely, less worried about the opinions of others and less concerned about what our culture defines as “success”.
He has everything to do with answering the most important questions of life: Why am I here? (To have a relationship with God through Jesus.) What happens when I die? (If Jesus is my saviour, then I’ll spend eternity in Heaven with Him because His death wiped away all my wrongs.)
Does this sound appealing? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 
Wowwww
For much of my life, Frank, I was taught that I didn’t need Jesus. As much as I love Him and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior, the devil still manages to bring internalized doubts from the past to the surface. Yet, I hold on, and I believe in Him; I will not allow Satan to have his way with me. All that matters to us in this life and in life eternal is to believe in our Savior.
God bless you!
Great thoughts, Martha. Thanks, as always, for contributing. 🙂
Hi Frank, it’s me again. I could not help responding after reading this: “Does this sound appealing? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.”
” the most important questions of life: Why am I here? (To have a relationship with God through Jesus.)”
Really Frank, that is your answer to the question why you are here? Not to try to make life better for others? Procreate? Have fun? Just to have a relationship with your god?
“What happens when I die? (If Jesus is my saviour, then I’ll spend eternity in Heaven with Him because His death wiped away all my wrongs.)”
Eternity is a long time…. Even with a very good friend.
Now I do not have the answer to “Life, The Universe and Everything” But I guess that there isn’t a reason for being alive. I just am. And while I am, i intend to enjoy it and try to help others to enjoy it too.
And after I die? I’m dead.
Life is so simple without gods, so enjoyable. Live long and prosper.
Having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ results in trying to make life better for others. And while having fun is great, there’s a whole lot more to life than that. I’m also good with spending eternity with Jesus. Life is so simple with God, so enjoyable. Thanks for your comments.
Me, atheist: “I just am. And while I am, i intend to enjoy it and try to help others to enjoy it too.”
You, believer: “relationship with God through Jesus Christ results in trying to make life better for others”
So it makes no difference, with or without gods we can do the same.
Yes, with or without “gods” we can do the same. And what happens after this life ends?
“And what happens after this life ends?”
Then we are are dead.
Yes, that’s the atheist point of view. Utterly, utterly hopeless. It saddens me deeply that we appear to have nothing further to discuss. 😦
No no no, that’s not hopeless or sad! That’s good. After you have, hopefully, led a happy, good life, you return to the state you were in all those billions of years before you were born. The long sleep. Wanting to live forever feels selfish and even terrifying. You have had your turn, now it is someone else his turn. I leave, another comes.
Well, that’s one point of view. Wanting to spend eternity with Christ is not selfish or terrifying to people who have accepted Him as Lord and Saviour. After I’ve had my turn on earth, it’ll be time for my turn in Heaven. I can’t see any downside to this. 🙂