A Vision of the Western Church thru the Eyes of an Atheist

I asked the Lord to allow me to see the Western Church in it's expression thru the eyes of an atheist. It has been a shock. Reminds me of the Robert Burns Poem:

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!

Or, in more modern English:

O would some Power the gift to give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!

I know it seems strange to ask such a thing of the Lord. It's just that I have been puzzled why or how anyone could absent themselves from the fellowship of saints. Why those without Christ are so apathetic or even anti Christians. What is going on? How are we so strangely out of sight out of mind to the atheists and non Christians.

I have seen this and it disturbs me.

• We seem stupid. Gullible. Shallow.
• They like our traditions. They envy our fellowship and friendships.
• They have bought the idea that Jesus is/was a myth.
• They have no comprehension of heaven or hell.
• Most of what they see when they see huge buildings dedicated to worship seem like a waste of money and time. That we are just suckers.
• They don't trust clergy. Think they are all predators or professional nere do wells.
• Believe most of Christianity is about the money
• They have a warped view of who God/Jesus is or what he taught and they think the body of Christ is hypocritical in it's interpretation.
• Many devout atheists grew up in church. They know it all. Claim to have read the Bible. Yet...they are inoculated against the proclamation of the Gospel. Those days are over.
  
• The social gospel has so distorted their view of what being a christian is, they have no interest.
• They don't believe in miracles. They don't believe in signs and wonders. They don't accept anything supernatural.
  

We don't look very attractive. Heaven and hell are no threat. They don't believe in either. They don't even think there is a god of any kind. They are doing fine without God and can't understand those who have dependance on Him.

I don't think we can reason them into Faith in God. It's their reason that keeps them from Him.

There is an answer. Paul the Apostle spoke of it in the Second Chapter of First Corinthians:

I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ² For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

The context is important. Read the whole passage in the link below: This much is clear. Our powerless western church has nothing to offer the atheist. Nothing. Not threats of heaven or hell. Nothing. ONLY DEMONSTRATION...or continue to be ineffective in our western culture. The clarion call is clear. If we are not flowing and operating in the fullness of the Power of God we are inert.

^{1 Corinthians 1:18 - 2:16}