The Faith of the Skeptic –Ray Comfort<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

"Is faith a good or a bad thing? I accept that a carbon atom has 6 protons because this has been established by logical conjecture based on observable evidence. Is this faith?" RadagastMost people misunderstand the place of faith--both in everyday life, and when it comes to God. If someone has never seen protons but "accepts" (trusts-has faith) that they exist, his faith is based on "logical conjecture" (commonsense guesswork) which is based on "observable evidence" (so he believes). In other words someone else has seen something that has convinced him that a carbon atom has six protons, and so he chooses to believe that evidence to be true. Again, the person is trusting in the unseen. This is the same as the biblical definition of faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). My wife has a Ford Escape car. Even though I believe (trust) that it was made by Ford, I don't know for certain that it was, because another maker could have made it and for some reason put a Ford plate on the vehicle. However, I don't have to have faith that the vehicle had some maker. That's something I know. No faith is necessary to know that, because only a fool would believe that a car made itself. Again, it is clear to a reasonable mind that every vehicle had some maker--it's self-evident. So when it comes to knowing that the Maker of nature exists, I don't need faith at all. Only a fool would believe that nature made itself: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:20-21). But to receive something from God, we must exercise trust (faith) in Him, in the same way we trust pilots, banks, surgeons, etc. Without that sort of faith (trust), it's impossible to please Him. Just as trust is the necessary ingredient in any healthy human relationship, so faith (trust) is the beginning and ending of a relationship with God. To begin a relationship, trust Him. To end it, don't trust Him. It's very simple.

Most Atheists Don't Know Their Bible...

"Mr. Comfort can I ask a question about baptism, for the first say 1500 years was seen as necessarily for salvation, yet your organization holds that it is not." RobertIt seems that you don't know your Bible very well. Baptism isn't (and never has been) a requirement for salvation--see Ephesians 2:8-9. A gift cannot be earned nor can it be deserved (see also Romans 6:23). If you think you can earn the gift of salvation, then eternal life isn't a gift at all--you are owed it by God because you earned it by "doing" something. This is a very common and tragic error made by the millions (perhaps billions) of religious people, who think they can buy their way into Heaven. God will not be bribed on Judgment Day. "But you make your living off the Bible, which is fine, but the Bible was not written in a vacuum, it was not a dictated document, it was written translated, and then re-translated. It was messy, and rather human."It was inspired and preserved by God (see 2 Timothy 3:16). Nothing has changed down through the ages. You can see this for yourself by checking Greek and Hebrew manuscripts (do a search and study). Don't believe what people tell you. Check it for yourself--because your own eternal salvation is the issue at hand. "Now from what I have seen here you and your ministry seem to have a deep contempt for being human, you are pro birth, but have deep contempt for those that are born, you hold to the sanctity of life, but you think all humans are utterly lost and enemies of God."You seem a little confused about this issue also. God knows that I have a deep love for humanity, and have spent just on 40 years pleading (without pay) in the open air--over 5,000 times--to those that the are referred to as "the unsaved" (because they are heading for death and then Hell). Your confusion may come from the fact that I wholeheartedly side with God and His testimony regarding the wickedness of humanity, including myself. See Romans 3:10-23 for His testimony about us, and then watch tonight's TV news to have it confirmed. Man is not good at all. He is desperately wicked. Then do an honest soul-search, judging yourself from the perfect holiness of God's Law (see Matthew 5:27-28) so that you don't make the mistake of judging yourself by man's very low moral standard. If you do judge by man's standard, you will think that you are morally good, and never seek God's mercy--which is alone in Jesus Christ. You will stay in your sins and reap the Justice of a holy Creator...and that is a fearful thing.
 
 
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