The Silent Storm Rages

This is one of two major conflicts in my life. This one I can speak of, if only carefully. This one is not so much about me and my struggles as the struggles of others. This one is the reason I have been absent for so long. I like to do research online for things, information on various topics. Sometimes that leads me down strange or dangerous roads so I need to be careful and so do you if you are the same way. About a month ago while researching who-knows-what I found myself staring at a webpage calling itself an atheist forum. A rather large group of people from all backgrounds. All levels of intellect and heart. All over the world. All kinds of ideas on God or what they view to be the absence of.

At first I was apaled(sp?) to be honest as I read through the list of topics people had been talking about. After cooling down I decided to open a few of the threads (Topics) and read what kinds of things people were saying. This greatly disgusted me as well and so I recoiled for a few days from the site. The things I had read in that brief timespan were a direct assult on God, no other way for me to view it really. Not all things people said were spoken simply from anger at God, some were just angry at the followers of God, but the majority are just confused on the matter. Seeking support from the community they have built a small empire from what I can tell. I will mention no names or quote anyone from the site as I do not say any of this to bash those people or gossip about them.

Anyway, after I cooled off a bit I came to an understanding that perhaps I was to speak out on these forums. It certainly wouldn't make matters worse so long as I glorify God in my replies to them and love them like Jesus would. Being honest, upright, and soforth. So I picked about 7 topics and wrote on them and then posted the writings. It didn't take long to get replies of all kinds. Some were welcoming, others were bitter and hostile, still others were calm and more thought out. So long as they have been speaking to me I have been speaking to them. Back and forth, attempting to bring the light of God to the darkness of that place. Clarity to confusion on their reasoning against God and scripture.

I have learned much in the past several weeks about how people think. I learned a lot about the arguments againt God and theists. Though some of the peoples responses have been very well spoken and very well thought out their have not been any serious dangers to date. I have had one argument that threw me off for a day or two as I was hardly prepared for it, but even then God lifted me back up and steadied me. Some of the people are quite nice and interesting though it seems just as many are ignorant and accusatory toward any theist who strolls by.

Speaking of which, while I have met a couple of theists who are also staying the course on that site, though not many, I am quite saddened to see a victory for the atheists recently. A man I do not know who seemed to be an advocate for God, tried to be at least, broke down and converted this week. It is not so much a shock, I have seen it before in both friends and aquantainces. And everytime the truth comes out after the fact that they indeed never knew God, they were in it but not of it if you understand what I mean. Still, the loss saddens me as the same man who was at my side yesterday was attacking me today.

It has not all been bad by any means though. I have learned much about how to argue matters as well as which matters to argue about. I have been blessed by this battle and I believe that God can make use of the work done there if He sees fit to do so. It is all I can hope that a difference was made to Glorify God. It does however consume my thoughts as I do not post hastily on anything. Most replies take me well over an hour to prepare, yea..just call me flash. =P