Podcasts religion Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast) How Do You Evangelize an Atheist?

How Do You Evangelize an Atheist?

Published: June 5, 2019, 4 p.m.

It\u2019s hard to start proclaiming the kerygma, \u201cGod loves you and has a plan for your life\u201d, when someone doesn\u2019t believe in God. Dave \u201cAll Thriller No Filler\u201d VanVickle and I wade into the world of apologetics as we address a listener's question about how to evangelize an atheist.

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Our faith is rational. Don\u2019t fear questions about what we believe, because at some point over the past two thousand years, that question has already been asked and answered. We just have to find it.

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We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment\u2014or if you\u2019ve got a new nickname for Dave.

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Snippet from the Show
\n\u201cCatholic students need to understand that faith is not irrational. We don\u2019t leave our minds at the door. That\u2019s the Catholic tradition, it\u2019s OK to question.\u201d

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SHOWNOTES

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  • Christianity has reasons for its beliefs. Start with Jesus as a man, his birth and resurrection.
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  • Pray and ask others to pray with you for conversion.
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  • Ask: What is your moral absolute? What do you base your morality on?
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  • Look into metaphysics. Teaching even a little bit of it helps people look into things and start thinking.
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  • Keep the conversation about their relationship with God, but also learn about apologetics.
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  • Have material around that they can \u201cstumble on.\u201d
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  • Make sure they understand we welcome and encourage questions about our faith.
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5 Practical Tips

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  1. Think about how you would change your testimony if you knew there was an atheist in the audience.
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  2. Memorize names and facts about your community members to show that you care about them.
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  3. Pray with us for the conversion of the boys at this high school.
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  4. Build a database of online answers to atheism.
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  5. Practice reverse mentoring. Ask someone younger than you to teach you something.
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Resources from the Show
\nThe Handbook of Christian Apologetics - Peter Kreeft
\nThe Handbook of Catholic Apologetics - Peter Kreeft, Ronald Tacelli
\nFundamentals of the Faith - Peter Kreeft
\nMore than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell
\nApologetics and Catholic Doctrine - Archbishop Michael Sheehan
\nMere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
\nThe Reason for God - Timothy Keller
\nMaking Sense of God - Timothy Keller
\nMemorare Prayer
\nMagis Center website- Fr. Robert Spitzer

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