A conversation between a believer and an atheist.

You say that I'm brainwashed

and I say to you, "Wake up!"

You say that I'm conditioned

and I say "Back at you."

If anything, we are conditioned

our whole lives, to hate God,

to feel that the notion of God is silly, and that to believe

in Him, is silly, and to think that the devil

is behind every temptation we face, is silly.

But I tell you now, that I am awake!

Now I am not brainwashed!

Now I am not conforming to

what they want for me!

Now, I am a rebel, for Christ!

Rebelling against the flesh and the ways

of this world, which have taught me to hate

the very God that taught me to love!

All praise, honor and glory be for Him!

You want to call me a hypocrite—

good luck! Because I will openly

admit that I have been an idolater,

a liar, a thief, a murderer, and fornicator;

a lustful sinner of the flesh, with no end

to his sin—and this was all just yesterday.

My past does not define me.

It merely states what was once inside me.

My past does not tell me where I'm going

only where I've been; living in sin, knowing then

that I should have been walking

in the direction of The Light.

But now I put on the full armor of God

that I may advance. And His might

gives me so much strength to move forward,

unashamed of my past, because I confess

openly, all that I have done. So don't think

for one second that I would even blink

at a chance to share myself with you,

honestly, the old me, the current and the new!

You come at me wanting to combat me

for the way that I believe, as you say

I'm a racist? That's ridiculous!

Don't come at me in your sinister ways

trying to convince me in these end of days,

that my God does not exist—how heartless!

You're upset, as you say I do the same to you—

well of course I do! Because I love you!!

Why would I not try to convince you

that your Lord and Savior wants nothing

but to dwell within you?! That He is earnestly

seeking your heart, so you can be a part

of something so big! But you deny it,

just because your worldly knowledge

tells you to defy this Truth.

It makes no sense to me, that you would want

to live in infamy, as the hater that tried

to convince someone to turn away

from a beauty that is far beyond your

earthly comprehension, not to mention,

you openly slander my childlike candor,

of a faith in the Living God. How dare you!

I do not mean to offend but when you willfully

send your brother down the wrong path,

just to make a point, or express the wrath

of your past—even knowing that your hatred

cannot last—it's just something that should not be done.

And if I could I would teach, each

and every one of you, the ways of The One

that has shown me The Way.

I have so much love for so many faces,

in all the places of the world!

And even though, sometimes,

hatred enters my heart, I cast it out—

immediately!—and yell up to the heavens

for my God to help me

to love even my enemy!

And why shouldn't I?! If there were

more people practicing love on this earth,

there would be so much less war,

and so much less hurt. Everyone screams

at his brother, to do this and that,

when all they should do is tip their hat,

in a gesture that says "I love and respect you,"

or just open your arms, and offer a hug—

show some Love!!

You say to me that you've seen so many

terrible things done by the "church"

but I can tell you that none of these lies

can even compare to the worth

of the Truth that is in His Word!

They cannot compare to the Love

you will come to know by coming to know

your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

And His might will hoist you up out

of the dark pit you're in—even though

you're swimming in sin, He still accepts you,

with open arms and the softest heart—as He

wants you to be a part of His family!

His brother, his sister—princes! and princesses!—

in the Royal Family!

You say to me that my Jesus

was just a smart man, that he could not

simply move his hand and use the powers,

or express the Love from His Father above.

You say He could not make the blind see,

or make the lame walk. Well all I see you do

is talk, and talk, and talk. Who are you trying

to convince, me or you, that my God

does not exist? Because you see me

living in bliss, you persist, trying to deceive

and make me believe that what I've seen

is not true. That the eyes of my soul are blind.

That the song of my heart has lied.

And it saddens me. Because all I have to do

to realize the validity of His truth is to look

at you and see the pain and torment in your eyes,

because you have swallowed up all the lies

of a devil that wants nothing more

than to see you fall, at the hands of your
worldly call—to bring Christ's saints

to destruction. Go ahead, soak up

your worldly knowledge—take it up

as your weapon of choice—but this world

will soon war and meet its end... and you'll be dead,

while I am alive, in Heaven, next to my Father.

and he'll hold me and comfort me at your memory,

as He holds me now—oh so tightly—in these

end of days.

But this is not my hope. My hope is that you will join me.

That my Father in Heaven would anoint me,

give me the words to convince you

that He is with you, and that all you need do

is cry out and He will emerge from the dark corner

of your heart that you put Him in, show you

your sin and begin to cleanse you of your tainted flesh,

so your spirit may be free to live!

Maybe then, you and I, can sit down one day,

when this earth has gone away, on the edge

of the universe, looking out over all God's creation,

in full comprehension of everything that He always

wanted us to know. And I can put my arm around you,

and call you my brother, instead of looking down

and watching you smother. You and I

can enjoy this eternity and have so many chats

about the revelation of our salvation,

as we'll marvel at the fact that we lacked

for so many years on earth, the simple recipe

for life—which was simply to love,

and be Loved in return.

Oh what can I say

that will help you to see, that you,

are welcome to eternity.