February 2010
Dear Friends,
One year ago atheists in England sponsored an evangelistic campaign at a cost of nearly $200,000.
They didn't have to rent an auditorium or purchase television airtime. They had no preacher and no door-to-door visitations. There was no special music and not a single altar call. Instead, they had this message blazoned across the sides of 800 buses:
"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
The campaign quickly went international. Buses were plastered with atheistic "sermons" in places like Barcelona, Chicago, Montreal, and even Hobart, Tasmania.
It was fire that got the whole thing going!
Christians in England had run their own advertising campaign, with "Jesus said" messages on London buses in 2008. Those ads directed viewers to the sponsors' website, www.jesussaid.org.
There, under the heading, "God's wrath against sin," are these words of warning for people who reject salvation:
"You will be condemned to everlasting separation from God and then you spend all eternity in torment in hell. Jesus spoke about this as a lake of fire which was prepared for the devil and all his angels (demonic spirits) (Matthew 25: 41)." [Emphasis theirs.]
No wonder the atheists responded the way they did! I think I would too, if I didnt know what God is really like. Who would want to believe in such a vengeful, vindictive and hateful God?
British comedy writer and journalist Ariane Sherine was a prime mover in the atheists' effort. Supporting her was famous atheist and evolutionist Richard Dawkins, who says that the existence of God is about as likely as the existence of the tooth fairy.
Last May Chicago buses carried ads with this assertion:
"In the Beginning, Man Created God."
There might be a little bit of truth in those words. Many Christians have a warped concept of God – an inaccurate, unbiblical image seen through the bleary lens of human tradition, lies and superstition. No wonder there are so many atheists!
It's difficult to calculate the total number of atheists in the world today, but if you include everyone who identifies as atheist, agnostic, or unbeliever, the numbers are astounding. Look at these percentages from the adherents.com website:
85% in Sweden;
80% in Denmark;
72% in Norway;
61% in the Czech Republic;
60% in Finland;
54% in France;
49% in Germany;
48% in Russia;
46% in Hungary;
44% in both Great Britain and The Netherlands.
Do you realize that historically all these countries had strong religious traditions? Look how many were key players in the Reformation! What happened?
I believe Satan's life-long goal has been to misrepresent God and His character. Sadly, he has succeeded quite well. Hundreds of thousands of "angels of light" – pastors, priests, and religious teachers – are tools of his great deception. They are the ones drilling the doctrine of eternal torment into the minds of millions!
Too often the result is outright rejection of God and the Bible. Those who throw God out – and those who don't – are alike cut off from the truths of scripture. Ellen White gives this explanation:
"The doctrine of eternal torment has led many to disbelieve the Bible" (The Great Controversy, p. 587).
And, honestly, who can blame anyone for throwing out a God who burns humanity eternally for a measly 60 or 70 years of sin?!
Friends, we are privileged to live on this earth as representatives of our heavenly Father. The nations of the lost have been captured by the enemy of souls, misled by their own churches, pastors and priests. They need to know the real God and His gracious intentions toward them.
That's why we at LLT will make the doctrine of eternal torment our special focus during 2010. Even among non-Seventh-day Adventist theologians, interest in this topic is growing. Now is the opportune time for our best efforts.
We long for your prayers, and are pleading with God for the necessary means to produce a program to show the world what God is like. Please pray for this urgent effort and consider supporting us financially as we move forward.
Have you ever thought about what life must be like for a person who does not or cannot believe in God? Imagine living day by day with no hope of eternal life. Imagine only a few brief years of consciousness, an accidental life ruled by chance with no real purpose or meaning.
Let's bring a new vision of God – and new hope – to people who have been turned off by Satan's lies. Have a wonderful year!
Sincerely,
Pat Arrabito
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