Interview Questions

[Roughsoul1991]

I'm wanted to invite a skeptic, agnostic, or atheist to sit down for a meal (ill pay for the meal) to share their story and beliefs on God, the afterlife, Jesus, moral law, etc.

My goal is to open up meaningful conversation with the intent on building enough trust within listening to open the way to healing, hope, or even salvation.

I want to keep it structured so what questions would you ask to build a meaningful conversation?

 

[TheNarrowPath]

Love this idea! You really are a blessing to those around you!

If someone were to ask me what I think about before I sleep Id be happy to answer that because my mind is busiest at that time with the daily events, future prospects etc when Id rather my mind be relaxed and still so I can sleep. I think this would open the conversation to what my worries for my family and the world are...and finding a resolve

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Love this idea! You really are a blessing to those around you!

If someone were to ask me what I think about before I sleep Id be happy to answer that because my mind is busiest at that time with the daily events, future prospects etc when Id rather my mind be relaxed and still so I can sleep. I think this would open the conversation to what my worries for my family and the world are...and finding a resolve

Thank you for the kind words, if it wasn't for the Spirit I would be useless.

So ask them what often comes across there mind before going to sleep?

I like that. That would probably bring up the most predominant fears or worries.

 

[Magenta]

I'm wanted to invite a skeptic, agnostic, or atheist to sit down for a meal (ill pay for the meal) to share their story and beliefs on God, the afterlife, Jesus, moral law, etc.

My goal is to open up meaningful conversation with the intent on building enough trust within listening to open the way to healing, hope, or even salvation.

I want to keep it structured so what questions would you ask to build a meaningful conversation?

Hello Roughsoul Have you ever seen the Alpha Course videos? You might get some really good ideas from them

Here are the first three... there are ten altogether

I also wonder if you have ever spent any significant amount of time speaking with/testifying to non-believers?

I was just speaking about this, and CARM, on another thread here. CARM has a section dedicated to atheism, agnosticism, and secular humanism. I spent a number of years there before coming here, and four years before that testifying and speaking to non-believers on myspace before that site was sold and reclaimed, at which time all the forums went bye-bye. You might get some ideas from the boards on CARM. I don't know if you would have to join. The owner of CARM (Christian Apologetics Research Ministry) also joined Christian Chat a while back, but he did not stay long. (2) Hello from Matt Slick - Christian Chat Rooms & Forums

 

[arthurfleminger]

I'm wanted to invite a skeptic, agnostic, or atheist to sit down for a meal (ill pay for the meal) to share their story and beliefs on God, the afterlife, Jesus, moral law, etc.

My goal is to open up meaningful conversation with the intent on building enough trust within listening to open the way to healing, hope, or even salvation.

I want to keep it structured so what questions would you ask to build a meaningful conversation?

My first question would be, how did the universe come into existance without any 'supranatural forces' outside the universe at work? Most scientists currently believe in the 'Big Bang' theory which postulates that the universe had a beginning, that it came from nothing. All of us know that 'nothing' can't create something. That's inane. So, how was the universe created from nothing? And, there's not one atheist/secularist/scientist that can answer this question satisfactorily.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I'm wanted to invite a skeptic, agnostic, or atheist to sit down for a meal (ill pay for the meal) to share their story and beliefs on God, the afterlife, Jesus, moral law, etc.

My goal is to open up meaningful conversation with the intent on building enough trust within listening to open the way to healing, hope, or even salvation.

I want to keep it structured so what questions would you ask to build a meaningful conversation?

That's an honorable thing to do Roughsoul.
The very first thing I would do is be able to ask myself this question,
Am I 100% sure that if I died today, I would be in heaven?

 

[Snacks]

Why do you not believe?

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Hello Roughsoul Have you ever seen the Alpha Course videos? You might get some really good ideas from them

Here are the first three... there are ten altogether

I also wonder if you have ever spent any significant amount of time speaking with/testifying to non-believers?

I was just speaking about this, and CARM, on another thread here. CARM has a section dedicated to atheism, agnosticism, and secular humanism. I spent a number of years there before coming here, and four years before that testifying and speaking to non-believers on myspace before that site was sold and reclaimed, at which time all the forums went bye-bye. You might get some ideas from the boards on CARM. I don't know if you would have to join. The owner of CARM (Christian Apologetics Research Ministry) also joined Christian Chat a while back, but he did not stay long. (2) Hello from Matt Slick - Christian Chat Rooms & Forums

I'll check them out.

I have experience in online debates and in person discussions with unbelievers but never in a interview format. I often study apologetics but that isn't at this point so much my goal. My goal is to build trust and dialogue with the hope to first reach the heart then they will be more open to hear what I say.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

My first question would be, how did the universe come into existance without any 'supranatural forces' outside the universe at work? Most scientists currently believe in the 'Big Bang' theory which postulates that the universe had a beginning, that it came from nothing. All of us know that 'nothing' can't create something. That's inane. So, how was the universe created from nothing? And, there's not one atheist/secularist/scientist that can answer this question satisfactorily.

Yes, this is an apologetic favorite but im looking for intro questions to learn about them.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

That's an honorable thing to do Roughsoul.
The very first thing I would do is be able to ask myself this question,
Am I 100% sure that if I died today, I would be in heaven?

Thank you, that may be good for a skeptic or agnostic who may believe in a afterlife.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I have a full work week worth of highly tested and proven training available on this subject. After I was saved, I was blessed to be grounded in a church that loved people enough to go into our community and win souls to Christ each week. The video that I am going to post is a sample of what everyone needs whether they are atheist or protestant. I would strongly suggest starting with this video. Once you are done with that is the next step. It isn't difficult, so I would not make it so by taking on a challenge like an atheist right now. Once you feel competent with the average person, you will doubtless run into atheists.

Here is step #1

 

[p_rehbein]

Get a copy of the lyrics to THERE IS A GOD by Carmen.

Read the lyrics to them and then ask them to explain how all of that could have happened by accident.......

Tell them it takes far more faith to not believe in God than to believe in God.

Show them pictures from that new telescope that is opening up the heavens in a new and wondrous way to all mankind!

 

[Magenta]

It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God which brings a total spiritual change in people's lives. It is true that many do not want to seek Jesus... preconceived ideas about religion in general, and Christianity in particular, and even about God, not knowing Him personally, are primary reasons for this, and Scripture tells us too, that the natural man (one without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God) is hostile toward God. I spent a few years before becoming a member here speaking to all manner of non-believers online on two different sites, and boy oh boy, I found out really quick the lengths and depths of that hostility. My own stubbornness toward God and aversion to anything Biblical before I became a believer also helped me understand how true it is that believing in God and accepting the gospel as truth were not something the "natural man" normally aspires to, and it may well have been impossible for me to achieve on my own without God moving powerfully and profoundly in my life.

People do seek truth in their lives, though, and peace is highly valued, especially inner peace. The question of whether or not there is a God should be of utmost importance in anyone's search for truth. Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through/by Him.

Consider what C. S. Lewis had to say on the matter:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Some non-believers have that attitude about Jesus, that He was a good man and a good teacher and said some lovely things. And off they go searching for truth elsewhere. They may find people and practices that temporarily help in their struggles and challenges; if you were to closely question many of these people about their beliefs regarding God, religion, and Christianity, you would probably find that a great many of them really are hostile in their minds towards such things, believing religion to be a tool to control people, blaming Christianity for many if not all the ills of the world (instead of human nature), and believing the Biblical God to be a heartless monster. Some consider themselves to be spiritual while others reject anything that smacks of spirituality. Many will simply say God does not exist, and that those who believe in Him do so because we were told to, being unable to think for ourselves, that Christians are brainwashed and believe in fairy tales, have an imaginary friend, etc etc. That the Bible God is based on the primitive superstitions of iron age knuckle dragging cave dwelling goat herders, while they consider themselves to be too smart and too sophisticated and more logical and more rational and too intelligent for such (pride), clinging to modern science for answers, the claims of which they accept on faith while pooh poohing faith. Some will even say that it is impossible to know whether God exists or not, whereas God promises to reveal Himself to those who diligently and sincerely seek Him. Each must make their own choice, and as far as I am concerned, it is the most important decision one can make in their life. Some non-believers claim they would rather go to hell than serve God as they understand Him. The non-believer largely rejects the Bible as being historically accurate. Perhaps not all, but even if they accept some or even most of the historical claims, many reject the supernatural elements, miracles, prophecies fulfilled, and the Divinity of Jesus.

Perhaps asking what they believe about Jesus would be a good place to start

PS~ much of the above was sourced from previous posts of mine from years gone by
Also, the posts I mentioned earlier no longer exist, as they quoted offending material
that has since been removed, along with the person who posted the offenses.

 

[Nehemiah6]

I want to keep it structured so what questions would you ask to build a meaningful conversation?

Since you are planning a meal you would simply ask" How did plant and animal life originate?" followed by "How did human life originate"?

 

[Magenta]

Since you are planning a meal you would simply ask" How did plant and animal life originate?" followed by "How did human life originate"?

One question they cannot answer is how consciousness developed from organic material.