This article is an extract from the Book
WHY I LEFT ATHEISM by John N. Clayton .
I have summerized the most important incidents that lead to the transformation of this former Athiests to an Evangelist.

1.I entered Indiana University majoring in the field of physical science. It was actually at this point that one of the great changes that occurred in my life took place. I enrolled in a course in astronomy at the feet of one of the great astronomers of our day. In that particular course, we were studying the problem of origins — the creation of matter from nothing. As we discussed this particular subject, we went into all those theories that
are in that particular material. We talked about the big-bang theory, the quasistatal theory, the continuous generation theory, the planetessimal theory, etc.
When we got to the conclusion of that discussion, I asked the professor which of the
particular theories was the one that is most acceptable and that satisfactorily explains
the creation of matter from nothing. He leaned over the desk and looked me straight
in the eye and said, “Young man, you need to learn to ask intelligent questions.” That
rather upset me. I did not appreciate that and I said, “Well, what do you mean?” He
said, “This is not a question that a scientist tries to answer. This is a question for the
philosopher or theologian, but this is not something that falls into the realm of science.” In today's discussions of black holes
and parallel universes, things have not changed. The basic question of the creation
of matter/energy from absolutely nothing is
not an area that can be scientifically explored. I was very disturbed by that answer. I had always felt that science could ultimately answer all the questions that man
had — that there was nothing that science could not eventually take care of as far as what man might challenge and want to know about. Yet this learned man, an expert in his field, said that this was an area that the scientist should not even try to answer —  that it was totally beyond the capacity of science to explain and explore.

2. Not too long after that, I enrolled in a course in biology at the feet of one of the great primitive life scientists in the country. As we discussed the initial beginning of life
upon the earth in that class, we talked about the synthesis of various primitive chemical
materials such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
As we discussed this, I once again asked a question related to the one that I had asked
previously. I asked this professor what the
process was by which the original life — the original living cells upon the earth — came
into existence. How did the structure or generation of DNA occur? Once again, this
man said, “Young man, that is not a question that falls within the realm of science.” In
today's world we understand more about biochemical processes, but we cannot answer
how in the environment of the primitive earth these processes came into operation. I
guess what was happening to me was the same thing that Lord Kelvin, a very famous
British scientist, described in his writings when he made the statement, “If you study
science deep enough and long enough it will force you to believe in God.” That is what happened to me. I began to realize that science had its limitations — that science, in fact, strongly pointed to other explanations than natural ones to certain questions.

3. I guess the real straw that broke the camel's back occurred some six months later. I was enrolled in my first geology course at Indiana University. The professor was a brilliant, well-known atheist. On the first day of class, in response to a discussion, he made a statement something like, “I'm going to show you that the Bible is a bunch of garbage,”and I thought, “Now this is going to be great,” because I was getting concerned. I was still saying that I was an atheist to those who knew me well. I was still rejecting God and holding on tenaciously to my lack of belief. It is hard to change a life that has gone a certain direction for years and all of a sudden make it go another direction, I was not ready for that. I thought this man was going to be able to provide me with some arguments that would finally defeat this girl that I had been dating all these years. She was a Christian — although perhaps not as strong as she might have been. I was going to show her that this religion stuff was really a lot of bunk and I was even convinced that I might even be able to show Ray Muncy that belief in God was not realistic. Mr. Muncy was a man who had great patience and knowledge, but he had not been given much of an opportunity to convince or teach me much of anything.
The professor started the class out by showing us the various methods of dating rocks and other parts of the creation. He
then asserted that everyone knew that the Bible said the earth was 6,000 years old. I
asked where it said that. He replied that he believed it was in Genesis the 52nd chapter.
I started looking, not knowing much about the Bible, to Genesis 40, Genesis 49, Genesis
50, Exodus 1 — I said, “Wait a minute; Genesis only has 50 chapters.” He sputtered
around a few minutes, but he never did find that passage. Of course, the Bible does not
say the earth is 6,000 years old. The Bible is totally silent on the age of the earth and I realized that. This man made the statement that the Bible says that God created two
cocker spaniels, two English terriers, and two German shepherds. We all had a good laugh when we figured out how big the Ark would have to be to hold the 20 million groupings
of this kind. Once again, I asked where the word kind was defined in that way. It did not
seem to me that the word kind meant that.
We looked at it and he finally said he guessed that maybe it did not. First Corinthians 15:39 is the only definition of the
word kind and that is a very broad definition
(“All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of
beasts, another fishes, and another of birds.”). Genesis 1 uses the same terminology
and the same breakdown as 1 Corinthians 15.
To make a very, very long story fairly short, when I turned in my final exam the last day
of class, I said to this learned professor, “Sir,you have not really shown me any contradiction between what we have studied in this course and in what the Bible has to teach.” He jerked my paper away from me and said, “Well, I guess if you really study it,there is no contradiction.” I was shocked! I was appalled! Here was a man who had a Ph.D. and was a leading atheist, yet he could not answer the silly questions from an ignorant college junior who was on his side. I remember that February day very clearly. I walked back to my room in the dormitory in a state of shock. I could not believe what had happened. I got to my room about 11:00 and sat on my bed thinking what a stupid, ignorant fool I had been. I had rejected God;
I had been dishonest. I had actually been stupid in my response to the evidence available to me. I did not like people who refuse to look at the evidence and draw intelligent conclusions. I did not like people who could not break free of their parents' thinking and do their own thinking. I had
always accused the religionists of doing this, yet I recognized that I had been guilty of the same thing. I had refused to be honest — to look at the evidence. I had refused to make comparative choices based upon what was available to me. I was miserable.

When I read passages in the Bible like Psalm53, for instance, I sometimes feel like God is describing John Clayton some years ago.Plsams 53:1– 3 says:
The fool hath said in his heart, “There is no God.” Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good,no, not one.
Another statement, made by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:2 – 3, 14, says: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? … I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
I have tried almost everything you can imagine to find pleasure and happiness. I will not try to tell you that I did not find pleasure using my own system of following my own desires, but I can guarantee you that I did not find happiness. I tried every conceivable thing you can think of. I tried all kinds of things — things that were immoral, that were wrong, that hurt other people, and things that I would not even want to describe.
I did those things because I was trying to find pleasure and happiness and, as I say, I found pleasure sometimes. However, I never went to bed at night satisfied or happy with my l

www.doesgodexist.org/AboutClayton/PastLife.html

I've being a silent follower in these christain and atheists thread recently.
I've always opined that atheists are those who are afraid in one way or the other to dedicate their lives and be totally committed in a supreme being........ So they choose to live free.
.
.
Not that it's wrong or anything!
.
.
but dats just my opinion though,
.
.
.
#God'snotdead.

God has never been dead....He's always alive and He will be forever #JustSaying

Cc darbeelicous

Eyehategod , seun , otem etc food is ready

It is foolish to say there's a God, but it is more foolish to say there's no God.

rhektor:
Eyehategod , seun , otem etc food is ready

Lol....Spritual food.

AngelsAndStars:
It is foolish to say there's a God, but it is more foolish to say there's no God.

How is it wrong to say there is a God?

Food is ready
Wilgrea7,OLAADEGBU, lordnicklaus,raphieMontella,felixomor, produce, winner01, harlems02, Zoharariel, PunkyV,KingEbukasBlog, analice107,MEILYN, hahn,GooseBaba, hopefulLandlord, otemanuduno,ValentineMaryEdenoscar, johnydon22, EyeHateGod, Immorttal, Buharimustdie20, HCpaul,Teempakguy, Mizblinks, TrajansKong, davien, norant Atheists, JackBizzle

Any atheist that regard the belief in a God as illogical, is simply a pot calling the kettle black.

blueAgent:


How is it wrong to say there is a God?

who says it's wrong?

This read is just wow. Soaked up every word like sponge. I especially concur with the statement that the Bible never said the earth is 6000 years old. That is topic for another day.

In other words, even science testifies to the truth of the existence of a supreme Creator through its limitations. How can natural explain supernatural? Impossible. Anyone can deny the truth but no one can hide it. Like a lamp set on a hill it is always and will always be plain for all to see - Jesus is Lord.

Science is very limited to the explanation of life and its origin. Therefore to understand life and its origin one must look away from science and seek spiritual knowledge.

rhektor:
Eyehategod , seun , otem etc food is ready

Eyehategod and Seun.. Let's investigate this

darbeelicous:
I've being a silent follower in these christain and atheists thread recently.
I've always opined that atheists are those who are afraid in one way or the other to dedicate their lives and be totally committed in a supreme being........ So they choose to live free.
.
.
Not that it's wrong or anything!
.
.
but dats just my opinion though,
.
.
.
#God'snotdead.

Ya, that's ur opinion alright, but don't u realize this this ur opinion no make sense?

darbeelicous:
I've being a silent follower in these christain and atheists thread recently.
I've always opined that atheists are those who are afraid in one way or the other to dedicate their lives and be totally committed in a supreme being........ So they choose to live free.
.
.
Not that it's wrong or anything!
.
.
but dats just my opinion though,
.
.
.
#God'snotdead.

when will this pure nonsense statement created by pathetic religious people and spread by ignorant ones who come after them stop?


This thread examines and shows how nonsensical and asinine such statements are

AngelsAndStars:
It is foolish to say there's a God, but it is more foolish to say there's no God.

And your sense?

blueAgent:
Food is ready

Wilgrea7,OLAADEGBU,
lordnicklaus,raphieMontella,felixomor,
produce, winner01,
harlems02, Zoharariel,
PunkyV,KingEbukasBlog,
analice107,MEILYN,
hahn,GooseBaba,
hopefulLandlord,
otemanuduno,ValentineMaryEdenoscar, johnydon22, EyeHateGod, Immorttal,
Buharimustdie20, HCpaul,Teempakguy,
Mizblinks, TrajansKong, davien, norant Atheists,
JackBizzle

LambanoPeace:




Eyehategod and Seun.. Let's investigate this

Otem no follow?

hopefulLandlord:


when will this pure nonsense statement created by pathetic religious people and spread by ignorant ones who come after them stop?


This thread examines and shows how nonsensical and asinine such statements are

You can start by answering the questions the Op asked his professors.

You make too much empty noise.

butterflylion:

And your sense?

what do you mean by that?

AngelsAndStars:
what do you mean by that?

You are asking me the question i asked you.
What do you mean by that?

butterflylion:

You are asking me the question i asked you.
What do you mean by that?

its all a puzzle. which ever one we believe its still not 100% sure. science uses best guess, while theists use faith. which ever way its still a belief.
The best part is, where logic gets exhausted faith begins. my opinion

blueAgent:
Food is ready

Wilgrea7,OLAADEGBU,
lordnicklaus,raphieMontella,felixomor,
produce, winner01,
harlems02, Zoharariel,
PunkyV,KingEbukasBlog,
analice107,MEILYN,
hahn,GooseBaba,
hopefulLandlord,
otemanuduno,ValentineMaryEdenoscar, johnydon22, EyeHateGod, Immorttal,
Buharimustdie20, HCpaul,Teempakguy,
Mizblinks, TrajansKong, davien, norant Atheists,
JackBizzle

Don't worry, the atheists will come, but not immediately.

They're doing a background check on the character mentioned in the topic: in fact, they're doing research on all the names mentioned, and looking for loopholes and all sorts to come forth with...

Just watch.... I know them well...

frank317:

Ya, that's ur opinion alright, but don't u realize this this ur opinion no make sense?

I'm not going to have any argument with you dear because like I said, that's my opinion,............ But if u think that my opinion does not make sense, then that's your opinion. ........

LaClicKLaBenDin:


Don't worry, the atheists will come, but not immediately.

They're doing a background check on the character mentioned in the topic: in fact, they're doing research on all the names mentioned, and looking for loopholes and all sorts to come forth with...

Just watch.... I know them well...

Well, one part of being an atheists is that you always seek for evidence and scrutinize everything that comes your way

We are not encouraged by a book written by goat herders to believe blindly

hopefulLandlord:


when will this pure nonsense statement created by pathetic religious people and spread by ignorant ones who come after them stop?


This thread examines and shows how nonsensical and asinine such statements are

well.... I've gone through your write up, intelligent I must say, I don't have anything against atheism, but since when has it turned a crime to air your view publicly without someone else turning it into an argument............. Its just pointless because the more Christians try to convert atheists, they too brings up evidence to proof their point and it doesn't change anything but create room for more controversies and these endless arguments continue without fruitful results.

hahn:


Well, one part of being an atheists is that you always seek for evidence and scrutinize everything that comes your way

As how your commander in chief Oluwaseun sought for evidence and scrutinized everything that was on that hardmirror's thread before moving it to front page, abi?


Monumental hypocrites... Shift make I pass joor.

darbeelicous:
well.... I've gone through your write up, intelligent I must say, I don't have anything against atheism, but since when has it turned a crime to air your view publicly without someone else turning it into an argument............. Its just pointless because the more Christians try to convert atheists, they too brings up evidence to proof their point and it doesn't change anything but create room for more controversies and these endless arguments continue without fruitful results.

Trust me, these folks are believing folks who don't want to be held responsible for their immorality.

I once asked one on what does he base his morality.. Come see grammar na.

Asked him how did life come and how come there's much order in the earth.... come see More grammar.. Ok, what do you believe brought the earth.. More grammar..


How come people grow old and die even though their cells regenerate every time.. . More grammar.


Wait now, the fella would do two things, throw invectives around or more grammar.

darbeelicous:
well.... I've gone through your write up, intelligent I must say, I don't have anything against atheism, but since when has it turned a crime to air your view publicly without someone else turning it into an argument............. Its just pointless because the more Christians try to convert atheists, they too brings up evidence to proof their point and it doesn't change anything but create room for more controversies and these endless arguments continue without fruitful results.

the link simply addresses one of the many misconceptions about atheism

we argue and discuss to plant seed of doubts while clearing misconceptions on what atheism is

I see the guys who argue with us as the people wasting time not us

atheism keeps growing on this forum

LambanoPeace:


Trust me, these folks are believing folks who don't want to be held responsible for their immorality.

I once asked one on what does he base his morality.. Come see grammar na.

Asked him how did life come and how come there's much order in the earth.... come see More grammar.. Ok, what do you believe brought the earth.. More grammar..


How come people grow old and die even though their cells regenerate every time.. . More grammar.


Wait now, the fella would do two things, throw invectives around or more grammar.

all these questions are called "God of the gaps"

it simply goes like this

Atheist: I don't believe there's a god

Theist: do you know how life came about and how the earth and the universe came about?

Atheist: I don't know but I won't fill replace that ignorance of mine with an imaginary being

basically "Because current science hasn't figured out exactly how life started, it must be God who caused life to start"

you can always use this logic for almost any question we are yet to get answers to but it doesn't do god any favours

God-of-the-gaps arguments have been discouraged by many theologians who assert that such arguments tend to relegate God to the leftovers of science: as scientific knowledge increases, the dominion of God decreases.

as for morality, the fact that we got rid of slavery and slave trade shows that our morals didn't come from any imaginary being, almost all religions in the world sees nothing wrong in slavery or straight up endorses it but we as humans realised it has no place in modern life

also consider the fact that morality actually varies from society to society and two different societies can have differing morals despite claiming to worship the same god!

AngelsAndStars:
its all a puzzle. which ever one we believe its still not 100% sure. science uses best guess, while theists use faith. which ever way its still a belief.
The best part is, where logic gets exhausted faith begins. my opinion

Now you have communicated.

darbeelicous:
I've being a silent follower in these christain and atheists thread recently.
I've always opined that atheists are those who are afraid in one way or the other to dedicate their lives and be totally committed in a supreme being........ So they choose to live free.
.
.
Not that it's wrong or anything!
.
.
but dats just my opinion though,
.
.
.
#God'snotdead.

A valid opinion which might hold for a lot of people but don't you think that it's a rather rash generalization?