Woe unto who?

Ray Comfort's orriginal post

“I just wanted to thank you for the kind word about atheists. Glad to see there is one Christian here that can recognize that we're just good people like everyone else. Thanks for the compliment. I have no problem admitting that Atheists can be good people . . .. I think that men who don't have God can be good, normal people, just not perfect. Thanks again for the kind words.”


It deeply concerns me when I hear a professing Christian telling an atheist that he is a good person. There is a reason for my concern. Jesus said that there is no one good but God (see Mark 10:18). Anyone who says that human beings are good is calling Jesus a liar. My concern isn’t just that the atheist is being confirmed in his deception, but it makes me doubt the genuine nature of Christian’s salvation, because it seems that he has no biblical knowledge of sin himself. This deception comes when the Law is not used to bring the knowledge of sin (see Romans 3:19, 20), and to show sin to be “exceedingly sinful” (see Romans 7:13).

Not surprisingly, he believes that preaching the gospel simply means to tell people “Jesus loves you,” something for which there is no precedent in Scripture. Wherever the love of Christ is preached, it’s almost always in direct co-relation to the cross (see John 3:16, Romans 5:8, etc.), and the cross makes no sense without mentioning sin, and sin makes no sense without preaching the Law, for "sin is transgression of the Law" (see 1 John 3:4).

I thought I was a good person until I understood that in God's Book, "good" means to be morally perfect. The only just rule by which we can measure our morality is by the Ten Commandments. It was through the moral Law that I found that God considers lust to be adultery, and hatred to be murder. When I measured myself by that standard I realised am not good. At all.

It’s also not surprising that the atheist has kind words for the Christian. This is because he is not offended by his message. However, to fail to warn sinners of the terrible consequences of sin (damnation in Hell), and to instead tell them that they are good people, is the ultimate betrayal. Jesus warned, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).


My Response:

See, Ray, not only did you take what I said to mean something entirely other than what it was communicating, you went on to completely put words in my mouth about what the Gospel is.

It deeply concerns me when I hear a professing Christian telling an atheist that he is a good person. There is a reason for my concern. Jesus said that there is no one good but God (see Mark 10:18). Anyone who says that human beings are good is calling Jesus a liar. My concern isn’t just that the atheist is being confirmed in his deception, but it makes me doubt the genuine nature of Christian’s salvation, because it seems that he has no biblical knowledge of sin himself. This deception comes when the Law is not used to bring the knowledge of sin (see Romans 3:19, 20), and to show sin to be “exceedingly sinful” (see Romans 7:13).

Firstly, I never said that it is possible for any one to meet God's standards without God. You even quoted me as saying that people can't be perfect without God. It's right there in your post!

I think that men who don't have God can be good, normal people, just not perfect.

The problem, Ray, is I wasn't talking to you. So I didn't use your language. Good to you is not the same as good to them otherwise, you wouldn't have posted this riddiculousness. (I believe the word Paul would have chosen in this situation is "Scubalon.")

When I say good to [anonymous], he understands that I mean "Beneficial to society, kind, giving, philantrhopic, etc." If I want to communicate to him the thing that you heard when you read "Good," the word I would have chosen would be "Righteous."

And no one can be Righteous without God. I've never ever said otherwise.

Now, if I wanted to communicate to you "Beneficial to society, kind, giving, philantrhopic, etc."; I might have chosen a group of words that communicate that they are not righteous, that they are without God, but that they are not societal ills. Maybe I would have chosen to say "Good Atheist people," but then you would have taken that and made it into something that it's not also, wouldn't you?

I have stated many times, where you have proofread and posted, that it is impossible for humans to recieve salvation on their own. I dare you to tell me where I said otherwise.


Not surprisingly, he believes that preaching the gospel simply means to tell people “Jesus loves you,” something for which there is no precedent in Scripture. Wherever the love of Christ is preached, it’s almost always in direct co-relation to the cross (see John 3:16, Romans 5:8, etc.), and the cross makes no sense without mentioning sin, and sin makes no sense without preaching the Law, for "sin is transgression of the Law" (see 1 John 3:4).

Secondly, haven't I always spoken about both halves of the gospel? That the Law is one half, Grace is the other, and that to preach one without the other is a false gospel? I have ABSOLUTELY advocated emphasizing one half over the other when the situation calls for it, even the law over grace!

I dare you to go back through your blog and find the post where I say "You don't have to repent of your sins." No quote mining allowed. If you can find it, point me to it, and post a link to it so that I can see, I'll buy your next DVD.


Lastly, you should look at the NAS translation for that particular verse from 1 John, because those translators handled it much better.

Sin is not transgretion, but transgretion is always sin.

A Transgretion (Anomia) is breaking a specific law that God has laid out.

A Sin (Hamartia) Is simply "missing the mark;" being less than perfect.

However, Anomia can also describe the state of being ignorant of the law.

So a better translation of that passage, one that doesn't confuse the words "transgretion" and "sin," is found in the NAS translation

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.


A few other minor things I have wrong with that post.

However, to fail to warn sinners of the terrible consequences of sin (damnation in Hell), and to instead tell them that they are good people, is the ultimate betrayal.

If you think that I haven't Told [anonymous] that the dying without Christ will send him to Hell, then you have not been paying attention.


My concern isn’t just that the atheist is being confirmed in his deception, but it makes me doubt the genuine nature of Christian’s salvation, because it seems that he has no biblical knowledge of sin himself. This deception comes when the Law is not used to bring the knowledge of sin (see Romans 3:19, 20), and to show sin to be “exceedingly sinful” (see Romans 7:13).

Do you even read the posts that you "moderate?" Or do you let some one else do it for you and then just thumb through them later to find the ones that you can turn and twist into something you can complain about?


Jesus warned, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

Yes, he did, but we can see clearly that the only way to make me fit that category is to take what I have said out of it's context, change it around, and then turn it itno something that it isn't.

I've been intimidated by some skilled intimidators, Ray. You ain't one of them.