Hi Mark, it is a frustrating experience to be sure but be comforted in the fact you are not alone and Ray addresses this situation you are in frequently. My own personal advice is to print out or e-mail articles from Ray and Mike, these papers are filled with scripture that will be difficult if not impossible to refute. My own experience with doing this is that all you will receive in return is silence, I e-mailed pastors and friends alike as of yet no refutations mainly silence, but one friend (after 6 months) has come around a bit stating "there may be some merit here" so what I am saying is be patient and learn your time to witness is on the Lord's schedule not yours but I sure can identify with your zeal to enlighten, the following is one of Ray's responses to someone in a similar situation as you. (The original letter and Ray's comments are between the brackets below)
Joe
[Dear Ray, i really need some help refuting some false teachings of my
church.
I was having a debate with my Youth group teachers of my "Greek orthodox Church" and i asked him "Why did our pastor say that the apostles are in heaven praying for us, rooting us on?"
He told me, well we believe that the apostles souls are praying for us
always, in heaven or something along that line. I asked him WHY? He told me, "Remember the passage in Hebrews where paul speaks of the witnesses on the clounds?" I told him i didn't and he told me well that is as we understand it the Apostles in heaven praying for us, or something like that. I told him but Didn't God say, "Adam became a LIVING SOUL?" and he told me, yes , and i said so when he is DEAD isn't he a DEAD SOUL? and he told me, where does it say in the bible when he died he was a dead soul? He said, the soul is "Immortal". I know you don't believe that, and NEITHER DO I! What lies, but with my limited understanding of the trueth, and pretty much a babe in Christ, i am in no position to refute such false doctrines. I was pretty much defensless, i told him however that i knew that was wrong and i would get him the answer, and he said, Show me scripture where the SOUL IS NOT IMMORTAL, and that When we die, the soul is in the grave still, dead.
My question ray, if you could would mean so much to me, is help me refute:
1. THe passage of PAUL is not saying the Apostles are in heaven (The passage in Hebrews i don't know where it is but im sure you know what im talking about)
2. THE SOUL IS NOT IMMORTAL
3. When we die, we are in the Grave, NO ONE is ascended to heaven, and the APOSTLES are not "In heaven PRAYING for us, "Rooting" us on."
If you could help me with this Ray i would truely appreciate it. I know you
have so many things to answer so God willing He allows you to answer this with words of Wisdom and truth. I truely want my teacher to see the WHOLE TRUTH and not just half of it. I know the BLIND cannot SEE, but im hopnig this is GODS WAY of opening HIS EYES.
God Bless,
Your brother in Christ Alex.
Dear Alex:
I have been warning people for years, that just because you learn a few Bible Truths, does not equip you to take on your pastor. THEY WILL EAT YOU FOR LUNCH! As you yourself are finding out.
I have spent thousands and thousands of hours researching, meditating, prayer over, and writing the material on our site. I simply cannot take an equal amount of time to explain all that to each of thousands and thousands of people, one at a time, in emails. Hope you understand.
I my lastest post: HELL, Part C, I spend pages on the false doctrine of the "immortal" soul. I proved that the soul is mortal from the Greek and Hebrew and from the Scriptures. But you didn't take the time to read it. Had you eagerly antiscipated this Installment as many others had, you would have had the knowledged that you lacked when you foolishly tried to put down your pastor. Learn from your mistakes and move one.
I Cor. 12:30--"NOT ALL are teachers..." (Concordant Literal N.T.).
God be with you,
Ray]