Daniel Abbey

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)

It seems that atheism is undergoing something of a renaissance these days.

Not that it has ever gone out of style; there always has and always will be an abundance of people who don’t believe in God. In recent years, however, atheism (or the New Atheism as it is popularly known) is making a marked comeback, vehemently opposing anything and everything in its humanistic path, Christianity being its chief opponent.

Leading the fray is the multi-awarded Richard Dawkins, New Atheism’s poster child and perhaps the movement’s most outspoken evangelist. Dawkins is a biological theorist who used to teach at Oxford University until his retirement in 2008. He is the author of the best-selling book “The GOD Delusion” and a notorious critic of religion.

His disdain for Christianity is legendary. Says Dawkins in an interview with the Independent:

“…insofar as theology studies the nature of the divine, it will earn the right to be taken seriously when it provides the slightest, smallest smidgen of a reason for believing in the existence of the divine. Meanwhile, we should devote as much time to studying serious theology as we devote to studying serious fairies and serious unicorns. “

Dawkins enjoys pillorying Christianity. The very notion that the God of the Bible could exist is patently absurd to him. Ironically Dawkins is something of a god himself for being as outspoken, accomplished, and articulate about atheism as he is. His major scientific cred and Old Testament zeal have impressed thousands of junior atheists the world over; his teachings have been all but canonized by the Dawkins faithful.

Dawkins is one in a long line of internationally famous atheists with sparkling academic credentials and snarling arguments against God. They all raise their fingers against the Almighty, denying His existence, insisting that THEY have the right answer and that all begins and ends with science and science alone.

They pen bestsellers, engage in international debates, and draw multitudes into their web forums; they laud their own ideas while ridiculing all opposition, even if their dissenters offer thoroughly academic counterarguments to their Godless positions.

There’s nothing we can do or say to repudiate their claims, we are told; our arguments are weak and emotional, our evidences flawed, fabricated, pitiful. Darwinism is the true gospel; the New Atheists its chief promulgators. We Christians are urged to move out of their way or be steamrolled by the unrelenting “truth” of the humanist perspective.

Of course, a whole slew of rabid followers eat this up. And the result is an intense movement that’s rapidly gaining momentum across the world, spreading a particularly aggressive form of atheism that’s aimed squarely at toppling Christianity and instituting Darwinism and humanism as the only true explanations for life and living.

What are we to do in the face of this fierce opposition to the truth of God’s Word and our Christian faith?

Well for one, don’t run. While it’s easy to be intimidated by intellectuals hostile to Christianity, don’t hide, don’t cower, and don’t feel sorry for yourself if you can’t answer their every objective. We have nothing to fear (2 Timothy 1:7); New Atheism is simply an old lie screamed with renewed conviction. But like dogs without fangs, atheists are limited to barking.

Next we need to realize that while atheism is in direct opposition to what we believe and its adherents often use arguments and speech that is painful to hear and tolerate, atheists are still lost people in need of a Savior. They are on the broad way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13) and are blinded by the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). The fact that they are so anti-God should make us realize how much danger they are in and how desperately they need Jesus.

And how are they to come to faith in Christ?

Through the gospel according to Jesus of course.

The gospel is what convicts people, exposes their sin, and smashes their sense of self-righteousness to pieces. When God sees fit, the gospel breaks men in the light of His law which they realize they cannot possibly keep. And ultimately it ushers them to Jesus Christ, the sinless God-man who lived a perfect life and offered it on the cross as a pleasing blood sacrifice to the Father.

The gospel is the story of the atonement of Christ for our sins, His dying in our place that we might never have to endure the punishment for all our wrongdoing. It is the story of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, His victory over death that completes the redemption saga and makes possible full restitution between sinful man and an infinitely holy God.

It’s the news atheists need to hear, more than Biblical apologetics and arguments for Intelligent Design. For it is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16) – the key to setting them free from sin and spiritual blindness.

Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely believe in refuting error with truth and sound apologetics, in being ready with an answer for anyone who asks why we believe in God (1 Peter 3:15). I agree that atheism needs to be debunked and that believers should arm themselves with Biblical knowledge (as well as knowledge of what they’re fighting against) to do so.

And I totally support and dig people who have devoted much of their lives to countering the shrill cry of atheism.

The works of great apologists like Ravi Zacharias and Josh McDowell are thought-provoking and indispensable; similarly, the distinguished Oxford mathematician John Lennox (who has refuted Richard Dawkins in many an insightful debate) has much good to say on the subjects of science, philosophy, and God. His life, teaching, and example are great sources of strength and encouragement for anyone grappling and squaring off with atheist ideas.

CS Lewis made a powerful case for the faith with his classic book Mere Christianity (as well as many other esteemed works); Lee Strobel, the investigative journalist turned Christian apologist, has written several compelling works that effectively destroy common “intellectual” objections against Jesus, the Bible, and the Christian faith.

And more recently, chief Intelligent Design proponent Stephen Meyer has released a cutting-edge book on the case of Intelligent Design which has rocked the scientific community, both Christian and secular, with its arguments for a Creator God based on the unfathomable and magnificent complexities of our DNA code.

But as I said, while providing reasonable support for our faith through apologetics and thoroughly researched and well-written scientific books in favor of God is good, the arguments themselves won’t save people from their sins.

Only the gospel can do that.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of engaging an atheist via email and exchanging a few ideas regarding God, science, the Bible, and what it means to be a Christian. I was told by a mutual friend that he was open to the idea of God if only someone could produce incontrovertible proof of His existence. I sat for a while, pondering how I should phrase my first email.

Although I wanted to start with an emphatic statement, a contention that was almost as incontrovertible than the God I was trying to prove, I ended up abandoning an “opening argument” as it were and proceeded instead to narrate my statement of faith – why I am a Christian and what I believe to be true of God, Jesus Christ, and the gospel. I didn’t want to get bogged down by complex apologetical/scientific arguments (there’d be plenty of time for that later) – I simply wanted to be like Paul who declared to the Corinthians, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

He replied right away, rejecting outright the existence of God (claiming, among other things, that since he doesn’t believe in God and sin, that he is actually sinless!) We went into a short exchange, a quick 24-hour flurry of activity which ended in 16 emails, lots of strong words, and a fascinating look into the mind of an atheist.

His comments were irritating and insulting; perhaps mine were too (to his ears anyway).

And while no one was soon “converted”, I like to think that I had sowed the seeds of the gospel in his heart. If he one day responds and turns to Christ then I will rejoice with the angels in heaven. If he doesn’t, I’ll be sad but not surprised.

“The gospel is foolishness to the natural man; his mind cannot understand it” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Ultimately, atheists will reject the gospel and the God from whom it comes simply because they do not understand it. They want no part in God’s truth; their only wish is to believe worldly ideas which, although they may have the appearance of wisdom, are as valuable as goat droppings.

Yet for every thousand or hundred thousand people who mock the gospel, who spit on the Savior, who laugh ferociously at the truth of the Atonement, there will be a handful of people who’ll be genuinely saved (John 6:37). These will be penetrated by the Word, quickened by the Spirit into believing God’s truth, and they’ll abandon all hope in their faulty and humanistic concepts to embrace Jesus as Lord.

The gospel is the means by which men are saved. Apologetics and sound scientific arguments in favor of a Creator God are extremely useful tools in opening minds to Christ. But the opening of hearts is the Spirit’s work. When the Word of God is taught with clarity and conviction the Spirit moves men to repentance.

Share the gospel. Don’t be afraid of the New Atheism.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

The Bible.

Either it’s true or it’s not.

Either it’s riddled with lies, tainted by men’s meddling fingers, tinged with heresy, and a false account of history…

OR

…it’s the truth of God, inerrant, infallible, and must be obeyed.

Think about that for a second.

If the Bible is false then it is not the Word of God. And if we don’t have the Word of God we must then give up our faith and walk away. We should close our churches, ditch our 6-day creation beliefs, forget the 10 Commandments, and move on to something else.

Why? Because the Bible is to the Christian what space is to the universe. You can’t have a Christian faith without the Bible. It is the foundation upon which our faith stands.

No Bible = No Christianity = No salvation = No heaven = No hell = No Accountability = No submission to Christ as Lord.

Which explains why there are many people who try to discredit the Good Book. If you can undermine the truthfulness of Scripture then you can pretty much destroy the Christian system. And if you can destroy the system, there’s no need for church, for following Christ’s audacious demands, for bowing the knee to the Creator God.

I can see how a “holey” Bible is appealing to atheists and non-Christians. It frees them from the “oppression” of God, the threat of eternal punishment in fire, the need to give up vice and worldly pleasure. It allows them to pursue their own agenda in this world minus a seared conscience.

It allows people to “move on” from so-called backwater ideas of deity and into 21st century, naturalistic enlightenment.

So the attacks happen and they are constant. They are fierce and unrelenting. And they are designed to dismantle Christianity and do away with God forever.

But…

…what if the Bible is true?

What if God really does exist and has revealed Himself through a first century Jew called Jesus?

What if Christ really did die on the cross and rose from the dead that we might be delivered from sin and punishment to eternal life in heaven?

If the Bible is true, then we need to be paying a whole lot of attention to what it’s saying.

There’s just too much at stake.

Your soul, my soul.

Eternity.

But is there even a way to know if the bible is true? A way to verify its claims or at the very least, look into it from a historical point of view and see if it holds up under scrutiny?

Surely if one can prove it to be a historically sound and bibliographically reliable document, one can – and must – look into its claims as divine revelation?

There are, of course, myriad questions surrounding the Bible. Its origins, reliability, and truth are all subject to regular debate. And for a book that claims to be divine revelation – God’s truth no less – it deserves to be put under the microscope.

What most people don’t realize is that for each provocative question about the Scriptures there are equally provocative answers.

It’s all about examining every angle. From the Bible’s reliability as a historical document to its proclamations, prophecies, and its fiercely moral teachings; from its claims about Jesus’ life and works to His death and resurrection; from its power through the testimony of the early church fathers who died for it to the genuinely changed lives of the countless who believe it – the Bible must be examined, dissected, and pored over to see why these things are so.

There’s nothing to be afraid of. Jesus Himself assured us of two things:

“I am the way and the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, emphasis added)

“Then you will KNOW the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, emphasis added)

The following links should be a good start.

http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/bible-manuscripts.htm
http://www.citw.org.uk/claims.htm

Josh McDowell, the celebrated Christian apologist and author of many landmark books on apologetics, is one of my biggest heroes. Not only is he intelligent and able to defend the faith so well but he is a genuinely warm and caring person. It’s hard not be infected by his passion for the Lord and for the Truth!

Back when I was handling youth groups at a local university, McDowell’s work would constantly challenge me as a Christian and invigorate my ministry and stand for the Truth. This was especially helpful in a largely humanistic environment where professors would routinely dismiss the Bible and confuse students – many of them struggling Christians – with their human wisdom.

McDowell’s work is fascinating, scholarly, but never cold. If you’re an atheist who is convinced that God doesn’t exist and the Bible is bogus, or a Christian who seeks to ground himself further in the faith, I urge you to get your hands on “New Evidence that Demands a Verdict”, McDowell’s astounding academic and historic appraisal of the Scriptures, Jesus Christ, the resurrection, and the Christian faith.

The following is Josh’s personal testimony – how, at a young age, he became angry with his father and with God and then how, after he entered college, he met some Christians who challenged his atheist worldview. Josh tells of how he set out to refute Christianity but instead encountered overwhelming evidence in favor of the Bible’s authenticity, Christ’s claim to deity, and the resurrection of Jesus – all of which led to his salvation and transformation.

It’s a wonderful story with a powerful conclusion. Enjoy.

Last March Steve Camp posted on his blog a reconciliatory article, a response if you will to the Mark Driscoll debate where he evaluates how he’s treated the issue and how he’s been “ungodly” in the way he’s written about Mark and his ministry.

In the article he apologizes to Pastor Mark, saying “I should have been more gracious, charitable and balanced in my words when commenting about his ministry in the Lord.” He then itemizes a number of reasons he appreciates Mark’s ministry, encouraging us to examine how Pastor Mark has been a champion of the Christian faith and a true brother in the Lord.

I admire Steve Camp. He has shown true humility here by admitting he’s been quick to judge and perhaps dishonorable in his choice of words when discussing Mark Driscoll. He still believes Pastor Mark is in the wrong when it comes to his use of questionable language from the pulpit. But he evidently loves Mark as a brother and wants reconciliation and blessing rather than spiritual estrangement and animosity.

I am deeply moved and challenged by Steve’s godly response. It IS easy to get all fired up about what you believe in and while this is certainly good – we are to hold fast to the Truth and earnestly contend for the faith – we can sometimes fall into sin by judging others, blissfully unaware of the huge log jammed deep in our own eyes.

I am no stranger to being judgmental. It is a huge struggle of mine and it often colors the way I interact with others and my view of the world. I need to be reminded that I am IMPERFECT, that I desperately need God’s grace every day, and that I am never better than anyone else. If I should boast I should boast in Christ, that’s it. Otherwise, I’m just another whitewashed hypocrite.

Thank you Steve, for talking about humility and showing us how it’s done.

As for the debate over smutty language and graphic imagery from the pulpit – it will rage on. I still believe that Mark Driscoll needs to clean up the way he talks sometimes, as well as the way he interprets the Song of Songs. I still detest some of the things he has uttered from the pulpit and pray he – as well as all of us – develops a sensitivity to these matters that we all might be holy, truly pure, and Christ-like.

However, after reading Steve’s article and watching a series of powerful videos he links to of Mark Driscoll engaging the philosopher Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson, I have a renewed appreciation of Pastor Mark. Seeing him contend for the faith with such calm, knowledge, and conviction left me fist-pumping for Jesus; he’s inspiring to watch and my passion for the Savior and His Word has been greatly invigorated.

Which is why I’m linking part one of the debate here. It’s a 10-part debate with some great moments, the best of which are when Pastor Mark and Annie Lober (of the well-intended but unfortunately titled Hookers for Jesus) take a stand for the Truth, Jesus, the Scriptures, and the gospel of Christ. You’d be remiss to not watch it. Every Christian should see this and learn from Pastor Mark, a man who’s evidently gifted, has a remarkable passion for Christ, and is able to communicate Biblical truth in a way that is exciting and honoring of the Lord (at least here anyway!)

If only he’ll address the smutty language and coarse joking issues openly, decisively, and with clear repentance. What a conundrum this guy is! I pray for Pastor Mark, his ministry, and his spiritual life. I ask God to resolve the recent issues that have made the Evangelical world righteously incandescent.

And may God continue to work in the rest of us, transforming our minds and hearts for His glory, making us continually more aware of our sin that we might run to Him for forgiveness, mercy, and grace, until His glorious return.