Answering Atheism

Answering Atheism Understanding and responding to those that reject God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. Adult Sunday School – a ministry of Holland Congregational Church Jan-March 2007

Why Study Atheism? “Indeed, the atheists are now looking to turn the tables: They want to make belief itself not simply an object of intellectual derision but a cause for personal embarrassment. A new generation of publicists for atheism has emerged to tell Americans in particular that we should be ashamed to retain a majority of religious believers, that in this way we resemble the benighted, primitive peoples of the Middle East, Africa and South America instead of the enlightened citizens of Western Europe.” Sam Schulman, Wall Street Journal Opinion Column – 1/5/07 “The new atheists fail too often simply for want of charm or skill. Twenty-first century atheism hasn't found its H.G. Wells or its George Bernard Shaw, men who flattered their audiences, excited them and persuaded them by making them feel intelligent. Here is Sam Harris, for instance, addressing those who wonder if destroying human embryos in the process of stem cell research might be morally dicey: ‘Your qualms . . . are obscene.’”

“The question of whether there exists a supernatural creator, a God, is one of the most important that we have to answer. I think that it is a scientific question. My answer is no.” Richard Dawkins (Atheist and author of “The God Delusion”) “Dawkins is riding the crest of an atheist literary wave.” Brad Holland (Time Article) “If ever there was a slamming of the door in the face of constructive investigation, it is the word miracle.” Richard Dawkins

Atheism • affirms the nonexistence of God. God does not exist. • Positive disbelief, not merely withholding belief (agnosticism, skepticism) • Traditional arguments for belief in God (theism) are inadequate • Amount and severity of evil inconsistent with good and sovereign being

1 Peter 3:13-16 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ The fool has said in his heart, "there is no God" 2 Timothy 2:23-26 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Sam Harris – atheist. Author of "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason" and "Letter to a Christian Nation." Opinion Column in LA Times. Dec. 24 , 2006 “10 myths -- and 10 truths -- about atheism” Excerpt several quotes from the article Understand the main arguments What is the underlying assumption in the statement Articulate good clarifying questions about the authors statements What is the underlying assumption in the statement Develop a response to each of the ten points Sneaking God in the back door

Introductory Quotes “According to a recent Newsweek poll, only 37% of Americans would vote for an otherwise qualified atheist for president.” “Atheists are often imagined to be intolerant, immoral, depressed, blind to the beauty of nature and dogmatically closed to evidence of the supernatural.” “Given that we know that atheists are often among the most intelligent and scientifically literate people in any society, it seems important to deflate the myths that prevent them from playing a larger role in our national discourse.”

Myth/Truth #1“Atheists believe that life is meaningless.” “On the contrary, religious people often worry that life is meaningless and imagine that it can only be redeemed by the promise of eternal happiness beyond the grave. Atheists tend to be quite sure that life is precious.” “Life is imbued with meaning by being really and fully lived. Our relationships with those we love are meaningful now; they need not last forever to be made so.” “So if God does not exist, that means that man and the universe exist to no purpose – since the end of everything id death – and that they came to be for no purpose, since they are only blind products of chance. In short, life is utterly without reason. William Lane Craig, “Reasonable Faith” Francis Schaeffer – Two Story Universe lower – no God, life absurd Upper – Value, meaning and purpose What is "meaning"?

Myth/Truth #2“Atheism is responsible for the greatest crimes in human history “ “People of faith often claim that the crimes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot were the inevitable product of unbelief.” “The problem with fascism and communism, however, is not that they are too critical of religion; the problem is that they are too much like religions. Such regimes are dogmatic to the core and generally give rise to personality cults that are indistinguishable from cults of religious hero worship.” Atheists are also dogmatic though! They hold their thoughts about reality to be true – they are dogmatic about it! The issue isn’t dogmatism per se. The question is, “what are you dogmatic about?” Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot – all acted in a manner consistent with the dogma that they held – their actions proceeded logically from what they believed.

Islam Christianity Atheism Communism Naturalism

Myth/Truth #3“Atheism is dogmatic” “Jews, Christians and Muslims claim that their scriptures are so prescient of humanity's needs that they could only have been written under the direction of an omniscient deity.” “An atheist is simply a person who has considered this claim, read the books and found the claim to be ridiculous.” On what basis are the claims ridiculous? How many atheists have read all of these books? Simplistic argument. “One doesn't have to take anything on faith, or be otherwise dogmatic, to reject unjustified religious beliefs” Atheists assume that God does not exist and demand that theists prove God does. But atheists bear the burden of proof for their claims also. Which is more reasonable given the evidence?

Myth/Truth #4 Atheists think everything in the universe arose by chance “No one knows why the universe came into being. In fact, it is not entirely clear that we can coherently speak about the "beginning" or "creation" of the universe at all, as these ideas invoke the concept of time, and here we are talking about the origin of space-time itself.” First statement assumes what the author needs to prove, and the statement is not “provable.” We do not need to know why the universe had a beginning to know that it had a beginning. Here science and scripture agree - the universe had a beginning. 2nd Law of Thermodynamics – the universe is cooling off from a very hot beginning and losing available energy. If universe is infinite, it should have used up all its energy infinite amount of time ago. Problem of passing through an infinite succession of moments. Dominoes – need a first one to get to the present one!

Present moment 20 minutes ago 20 years ago 2,000 years ago – 70 AD Beginning of time

Myth/Truth #4 continued “Although we don't know precisely how the Earth's early chemistry begat biology, we know that the diversity and complexity we see in the living world is not a product of mere chance. Evolution is a combination of chance mutation and natural selection. Darwin arrived at the phrase "natural selection" by analogy to the "artificial selection" performed by breeders of livestock. In both cases, selection exerts a highly non-random effect on the development of any species.” Even if this were true, it would represent a fixed law. Where did the law come from? Might that law also mutate at some point and no longer apply? What begat early chemistry? Author seems to indicate that “natural selection” is not random, but intentional. How is that possible? Over time, would not nature itself, by his definition, be something different than it is now due to (among other influences) mutation?

Myth/Truth #5 Atheism has no connection to science. “Although it is possible to be a scientist and still believe in God — as some scientists seem to manage it — there is no question that an engagement with scientific thinking tends to erode, rather than support, religious faith” This is an entirely philosophical statement, one which cannot be proven by the rules of science. “Most polls show that about 90% of the general public believes in a personal God; yet 93% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences do not. This suggests that there are few modes of thinking less congenial to religious faith than science is.” “The early scientists also shared the outlook of Christianity in believing that there is a reasonable God, who has created a reasonable universe, and thus man, by use of his reason, could find out the universe’s form” Francis Schaeffer, Escape from Reason

George W. Carver Blaise Pascal Francis Collins Galileo Isaac Newton

Myth/Truth #6 Atheists are arrogant. “When scientists don't know something — like why the universe came into being or how the first self-replicating molecules formed — they admit it.”

“Natural selection is the blind watchmaker, blind because it does not see ahead, does not plan consequences, has no purpose in view. Yet the living results of natural selection overwhelmingly impress us with the illusion of design and planning” Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker, 1986

“Pretending to know things one doesn't know is a profound liability in science. And yet it is the life-blood of faith-based religion.” In other words, religious claims are not scientific claims and therefore do not count as knowledge. “God” is merely a product of our imagination and pretension. There is no God to tell us anything.

Logically flawed statement. One could think she actually knows something, when indeed she is in error. That is not the same as pretending to know something. The same applies to science. Neither is it the life-blood of religion. It is a claim to know something beyond what science can tell us – but then so is much of the philosophy of many scientists!

“One of the monumental ironies of religious discourse can be found in the frequency with which people of faith praise themselves for their humility, while claiming to know facts about cosmology, chemistry and biology that no scientist knows.”

“When considering questions about the nature of the cosmos and our place within it, atheists tend to draw their opinions from science. This isn't arrogance; it is intellectual honesty.”

This is “loaded language” intended to ridicule while misrepresenting. Author also equivocates on the term “humility”. One could humbly assert facts, or what he believes to be facts. Author also seems to be suggesting that if science has not affirmed it, then it cannot be affirmed. But this is question begging. What constitutes knowledge?

Empiricism – we can only have knowledge via the five senses. But what sense perception leads us to that conclusion? If empiricism is true, we could never know it! Again, this is an assumption based on a naturalistic worldview.

Reason and logic are non physical rules and are necessary for us to “know” anything. In denying God, atheists deny the possibility of knowing reality and leave themselves without the necessary tools to present an argument. Rather, they sneak God in the back door.

Atheistic/Naturalistic scientists also have attempted to define science in such a way as to determine before hand that science can only reach naturalist conclusions. “The battle has been won in the definitions before the empirical testing even gets started.” Phillip E . Johnson, “Reason in the Balance”

Theistic Science: Intelligent design – Information, complexity! Aiief riotreb8734 werhj 79230 we 889 “Turn the key to start the car” Using the tools of science, theists are challenging the presuppositions and conclusions of naturalists and atheists

Myth/Truth #7 Atheists are closed to spiritual experience. “There is nothing that prevents an atheist from experiencing love, ecstasy, rapture and awe; atheists can value these experiences and seek them regularly. What atheists don't tend to do is make unjustified (and unjustifiable) claims about the nature of reality on the basis of such experiences. ”

Watch for the setup here! Experiences are not the arbiter of reality but they are of course a crucial dimension in discerning reality – experiences can affirm and or deny certain realities. For example, we feel guilt when committing a moral wrong, or feel joy when helping someone in need. The non-physical is consistent with the physical.

Why would an atheist admit to any type of spiritual experience, unless of course he interprets these experiences merely as biological phenomena? In which case though, this would be merely physical and not spiritual. Who left that back door open for God?

“There is no question that some Christians have transformed their lives for the better by reading the Bible and praying to Jesus. What does this prove? It proves that certain disciplines of attention and codes of conduct can have a profound effect upon the human mind. Do the positive experiences of Christians suggest that Jesus is the sole savior of humanity? Not even remotely — because Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and even atheists regularly have similar experiences.”

This statement is entirely inconsistent with Atheism. If we are merely biological processes, then how can we intentionally act to transform ourselves? How does one account for “intention” in a closed, physical atheistic system?

Christians do not maintain that our spiritual experiences suggest that Jesus is the sole savior of humanity. Christianity is a world view that is historical and evidential; and faith is trust based on reason, experience and hope.

Myth/Truth #7 Atheists are closed to spiritual experience - continued. “There is, in fact, not a Christian on this Earth who can be certain that Jesus even wore a beard, much less that he was born of a virgin or rose from the dead. These are just not the sort of claims that spiritual experience can authenticate.” Experiences are not merely spiritual!

The claim that Jesus had a beard proceeds from an historical understanding of 1st century Palestinian culture and Judaism. So Jesus very likely had a beard, and the biblical texts concur.

Mary was certain that Jesus was born of a virgin. Giotto di BondoneMadonna Enthroned, 1310 Images of Mary enthroned as the heavenly mother of Christ was another popular icon. She is always the center of the composition, and hierarchic scale also makes sure that she is the focus of attention. The gold background reinforces her divine status, as do the surrounding angels. http://www.eyeconart.net/history/medieval.htm

Myth/Truth #7 Atheists are closed to spiritual experience - continued. The Resurrection The best explanation of the evidence! www.garyhabermas.com

Nearly all scholars (conservative, • critical, liberal and conservative) in this • area of historical inquiry agree to the • following “minimal facts”. • Jesus died by crucifixion. • The disciples had experiences that they were convinced were actual appearances of Jesus.

The disciples were entirely transformed as result of that conviction, from frightened and disappointed followers, to bold witnesses of Jesus death, burial and resurrection – even to the point of death • The apostles immediately began to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection.

James, the brother of Jesus and himself a skeptic, became a Christian as result of the experience he believed was an appearance of Jesus, his own brother, after his death. • Saul (Paul), who persecuted Christians unto death, became a follower of Jesus based on what he believed to be an appearance of Jesus.

Myth/Truth #8 Atheists believe that there is nothing beyond human life and human understanding. “Atheists are free to admit the limits of human understanding in a way that religious people are not.” O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33 (KJV)

Atheists feel free to impose limits on human understanding when that understanding is not arrived at via the “scientific method”. “It is obvious that we do not fully understand the universe; but it is even more obvious that neither the Bible nor the Koran reflects our best understanding of it.”

Both the Bible and the Qur'an speak of a beginning of the material universe. "Verily! Your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six days;" Surah 7:54 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1 (ESV)

Both the Bible and the Qur’an are entirely consistent with contemporary, widely accepted big bang cosmology models. “We do not know whether there is complex life elsewhere in the cosmos, but there might be. If there is, such beings could have developed an understanding of nature's laws that vastly exceeds our own.”

The 2nd law of thermodynamics is fixed. Is the author of the article suggesting that any of our knowledge about the laws of nature could be wrong and subject to change? There would still be a need to explain the origin of the universe.

Alien of the Gaps!

“From the atheist point of view, the world's religions utterly trivialize the real beauty and immensity of the universe.” Psalm 104 Job 38 When atheists appreciate beauty, they are aliens to their own worldview

Answering Atheism