As I sat on New Year’s Eve and scrolled through television channels to find something modest I found something extremely trying to watch and listen to. The PBS channel was airing a program where Richard Dawkins, a well known atheist and contradictor of God, was answering questions about his book “The God Delusion” in a public forum at some college for women. In this program Richard Dawkins was attempting to challenge any believere present or watching on television that God is a delusion. One girl asked him “what if you are wrong?” He answered by asking the same question back and some criticism that most who follow God are doing what their parents did. This is typical of Richard Dawkins from what I have seen online about him. The word of God says: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good” (Psalms 14:1). In Athens the Apostle Paul preached saying: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:24-27). With the words of the Psalmist and those of Paul, we can see that the fool does not see God because his evil self does not look for Him. Richard Dawkins thinks that Christians are foolish and blind. I can understand why he thinks so, for he has likely yet to meet one true Christian. His website talks about the Catholics and the Vatican, but he does not realize he’s looked to Catholicism instead of Christianity. One who enters in a “theological battle” (as he sees it) ought to first research what he is fighting against. The world is full of those calling themselves God’s people, but God continually shows that most who confess Him are not truly His people (Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 22:14, Luke 13:23-24, etc.). On Dawkins’ website he writes: “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence… Religious people split into three main groups when faced with science. I shall label them the "know-nothings", the "know-alls", and the "no-contests"… (Religion) With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion" (http: //richarddawkins.net/godDelusion). Let’s answer the charges that Dawkins makes. First, one who will talk about faith and God ought to realize that God’s definition of faith shows that faith is based upon evidence (Hebrews 11:1). Consider first that the word of God is full of detailed prophecies that were fulfilled in the eyes of many witnesses. God’s ultimate wisdom is shown in supplying us with many eyes who said and spoke of the things they did see (Acts 1:22, Acts 2:32, Acts 5:30-32, Acts 10:37-42, and I Corinthians 15:1-9). Over seven hundred years prior to the death of Christ God foretold of what would occur and how it would occur (Psalms 22:18, Psalms 69:21, Isaiah 53:9-12, etc.). Even a careless reading of Matthew chapters 26-27 show with certainty a detailed fulfillment of all that God had said would occur. Secondly, consider the knowledge of God shown in the Scriptures. Over two thousand years prior to man knowing the earth was round, God shows us it is (Isaiah 40:22). In the 1800’s man finally figured out that life was through the blood of man. This is something God showed man thousands of years earlier (Leviticus 17:11-14). In 1935 Professor Dam found that babies have the best supply of vitamin K on the eighth day of life. This allows for the child to be able to have his or her blot clot best on the eighth day of life. Hmmm… This too is something God has known for thousands of years (Genesis 17:14). In 1690 man figured out that there is a water cycle that brings rain from bodies of water to the earth and back again to those bodies of water. This too is something God knew long before us (Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Amos 9:6). You tell me, is faith based upon hopeless assumptions? In this charge Dawkins is too polite. The so-called religious world is broken into many more categories and most would be sub-categories of the know-nothings. However, is it fair to base your denial of God upon the ignorance of the small group of people you have judged as representatives of God? God’s being is not determined by the ability or lack thereof of those who proclaim to be His followers. God is and there is nothing anyone can do to change that (Isaiah 40:28 and Isaiah 55:8-9). While this is a question based in assumption and the answer is far too hypothetical to attempt, there is a flaw in the reasoning behind the question. For good and evil to exist there has to be a set standard that determines morality from immorality. The flaw of the question is if you remove God from the question of good and evil you have no basis upon which to determine what is good or what is evil (I Timothy 1:9-10, I John 3:4, and III John 11). Man certainly is not a good standard from which to determine right and wrong (Proverbs 10:24, Isaiah 5:20-21, and Jeremiah 10:23). Without God, His word, and those who follow the Lord there is no distinction between good and evil. Such is evident in how atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, defend homosexuality, abortion, and other such biblically immoral actions (I Corinthians 6:9-10). To know (have a science) of right and wrong, there has to be a standard (II Timothy 3:14-17). Men such as Richard Dawkins think so highly of the science of men that they miss what is right before their eyes. They will argue that God is an idea that is too high to be logical. However, they cannot in their wildest dreams prove how all of creation came to be. Yes, they can guess and agree to disagree on their hypothesis, but true knowledge based on their standards of observation is not attainable on the creation that began with God (Genesis 1:1). So, who truly is following something that is blind? The faithful Christian follows that which he or she reads which has been confirmed through dating of documents and written witness accounts of what occurred. Yes, we walk by faith rather than sight (II Corinthians 5:7), but we can also see God through the words accounted of consistently through some forty different inspired writers. The science of men cannot find such agreement. God Himself declares that we are to test all things (I Thessalonians 5:21). He can demand such of us because His existence and His word cannot be defeated (Acts 5:33-39). Man’s science is the delusion! |
| Volume VII ~ Issue XIX ~ February 4th, 2007 |
Words of Truth Weekly - Online Edition
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What must one do to be saved (Acts 2:37)? Hear and believe the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16 & Romans 10:17), repent
of their sins (Acts 3:19), confess Christ (Acts 8:37), and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins into the
church of Christ (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:12-13, and Romans 6:1-6). One must then remain faithful (Rev. 2:10).
of their sins (Acts 3:19), confess Christ (Acts 8:37), and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins into the
church of Christ (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:12-13, and Romans 6:1-6). One must then remain faithful (Rev. 2:10).
| Edited by: Brian A. Yeager |
| The Science Delusion By: Brian A. Yeager |
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| Is Faith a Copout Because of a Lack of Evidence? |
| Is Religion Based Upon Three Groups of Know-Nothings, Know-Alls, and No-Contests? |
| Would Good and Evil be if There is No God? |