Atheism
Originally Taught: Fall 2008
The New Atheism
60k
7 pp
Al Mohler has
written that while it is doubtful we will ever enter into an age of
complete secularization, it is obvious that we live in an increasingly
secular age. Secularization theory has failed in its major claims but
in two senses it was exactly right. First, the theorists were correct
in their understanding of geographic origin and advancement. Western
Europe has followed the theory perfectly. Second, the theorists were
correct in their understanding of the avenue of advancement: the
cultural and intellectual elite. Even with the distinctions above, we
must admit that we live in a different age than our grandparents. These
are the conditions of belief in which we now live.
The Four Horsemen of the New Atheism
1.45MB
16 pp
The
attack of the New Atheists is led by four men who have attained
world-wide acclaim with the publication of their beliefs that God not
only does not exist but those who believe that He does are a danger to
all the sane and rational people in the world. These four men have been
nicknamed “The Four Horsemen of New Atheism.” They are Richard Dawkins,
Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. If you have not
heard of them, you will. It is vital to realize that many of the people
you will meet are influenced to some degree by at least one of these
men. You will see their books in major displays at our chain
bookstores, being read in airplanes, lying on desks at work, and
exhibiting remarkable staying power on several best-sellers lists.
Learn what they are saying as we prepare to give an answer.
The Problem of Evil - Part 1
228 k
10 pp
Whatever
the reason, all Christians must come face to face with the difficult
question: “Where was/is God in all evil?" The act of providing an
answer to that question is called a theodicy. This strange word comes
from the Greek: theos (God) and diké (justice). A theodicy, in its
attempts to offer the reason God has for allowing evil to exist in the
world, defends the righteousness or justice of God in light of
accusations of unrighteousness or injustice. The question is famously
phrased thusly: "Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then
he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is
he both able and willing? Whence, then is evil?" Most people do not
like to ponder such troublesome issues. It is for that reason that we
change the channel with certain images appear (the starving child, the
politician from the opposing party that “gets under your skin,” the
images of actual abortions). However, Christians must ponder such
issues.
The Problem of Evil - Part 2
552k
16 pp
D.A.
Carson says that the distance between the biblical writers
understanding of the problem of evil and our modern understanding is a
good indication that "we have given ourselves to thinking great
thoughts about human beings and small thoughts about God.” Carson’s
response is correct and it is important. Our response to the problem of
evil as we see it today is a good test of our knowledge and
understanding of God and His ways. Are our understanding, faith, and
trust sufficient to withstand adversity? For many people, including
Christians who should know better, the desire to make perfect sense of
the entire issue of the coexistence of evil and an omnipotent,
omnibenevolent God has led to entirely deficient solutions. In their
attempt to cut the Gordian knot, four common but inadequate solutions
have been and continue to be offered. Additional theories to the
problem of evil are better than the four above but still are lacking in
some vital area. Finally, there are two other defenses (free will,
greater good), that have been offered and both of them do a much better
job. However, do they truly work as a definitive answer?
The Problem of Evil - Part 3
235k
14 pp
If
you begin your theodicy with the assumption about the centrality of
man, you will never answer the problem of evil in a way that lines up
with teachings and themes of Scripture. Scripture is not based upon
nor does it proceed on this assumption. The Bible is not ultimately
about man; it is obsessively concerned with God. Indeed, it is not
overstatement to say that the “entire universe exists to display the
greatness of the glory of the grace of God.” Indeed, it is quite a
simple task to see that God often and usually is said to act for the
glory of His own name and according to his own pleasure. God’s first
love is for his glory, honor, reputation, and name. The Bible teaches
us that God ordains and allows evil to exist because the temporary
presence of evil in this universe will result in the greatest glory to
His name. God planned a universe in which evil exists and that is a
good thing because all evil will be used by God to bring greater glory
to Himself. God allows and ordains evil for the greater good of the
display of his glory in the revelation of his myriad perfections.
Interacting with Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics (Part 1)
253kb
14pp
The
Bible declares that the man who hears Christ’s words and rejects them
for the superior value of his own - or other men’s words - is a fool. A
fool does not make God and His revelation the starting point of his
thinking and will not submit to the Word of God or base his life upon
its teachings and principles. The fool must be answered by revealing
his foolishness. In an interaction with an atheist or agnostic, there
is a method of apologetics that enables the believer to do such a task
while also fully obeying the mandate given to all Christians in Peter’s
first letter. While atheists and even many Christians teach that we
must put the Bible on the shelf when debating the atheist, it is
foolishness to relinquish the most powerful weapon that we have in an
attempt to pander to the unbeliever under the false assumption that he
is entering the fray on neutral ground that we sully with our theistic
biases. Instead, it must be acknowledged that there is no such thing as
neutrality in the thinking of a believer and a non-believer. What one
takes to be factual and how one interprets those facts is governed by
one’s underlying philosophy of fact – one’s presuppositions. The
debate over the veracity of a fact will eventually work itself down to
the level of one’s ultimate authority. Once this point is reached, the
real argument can begin – which presupposition best explains reality,
the ability to reason, the existence of morals, and our common
experiences?
Interacting with Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics(Part 2)
265kb
19pp
Our presuppositions determine how we view our world and how we live in
that world. We interpret everything according to our worldview or
presuppositions. It is wrong to think that facts are neutral (or “brute
facts”) because facts do not “speak for themselves.” People do not
evaluate facts apart from their biases or assumptions made beforehand
(pre-assumptions, or presuppositions). Presuppositions are not
assumptions that we make but a personal commitment to the most basic
level of understanding. They have the greatest authority in your life
and are therefore the least negotiable (if only non-negotiable) belief
that you have. The goal in apologetics is to approach a person on the
level of his presuppositions. Therefore, the best way to deal with an
atheist or any other non-believer is to discover the antithesis and
then push the antithesis between the competing presuppositions or
worldviews. To “push the antithesis” is to force the unbeliever to live
consistently with his rationalistic and materialistic presuppositions.
In other words, once you discover what a person bases his idea upon
(naturalism, materialism, atheism), you then get him or her to see the
inconsistency between that belief and the way they actually live life.
Can You Prove that God Exists?
309kb
13pp
There is a wide range of answers to the question “Does God exist?” The
spectrum of belief can rest anywhere between “There is no God” to
“There probably is no God” to “God probably exists” to “The God of the
Bible exists.” Tim Keller wisely insists that we look at all the
evidence given not as “proofs” but as “clues.” A proof is able to stand
alone with no room for disagreement. A true proof for the existence of
God would end all debate. There is no such proof for the existence of
God. The Christian should also realize that God has not revealed
Himself in this way. As Dawkins points out, God could end all
discussion about his existence very quickly, very visibly, and very
loudly. Instead, God has called on people to live by faith. However,
this does not mean that God is entirely silent or hidden. There are a
multitude of clues all around us that point towards God. The power of
the clue is in their cumulative effect. Once this new viewpoint was
adopted, the clues for God’s existence are seen to provide a very
strong cumulative force.
Is Jesus the Only Way to God?
176kb
14pp
Non-theists have argued for years for several propositions that
Christians have historically denied and have denied propositions that
Christians affirm. Now, some Christians are joining them. Some argue
that there is a second-chance after death for those who have never
heard the gospel. Some argue that salvation can be attained through
non-Christian religions like Islam or Buddhism. Beliefs about these
subjects fall into three categories: pluralism, inclusivism, and
exclusivism. While Christianity has historically been exlcusive, there
is a noticeable increase in both pluralism and inclusivism. The
Christian cannot agree with the first two categories. Christians should
be unashamed to state unequivocally that there is but one God.
Furthermore, there is only way to approach God and that is through the
person and work of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As you can imagine, these
are “fighting words.” Are believers justified in saying these words? Do
Christians have ample reason to make such exclusive and restrictive
statements? I believe we do on both theological and philosophical
grounds.
What About Those Who Never Hear The Gospel?
132kb
17pp
Over the last several years, we have heard the word “billion” used too
many times in the news. We keep hearing of billions of dollars being
spent on the war against terror and the hundreds of billions of dollars
given in the bailout. DO we know what that number means? A million
seconds in the past was twelve days ago. A billion seconds in the past
was 331 years ago. A trillion seconds in the past was 31,688 years ago.
It's almost hard to comprehend a billion of anything. We also use the
term “billion” when we talk about the number of people on this planet
who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are
approximately six billion people on this planet at any given moment and
that number continues to increase by a net gain of about 200,000 each
day. Of this incredible mass of people, it is estimated that as many as
1/3 of the total are completely ignorant of the name of Jesus Christ.
What is the eternal destiny of these 2 billion souls? Are these people
really headed for a place called hell? A person’s viewpoint – and,
indeed, a church’s understanding – of this issue “throws a searchlight
on their understanding of the nature of sin, the content of the gospel
and the task of global missions.”
Would a Loving God Send People to Hell?
228kb
10pp
Since hell is no longer seen as an unavoidable fate for the unbeliever,
it is often seen as incredibly offensive to tell anyone that people
will actually go to such a place – a strange mixture of the writings of
Dante, Edwards, Milton, Goethe, and the Bible. The main problem
non-Christians see in the Christian belief in hell is an apparent
contradiction that the Christian’s belief in a God of unimaginable love
could never be so unloving as to send people to a place of such
unimaginable torment. While a belief in hell may stun our modern
sensibilities, hell is a topic we must consider. Instead of starting
with the infallible truth of Scripture, people discuss hell with their
personal definitions of “fair” and “just” and “right” and “true.” In
doing so, personal sentiments and emotions are given a greater weight
than the Word of God. When an apparent contradiction is “uncovered”
between the horror of hell and the love of God, a panic-stricken search
to reconcile the two begins. Too often, the solution is found in either
modifying what the Bible declares or denying the Bible outright. Some
may yet yield to the Bible but live in perpetual fear and doubt about
God’s goodness or wisdom. How do we come to a proper understanding of
this difficult topic?
What About all the Contradictions in the Bible?
206kb
10pp
There are those who believe that the Bible is full of such
contradictions and errors. These errors are trumpeted as proof that the
Bible cannot be authoritative and inerrant and therefore it is foolish
to believe anything it says. Lists of these alleged contradictions can
be found in multiple websites from Islamic apologists and atheists,
agnostics, and skeptics. However, the Bible has been around for
thousands of years and skeptics have tried for the entire duration to
show its faults and prove its lack of authenticity and authority. When
looking at the charges of contradiction, we find that the same verses
are brought up over and over even through biblical scholars have long
since shown the contradiction does not exist.
This lesson will help prepare you for such an encounter by working
through some of the most popular “contradictions” brought up against
the reliability of the Scriptures. It is doubtful that you will be able
to remember all these but this document may be helpful at a later date
as you refer to it.