You can tell that atheism is in trouble as it is becoming increasingly intolerant. The disdained believers but at least showed some respect. Religion is being bashed with a crowbar and the baseball bat. They are taking no prisoners. They are angry at someone they don’t believe exists! They make a living from books and speaking engagements. There seems to be some issues:-

1 – Arrogance is diminishing them

The atheists are assailing Christians as self-righteous, ignorant of history and humourless. Yet this is exactly the way they come across. They make no attempt to mask their arrogance for Christians. They came up with a new movement called “Brights” for those who hold a naturalistic view of the world which is free of the supernatural or mystical. They obviously think themselves more intelligent than anyone else. The rest of us must be the “Dims”.

Surveys in the US have shown that supernatural intelligence beliefs are held by the majority of well-educated people. You don’t have to be “an idiot” to be a Christian. The Bible talks about the dangers of pride. It was the original sin. It is in God’s hate list in Proverbs 6:16. Pride comes before destruction!

2 – Advocates are deserting them

Antony Flew is a prominent atheist who changed his mind. He followed his arguments and then came to the conclusion that God does indeed exist. A N Wilson now believes in God after being a prominent atheist. Peter Hitchins is the brother of the prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens. He was an atheist but has changed his position from his experiences in life. The atheist view

3 – Arguments are dividing them

Is religion responsible for the majority of the pain and suffering in the world? Does religion poison everything? If people say a lie often enough then people start to believe it. It is revisionist history. The reality for the main examples given:-

• Crusades – They were an attempt on the part of Christians to take back land that had been taken from them by the Islamic armies. They weren’t genocides or mass killings.
• Spanish Inquisition – There was only about 2,000 people killed. It happened over 350 years. It is sad but again not mass killings.
• Salem witch trials – There were about 25 people killed.

There are always those who do not live up to the standards of Christianity but this is no way to paint the majority of believers. We know from the Bible that there are false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

4 – Adversaries are defeating them

The monkey theorem asks the question is God did not create the Universe then how did it happen? The idea of a multitude of monkeys hammering away on typewriters to randomly produce an encyclopaedia is staggering odds that are beyond our comprehension but yet the world seems happy to think that these monkeys can do it every time! If we have something often enough from someone with a PhD we might automatically assume it must be true.

5 – Amnesia is discrediting them

The militant atheists believe in their books and lectures that atheists may do some evil things but not in the name of atheism and not as bad as religion. In the past 100 years the communist countries of Russia and China. Stalin was responsible for around 20 million deaths and Mao around 70 million. These atheistic regimes have committed mass murder. Those killed in the name of religion do not come anywhere near those killed in the name of atheism. The angry atheists have amnesia over this part of world history! Atheism is responsible for the worse mass murders in our history!

6 – Assessments are deceiving them

Atheism is in trouble. The new rhetoric betrays panic. The best philosophers are still taking the idea of God seriously and most of the population still look to religion. They are failing to draw and hold people with their many books and media appearances. Atheists may be selling books but they are not making converts. The world’s religions are growing and atheism a very small minority. Christianity is their main target and it is still growing. Atheists are searching for meaning in life. The answers are evident in creation. See Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20 and Isaiah 40:25-29. See Psalm 14:1. It is foolish to not believe in God.

Categories: Apologetics