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While Christians must recognize
the unbreakable connection between New Atheism
and evolution, simply refuting Darwinism is not
nearly enough.
Recognize the Atheism-Evolution
Connection
Christians need to recognize the inseparable
connection between New Atheism and the belief in
Darwinian evolutionary theory.
It surprises many Christians to understand that
it is relatively easy to debunk evolution
scientifically. The simple fact is that the data
in the natural world fits the literal,
historical Genesis account perfectly. The
evidence for Biblical special creation (not
merely so-called "intelligent design")
abounds.1
We also need to understand that atheistic
evolution has a rather poorly-kept secret.
Atheistic evolutionists cannot cite a single
genetic example to support their case for
molecules-to-man evolution via mutation and
natural selection. Scientists — creationist or
evolutionist — universally understand that such
evolution
requires
the
addition
of information to DNA. But they also understand
that natural selection and mutations always mean
the
loss
of DNA information, never an increase.
This is a fundamental and fatal flaw in the
theory of evolution. In a video-taped interview,
Richard Dawkins was asked this question: "Can
you give an example [just one, in all the
world!] of a genetic mutation or an evolutionary
process which can be seen to increase the
information in the genome?"
Scientist Dawkins, who claims to be interested
in the truth, could not name a single one
— even though he
took nearly 20 seconds on camera trying to think
of one. After failing to give an answer, Dawkins
asked the interviewers to shut off their
cameras. Although Dawkins has denied that he
failed to answer the question, the actual raw
video footage shows that his denial is a
falsehood.2
But — Dealing With Darwinism is
Not Enough
Atheistic evolution is fatally flawed. It is a
faith that does not fit the facts. But
Christians need to remember that it
is one thing to deal with New Atheism in terms
of evolutionary theory — that is the
relatively easy part. But it is quite another
thing to deal with New Atheism as a
belief system.
In the previous articles in this series (see
links below), we have demonstrated that New
Atheism is exactly that.
And at the end of the day, that is how
Christians
must
deal with it.
How should we do that? We must answer with
Biblical authority. There is no other!
Agree About "Religion"
You may be surprised at our
suggested starting point: Agree with New
Atheists about "religion". As we read God's
Word, and as we look at the subsequent history
of the world in light of Scripture, we find that
"religion" is indeed historically a major
vehicle for evil in the world.
Cain's decision to practice his own religion rather than the one ordained by
God, led to his murder of his brother Abel
(Genesis chapter 4).
Pharaoh's blind adherence to the
false gods of Egypt, and to his notions of being a
god himself, led to the series of plagues that
demonstrated the powerlessness of each of the
major Egyptian deities and of Pharaoh himself,
and brought destruction and death upon the
nation (Exodus chapters 3 through 12).
Israel's repeated apostasy,
leaving the one true faith to worship false
gods, or intermingling pagan worship with that
which God had ordained (beginning even while
they were in the wilderness, Exodus 32), led to
repeated invasions, captivities, and eventual exile from the
Promised Land.
The Pharisees added layer upon
layer of man-made commentaries and regulations
on top of the true worship of God, to the point
where the people of Israel were perishing under a mountain
of legalism. Jesus condemned the religious
rulers of the Jews for their evils (e.g.,
Matthew 23:13-39). Freedom in Christ from
legalistic religion was a major focus of the
ministry of the Apostle Paul, as we see
especially in Romans and Galatians.
Paul pointed the "very religious"
philosophers of Mars Hill to the one true and
living God, and showed them the emptiness of
religion without Christ (Acts 17).
Paul under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit repeatedly warns Christians against
falling prey to false religion:
Beware lest anyone cheat you
through philosophy and empty deceit, according
to the tradition of men, according to the basic
principles of the world, and not according to
Christ. For in Him dwells
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him, who
is the head of all principality and power.
Colossians 2:8-10
For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: "I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and
bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent."
Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For since, in the wisdom of God,
the world through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of the
message preached to save those who believe.
For Jews request a sign, and
Greeks seek after wisdom;
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a
stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
but to those who are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. Because the
foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the
weakness of God is stronger than men.
For you see your calling,
brethren, that not many wise according to the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called. But God has chosen
the foolish things of the world to put to shame
the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of
the world to put to shame the things which are
mighty; and the base things
of the world and the things which are despised
God has chosen, and the things which are not, to
bring to nothing the things that are,
that no flesh should glory in His
presence.
But of Him you are in Christ
Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God
— and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption
— that, as it
is written, "He who glories, let him glory in
the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
Disagree About the Supernatural
But having agreed with the New Atheist that
"religion" is at the heart of the world's evils,
we must then part ways. New Atheists' core
definition of "religion" is a
belief in the supernatural, which they also
equate with mysticism. To the
naturalistic mind, belief in the supernatural is the root of all evil.
And on this point, standing on the authority of the Bible, we
must totally disagree with the New Atheist. The
real issue, as Romans chapter one tells us, is
not that man needs to deny the supernatural. He
does that just fine. The problem is that man
needs to
stop denying
the supernatural
— the one true and living God, His
eternal power and Godhead
— and instead truly
understand
and submit to the supernatural.
Christ is the Issue
And here we must point the atheist to Jesus
Christ, God incarnate, the One who, as
the Gospel of John tells us, exegetes God the
Father to man (John 1:18). Jesus Christ is the
issue. He is the One the New Atheist must face,
either as Redeemer through repentance and faith
here on earth, or as condemning Judge on the
Last Day.
We need to present Jesus Christ to the New
Atheist with a good apologetic, but without
apology. We need to present the Bible as the
only supernatural Book
— the only book that
provides an explanation of man’s origin and
present condition with which the data that we
find in the universe agrees.
Recognize Who Does the Work
But we must couple all of this with prayer. We
do not save anyone. God does.
We need to remember that the New Atheist is the
natural man of 1 Corinthians chapter 2, who does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God
— in other words, he does not accept them
as true
— nor can he, because they are
spiritually discerned. All the evidence in the
world, and all the argumentation in the world,
will not bring any person to belief unless the
Spirit of God regenerates him.
No answer to the atheist, no witness to the
atheist, is complete without prayer that God the
Holy Spirit will bring that person to saving
faith in Christ. One of the most powerful and
convicting things you can do is to tell the
atheist that you are praying for his salvation.
Never Be Ashamed or Intimidated
Never apologize for dealing in the supernatural.
The supernatural is not the “mystical” — it
is the real world. All that we see, hear,
feel, touch, taste, and smell is supernatural in
origin, and on that basis, we can answer New
Atheism with Biblical authority. We have a
supernatural Book. It tells about a supernatural
Creator and Redeemer. It tells us that the
“natural order” came into existence
supernaturally (Genesis chapter one). It tells
us that the “natural order” is held together
supernaturally by Christ (Colossians chapter
one.) By Him all things consist — by the rule
and authority of Jesus Christ, the universe
hangs together and operates. If He took His hand
off of it for a moment, it would cease even to
exist.
It is the New Atheist who is out of touch with
reality. But he doesn’t see it; he refuses to see it.
Our job is to answer the New Atheism with the
Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
May we rely on His power to that end.
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