Atheism

There are, as far as I can see, about three arguments that atheists use to support their position. The first is that there is so much pain and injustice in this world, and everything is so senseless that there can’t be a God who created it all. The second states that there is no need for the existence of a God because everything that exists can be explained in terms of scientific data and human decisions. The third simply says that there is no evidence for the existence of God. There are probably more but I think these are the main ones.

The first one is easily disproved by the very argument that they use. How would they know what senselessness is if they didn’t have standard with which to measure sense? C. S. Lewis said this in Mere Christianity:

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be party of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water animal: a fish would not feel wet. Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too—for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies. Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist—in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless—I was forced to assume one part of reality—namely my idea of justice—was full of sense.

The second is basically Darwinian evolution. Though many people attempt to separate their scientific beliefs from their religious ones, I have yet to see it work. It would be tedious to try to completely debunk evolutionism here, so I’ll leave you to do it in your head (Hint: the complexity of nature, the geological column, flood stories, etc. are good places to start.). Aldous Huxley, an evolutionist himself, said that the only reason evolutionism is still around is because of mankind’s desire for sex. A shocking statement, but very perceptive. It appears that most people who “thoughtfully” believe in evolution, or any other kind of atheism (if they are honest with themselves), do so because, without a God, they can do what ever they want.

The third statement (no evidence for God) is as shallow as it sounds. Those who believe this simply turn a drumless ear to the overwhelming evidence for the existence of God in nature (Romans 1:19-20).

An important aside: Concerning the “who-is-an-atheist’s-idol-according -to-Romans-1: 18-23” question (raised Wednesday night by our Bible study group), it seems from the flimsiness of the arguments presented, and the Huxley quote, that the only reason people are atheists is because of the desire for sinful pleasure (whether sexual or otherwise), and the only reason they desire pleasure is for themselves. So, I guess my conclusion would be this; an atheist himself is his own idol.