Sunday, December 9, 2012

Atheism - Dead and Buried, With no Resurrection - Part 1

Atheists, in debates, have a very simple plan they think will sway the viewer into their camp.  Basically, they are driven by their revulsion to some of the harder-to-accept Bible stories, such as the Fall, the Flood, the conquest of Canaan, etc.  Then they try to universalize the "ethical principles" i.e., the Golden Rule, as if all religious cultures have an equal claim on these ideas, but then contrast them with the Bible's seemingly "immoral and bloodthirsty deity."  Finally, they cast up the most potent form of criticism:  A lack of evidence for the Bible's authority and authenticity, and the life and teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the true Messiah.  If that doesn't pan out, they will say they are capable of just as much if not more love for humanity as Christians are, and add that, at least, they are not hypocrites. 

Now I could end the blog right here with a few verses such as Romans 1:18-32, about the intellectual darkness that accompanies the sin nature gone to seed.  And, in a sense, this is the hard word the scoffer needs to hear.

But I have a logic-based, gut-honest appraisal of the failure of atheism to win my alliance:

1.   Tackling point by point, we'd have to start with the "bad God." epithet.  Let us take the death of infants as part of the conquest of Canaan.  First of all, I believe the infants are safe under God's grace, since they cannot understand concepts such as redemption and blood sacrifices.  Then, we'd have to look at the manner in which they died.  Most would die instantly upon meeting the spear, thus not suffering.  Third,  based on the above, we'd have to look at the fact that the death of infants is far worse for the adults in their midst.  Fourth, how many infants would there be as opposed to the older people?  All of these factors get ignored.

Another aspect is the "kill the non-virgins and take the virgins for yourself." trap.  All are guilty, and because God saves some and not others is exclusively His business.  All should fear judgment, and perhaps maybe then, they would have enough oomph to repent.

2. The Golden Rule, The Greatest Commandment, Philippians 4:8, and injunctions not to worry about your life in the Beatitudes, were never meant to stand on their own.  They are part of a full revelation of the plan of God for all who would trust Him, and technically should not even have convenient heuristic names. 

 More to come...


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