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Category: Gospel and Culture
Atheist Applauds Christian Work in Africa
Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good. – Matthew Paris, Self-proclaimed Atheist
Read the rest here.
The New Atheism
I recently spoke on Atheism. Here are a few nuggets I picked up along the way that I didn’t share in that message:
New Atheists Aren’t So New
“The new atheists are “new” primarily because they share in common the conviction that the latest advances of scientific discovery and thought make belief in God unnecessary.” And, Haack adds, because they are heavily evangelistic about their faith. The way to deal with their aggressive proselytizing and name-calling is to: “Exude quite confidence in the gospel, not arrogant combativeness towards those who oppose your beliefs.” – Denis Haack, Engaging New Atheists,” Critique vol.4, 7. A helpful piece on how to engage atheists.
Atheism Nor Theism Can Be Proved
Failure to rationally prove the existence of God doesn’t mean that God doesn’t exist; it simply means one failed at a rational argument. Atheism, like Christianity, requires faith. Atheists believe that God does not exist, but they cannot prove it. The real question is which worldview rings true and offers the highest good.
Self-refuting Nature of Natural Selection
Natural selection works on the principle of adaptation, which means that a better human with a better idea about how things came to be will eventually evolve. If that is the case, what faith can we put in Darwin/Dawkins theories about human nature and the existence of God? On the other hand, if we are made in the image of God with reason and a soul, created to relate to God, then we rely not on theories but his self-revelation. For more on this point, see Plantinga’s article, “The Dawkins Confusion
Christ Against the Powers
Christ against the what? Yeah, the powers. That’s what the Bible says: “He is the head of all rule and powers” (Col 2:10, 15). What are the powers and how is Jesus against them? Before you check out on this post thinking it’s a tirade against our evil culture, consider a few things first:
- Real or perceived, powers exert considerable influence in our world.
- We are all subject to some power, the question is whether or not it is true and good.
- No one is truly his own master. We all serve somebody.
Christ claims to be the power over the powers, the one true Lord of all. If that is true, it should affect everything from work to watching movies. The problem, however, is that many of us are caught up honoring “little powers”—the powers of materialism, consumerism, patriotism, atheism, and so on. If Jesus is Lord then life will be radically different. In fact, Jesus takes his power makes God our debtor. The all-powerful God harnesses his power for the good of those who hope in him. St. Augustine wrote:
Excessive payments are made to you, so that you may be our debtor…You pay debts, although you owe no man anything; you cancel debts, and lose nothing. What have we said, my God, my life, my holy delight? Who will give me help, so that I may rest in you? Who will help me, so that you will come into my heart and inebriate it, to the end that I may forget my evils and embrace you, my one good? (Confessions I.4-5)
God has become our power, even our debtor, to make good on his promises of salvation, peace, and joy. Christ has paid our debts and offers us infinite credit in his promises. He made us new that we may forget our evils and embrace him as our chief good, our holy delight. For more on this topic see Sunday’s message and manuscript.