Atheism, Religion, and Reality
by Cowboy Bob Sorensen
There's a whole whack of supporting links and recommended resources in this article. This is not a blanket approval for everything on every site, so I reckon that people have to use their discernment when reading other material at those sites, you savvy?
To hear some professing atheists talk, they want to usher in an age of science and reason, which should be accomplished by doing away with religion and superstition. They get mighty ornery when someone points out that atheism itself is a religion, and don't even want to look at the evidence. What they are attempting to do is proselytize people into their fundamentally flawed worldview, and distance themselves from the religion moniker. The principle of "separation of church and state" that they misrepresent when bullying through litigation could backfire on the religion of atheism.
I'll allow that atheists generally do not have a formal confession of faith or attend meetings, but many find their identities in atheism, and it gives them a purpose in their lives. (Not a good purpose, since atheists are not the ones building schools and hospitals, providing relief efforts, and so on. Some may join in with helping their fellow humans, but it's obvious that Christian organizations are the ones doing the heavy lifting.) A few atheists admit that they have a religion, and a few more admit that theirs is a worldview, but most claim the disingenuous redefinition of atheism as "lack of belief".
Where do professing atheists get their morality and ethics? The do not have a consistent moral standard, so they their morality comes from societal trends, arbitrary philosophies and excuses, and especially from evolution. How the failed evolutionary philosophy of "survival of the fittest" can provide anything beyond selfishness escapes me. For more on atheism, religion, evolution, and so on, see "Atheist Denies Atheism Is a Religion".
Many atheopaths simply hate the God that they pretend does not exist, and seek to make the lives of Christians miserable. Note that they do not spend much time on Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Moslems, Buddhists, the Annunaki and Nibiru, or other non-Christian religions. This is an unintentional and indirect confirmation of what the Bible says about them. More about that later.
Although the Mighty Atheist™ may think he has super powers, critical thinking is not his strong suit. Nor is basic human decency. Trolling, misrepresentation, straw men, ad hominem attacks, bullying, genetic fallacy, acting like the atheistic equivalent of internet MS-13 gang members, insisting that their faith in science is science, and many more instances of intolerance are found, but things that make them likeable and rational? That'll be the day! Many consistently and blatantly misrepresented our positions.
There is an atheopath who claims to "debunk" creation science and The Question Evolution Project in particular. Like many others, he constantly misrepresents creationists. He does not read the material, insists that I debate him on his Fazebook Page, and calls me a coward for refusing to waste my time in a prolonged discussion, yet refuses to give his name. It further reduces his respectability that he is unable to recognize that through a few brief comments, I have already defeated him in logic, shown him to be dishonest, and that anti-theism presupposes theism (they rip off our worldview in order to criticize it.) He has no originality, either — confiscates other people's work for La Revolución and twists it. So anyway. Antony Flew was an atheist for years, then admitted that evidence (especially DNA) convinced him that God exists. However, he apparently never became a believer in Jesus Christ. The one I mentioned above made the following comment and lied outright about Flew's conversion. In addition, he demonstrated dreadful reasoning that strikes me as a relative of the genetic fallacy, that Flew was right while he was an atheist and met with this jasper's approval, then he was wrong because his belief system changed:
In Christian theology, the concept that sin has affected all areas of the unbeliever, including the ability to reason, is called the noetic effects of sin. It helps explain the intellectual dishonesty of atheism.
When atheists, who claim to love science, logic, and reason, demand scientific proof that God exists, they have already misfired on the draw. Why? Because that is a logical fallacy known as the category error or category mistake. (You can't use material means to test for the immaterial, Skippy.) Since thinking is hard, many attack the Bible instead. When given evidence that the Bible is trustworthy, they double down on their prejudicial conjectures, as discussed in "Doubt the Bible? You Might be a Conspiracy Theorist". Many well-intentioned Christians think that if they give atheists and evolutionists enough evidence, they will renounce their positions and submit themselves to God. This seldom works, and is actually dishonoring to God. You may end up with a Deist like Antony Flew, who is just as lost as a full-gallop atheist.
Like other unregenerate people, atheists are under Satan's control (John 8:44, 1 Cor. 2:14. 2 Cor. 4:4) and are enemies of God (Matt. 12:30 Rom. 5:10). When unbelievers say, "Prove to me that God exists, but leave the Bible out of it" and wants you to be neutral, a saying from Dr. Greg Bahnsen is worth remembering: they aren't, and you shouldn't be. That's because neutrality is a myth. The unbeliever is presupposing materialism and the rejection of God, and we are saddling up on his horse at his ranch and riding the trail of his choosing. Essentially, we agreeing with him by denying what God says about the unsaved. By letting the unbeliever decide whether or not God exists using his or her fallen, corrupt "wisdom", we are not only letting him put God on trial, but making his authority superior to the Word of God! The Christian is supposed to uphold the authority of Scripture. Satan fell from Heaven because of pride, and has been using it ever since. Note the extreme arrogance and pride of many professing atheists; we cannot be supporting their egos and pride.
You will not find anywhere in the Bible where a prophet, apostle, Jesus, or anyone else saw fit to prove either the existence of God or the historicity of Genesis. No, they started with the presupposition that God is real and the entire Word of God is true. The Bible tells us plainly that those who claim to be atheists know that God exists, but are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18-22). This explains why they spend a disproportionate amount of time railing against God and his people instead of other groups.
At this point, you may wonder if I'm advocating fideism and rejecting the presentation of evidence. Not hardly! Christians and creationists use a passel of evidence. It is not to be used to convince someone who is hostile to the faith, but when someone says, "I have something that I'd like to understand", we can use evidence to help remove a stumbling block to faith. Although evidence, science, whatever, are subordinate to the Word of God, they also help strengthen the faith of Christians.
The biblical creationist worldview is the only one that comports with reality. Logic, science, evidence, morality, and those other things that atheists claim to believe in are actually impossible in their worldview. When they appeal to the uniformity and consistency of nature, right and wrong, and the laws of the universe, they are actually standing on our worldview, since belief in a godless random chance universe is inconsistent and irrational.
EDIT: In responding to this post about illogical questions such as, "Can God create a rock too big for him to lift?" (which implies the legitimacy of belief in square circles and so forth). He states it's a valid question, but it is actually quite irrational. By making this claim, he has finalized his disqualification from serious consideration in any logical discussion. I wonder if he's too young to be on Facebook.
What I'm doing is using presuppositional apologetics. Atheists hate this apologetic because it shows how their epistemology (study of knowledge) mixes in metaphysics, and that their worldview is irrational and inconsistent — and deflates their pride. They commence to circling the wagons and opening fire on us when we point out that we all have our ultimate starting points. Ours is the Word of God, theirs is materialism, which makes science and reason impossible. They really get on the prod when we point out that atheists are hardcore presuppositionalists themselves. Atheist bigots establish an arbitrary standard with which they contemptuously judge others who have the temerity to disagree with their opinions and dismantle their reasoning.
I have the opinion that anti-creationists and atheists are becoming more obstreperous because their father down below knows that his time is short, so he's using his hand puppets to try to destroy the faith of as many Bible believers as he can. Christians, I'd be very much obliged if y'all would take the time to read a couple of articles that explain these things far better than I can. First, "Help In Understanding Presuppositionalism". This is at "Theocentric Living", which is unfortunately not being maintained any longer. (The comments areas show the importance of comment moderation.) Next is a longer article that has some overlap with t'other, but presents some good basics, "What Is Presuppositional Apologetics?"
Digging deeper, I strongly recommend Dr. Jason Lisle's book, The Ultimate Proof of Creation, and there is a video for sale as well as versions of talks on the subject on YouTube, such as this one. Many articles from various authors are linked at The Domain for Truth, which also has a variety of posts.
While we are to present the gospel to everyone who asks (1 Peter 3:15) and tear down fortresses against the knowledge of the truth (2 Cor. 10:3-5), we must do it in a Christ-honoring way. That means holding fast to the Word, and not allowing the unbeliever to judge God. Evidence and science are important, even exciting, but our apologetic needs to be in a presuppositional framework: do not use "neutral ground". Take note: it's not about evidence or science, salvation is a spiritual matter. We do use our minds, but they deny the existence of the soul or spirit. Further, it is not our job to do the conviction or saving through our own brilliant argumentation (1 Cor. 2:4-5), that's the work of the Holy Spirit. We have to do our part and trust the results to God.
There's a whole whack of supporting links and recommended resources in this article. This is not a blanket approval for everything on every site, so I reckon that people have to use their discernment when reading other material at those sites, you savvy?
To hear some professing atheists talk, they want to usher in an age of science and reason, which should be accomplished by doing away with religion and superstition. They get mighty ornery when someone points out that atheism itself is a religion, and don't even want to look at the evidence. What they are attempting to do is proselytize people into their fundamentally flawed worldview, and distance themselves from the religion moniker. The principle of "separation of church and state" that they misrepresent when bullying through litigation could backfire on the religion of atheism.
I'll allow that atheists generally do not have a formal confession of faith or attend meetings, but many find their identities in atheism, and it gives them a purpose in their lives. (Not a good purpose, since atheists are not the ones building schools and hospitals, providing relief efforts, and so on. Some may join in with helping their fellow humans, but it's obvious that Christian organizations are the ones doing the heavy lifting.) A few atheists admit that they have a religion, and a few more admit that theirs is a worldview, but most claim the disingenuous redefinition of atheism as "lack of belief".
Where do professing atheists get their morality and ethics? The do not have a consistent moral standard, so they their morality comes from societal trends, arbitrary philosophies and excuses, and especially from evolution. How the failed evolutionary philosophy of "survival of the fittest" can provide anything beyond selfishness escapes me. For more on atheism, religion, evolution, and so on, see "Atheist Denies Atheism Is a Religion".
Many atheopaths simply hate the God that they pretend does not exist, and seek to make the lives of Christians miserable. Note that they do not spend much time on Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Moslems, Buddhists, the Annunaki and Nibiru, or other non-Christian religions. This is an unintentional and indirect confirmation of what the Bible says about them. More about that later.
Although the Mighty Atheist™ may think he has super powers, critical thinking is not his strong suit. Nor is basic human decency. Trolling, misrepresentation, straw men, ad hominem attacks, bullying, genetic fallacy, acting like the atheistic equivalent of internet MS-13 gang members, insisting that their faith in science is science, and many more instances of intolerance are found, but things that make them likeable and rational? That'll be the day! Many consistently and blatantly misrepresented our positions.
There is an atheopath who claims to "debunk" creation science and The Question Evolution Project in particular. Like many others, he constantly misrepresents creationists. He does not read the material, insists that I debate him on his Fazebook Page, and calls me a coward for refusing to waste my time in a prolonged discussion, yet refuses to give his name. It further reduces his respectability that he is unable to recognize that through a few brief comments, I have already defeated him in logic, shown him to be dishonest, and that anti-theism presupposes theism (they rip off our worldview in order to criticize it.) He has no originality, either — confiscates other people's work for La Revolución and twists it. So anyway. Antony Flew was an atheist for years, then admitted that evidence (especially DNA) convinced him that God exists. However, he apparently never became a believer in Jesus Christ. The one I mentioned above made the following comment and lied outright about Flew's conversion. In addition, he demonstrated dreadful reasoning that strikes me as a relative of the genetic fallacy, that Flew was right while he was an atheist and met with this jasper's approval, then he was wrong because his belief system changed:
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| Used under Fair Use provisions for educational purposes |
When atheists, who claim to love science, logic, and reason, demand scientific proof that God exists, they have already misfired on the draw. Why? Because that is a logical fallacy known as the category error or category mistake. (You can't use material means to test for the immaterial, Skippy.) Since thinking is hard, many attack the Bible instead. When given evidence that the Bible is trustworthy, they double down on their prejudicial conjectures, as discussed in "Doubt the Bible? You Might be a Conspiracy Theorist". Many well-intentioned Christians think that if they give atheists and evolutionists enough evidence, they will renounce their positions and submit themselves to God. This seldom works, and is actually dishonoring to God. You may end up with a Deist like Antony Flew, who is just as lost as a full-gallop atheist.
Like other unregenerate people, atheists are under Satan's control (John 8:44, 1 Cor. 2:14. 2 Cor. 4:4) and are enemies of God (Matt. 12:30 Rom. 5:10). When unbelievers say, "Prove to me that God exists, but leave the Bible out of it" and wants you to be neutral, a saying from Dr. Greg Bahnsen is worth remembering: they aren't, and you shouldn't be. That's because neutrality is a myth. The unbeliever is presupposing materialism and the rejection of God, and we are saddling up on his horse at his ranch and riding the trail of his choosing. Essentially, we agreeing with him by denying what God says about the unsaved. By letting the unbeliever decide whether or not God exists using his or her fallen, corrupt "wisdom", we are not only letting him put God on trial, but making his authority superior to the Word of God! The Christian is supposed to uphold the authority of Scripture. Satan fell from Heaven because of pride, and has been using it ever since. Note the extreme arrogance and pride of many professing atheists; we cannot be supporting their egos and pride.
You will not find anywhere in the Bible where a prophet, apostle, Jesus, or anyone else saw fit to prove either the existence of God or the historicity of Genesis. No, they started with the presupposition that God is real and the entire Word of God is true. The Bible tells us plainly that those who claim to be atheists know that God exists, but are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18-22). This explains why they spend a disproportionate amount of time railing against God and his people instead of other groups.
At this point, you may wonder if I'm advocating fideism and rejecting the presentation of evidence. Not hardly! Christians and creationists use a passel of evidence. It is not to be used to convince someone who is hostile to the faith, but when someone says, "I have something that I'd like to understand", we can use evidence to help remove a stumbling block to faith. Although evidence, science, whatever, are subordinate to the Word of God, they also help strengthen the faith of Christians.
The biblical creationist worldview is the only one that comports with reality. Logic, science, evidence, morality, and those other things that atheists claim to believe in are actually impossible in their worldview. When they appeal to the uniformity and consistency of nature, right and wrong, and the laws of the universe, they are actually standing on our worldview, since belief in a godless random chance universe is inconsistent and irrational.
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| Insisting on his Scientism and reaching a conclusion via circular reasoning Used under Fair Use provisions for educational purposes |
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You scientific people build up whole philosophies on the basis of things you never saw, and you scoff at people who believe in other things that you think they never saw and that don't come under what you label scientific. You talk about paradoxes—why, your scientist, who thinks he is the most skeptical, the most materialistic aggregation of atoms ever gathered at the exact mathematical centre of Missouri, has more blind faith than a dervish, and more credulity, more superstition, than a cross-eyed smoke beating it past a country graveyard in the dark of the moon!
— Outburst from Larry O'Keefe in Abraham Merritt's The Moon Pool
I have the opinion that anti-creationists and atheists are becoming more obstreperous because their father down below knows that his time is short, so he's using his hand puppets to try to destroy the faith of as many Bible believers as he can. Christians, I'd be very much obliged if y'all would take the time to read a couple of articles that explain these things far better than I can. First, "Help In Understanding Presuppositionalism". This is at "Theocentric Living", which is unfortunately not being maintained any longer. (The comments areas show the importance of comment moderation.) Next is a longer article that has some overlap with t'other, but presents some good basics, "What Is Presuppositional Apologetics?"
Digging deeper, I strongly recommend Dr. Jason Lisle's book, The Ultimate Proof of Creation, and there is a video for sale as well as versions of talks on the subject on YouTube, such as this one. Many articles from various authors are linked at The Domain for Truth, which also has a variety of posts.
While we are to present the gospel to everyone who asks (1 Peter 3:15) and tear down fortresses against the knowledge of the truth (2 Cor. 10:3-5), we must do it in a Christ-honoring way. That means holding fast to the Word, and not allowing the unbeliever to judge God. Evidence and science are important, even exciting, but our apologetic needs to be in a presuppositional framework: do not use "neutral ground". Take note: it's not about evidence or science, salvation is a spiritual matter. We do use our minds, but they deny the existence of the soul or spirit. Further, it is not our job to do the conviction or saving through our own brilliant argumentation (1 Cor. 2:4-5), that's the work of the Holy Spirit. We have to do our part and trust the results to God.
