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ESSAY 29
DO ATHEISTS EXIST?
Omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way
Brief and powerless is man's stay
And on him and all his kind
The slow sure doom falls
Pitiless and dark.
Doesn't the above verse by atheist Bertrand Russell in-
spire you and instill hope?
William J. Murray III, in his book, MY LIFE WITHOUT GOD,
gives some insight into the atheistic lifestyle, since he
experienced atheism firsthand under his mother, Madalyn
Elizabeth (Mays) Murray O'Hair, an "evangelist" for the
religion of atheism. He paints a sad, violent, empty life,
lacking in love.
There are at least three types of atheism: (1) Practical
atheism, (2) Dogmatic atheism, and (3) Virtual atheism.
[Henry Clarence Thiessen, INTRODUCTORY LECTURES IN SYSTEMATIC
THEOLOGY. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1949), pp. 64-66].
Practical atheism includes those who have become dis-
illusioned with religion or who choose to ignore God. They
live as though there were no God.
Dogmatic atheism includes those who openly profess
atheism. These people may be militant and will probably have
a codified "theology." Examples of dogmatic atheists are the
secular humanists, Marxists and certain philosophers. Elabo-
rate rationalizations are required in order to maintain some
semblance of personal integrity.
Virtual atheism includes those who hold principles that
are inconsistent with the belief in God or violate the common
use of language. God is defined in such vague terms as, "an
active principle in nature," "the social consciousness," "the
unknowable," "personified reality," "energy," or "force."
General Norman Schwarzkopf recently stated on national
TV, "There are no atheists in foxholes." Then, he told of
his dependence on God for leadership and strength during
Desert Storm. I believe he was saying that when facing death
or some great threat, human rationalizations drop and the
truth emerges.
Anthropologists have found belief in the existence of
God in all cultures. Thus, science, history and the Bible
concur in the universal belief that God exists. Somewhere
deep in the human spirit there is a settled knowledge that
GOD IS. If I choose a lifestyle that is opposed to the Bible,
then my mind begins to rationalize in an attempt to justify
my behavior. This process works automatically on an uncon-
scious level, as well as on a conscious level. This process
can be triggered by at least two events: (1) A perceived
injustice, in which the individual gets mad at God, or (2)
A deliberate choice of the individual to do wrong. King David
of ancient Israel declares,
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
there is none that doeth good." (Psalm 14:1).
Atheism is an arrogant position. In order to state that
there is no God, the believer must assume that he has an
exhaustive knowledge of all things in the universe . An
agnostic position would be more rational, although it seems
to be a more tentative and unstable position. It is more
rational to believe in God, since one can more easily infer
the existence of God through limited knowledge.
The cumulative evidence for the existence of God is
stronger than any single fact or argument. There are three
main areas of evidence:
(1) Intuition, which states that the belief in the
existence of God exists universally in the human psyche. Even
in the atheist's mind, the idea of God necessarily exists
in order for him to attempt to disprove the existence of God.
When there is no longer a psychological "need" to believe in
atheism, the mind reverts to a theistic belief.
(2) The Jewish and Christian Scriptures assume the
existence of God. The scriptures are credible, and therefore
are a strong witness for the existence of God.
(3) Rational arguments support the existence of God.
The first rational argument is the
(3.1) COSMOLOGICAL (Cause-Effect) Argument: Since every-
thing that had a beginning had a cause, the universe
itself must have had a cause. To state that matter or
energy is eternal is to deny basic human cause-effect
thinking, and simply begs the question. The second
rational argument is the
(3.2) TELEOLOGICAL Argument: The order and design in
the universe imply an intelligent and purposeful
Creator. The third rational argument is the
(3.3) ONTOLOGICAL Argument: The idea of God implies
something of what he must be if he exists: infinite and
perfect; and since human beings would not conceive of
such an idea, the idea must have come from God. There-
fore, God exists. The fourth rational argument is the
(3.4) MORAL ARGUMENT: Human beings have a conscience,
which tells us what is right and wrong, and urges us to
do the responsible thing. If we do right, conscience
rewards us. If we do wrong, conscience "punishes" us.
Implied is the existence of the creator of conscience, a
moral law-giver, who rewards good behavior and corrects
wrong behavior. The fifth rational argument is the
(3.5) ARGUMENT FROM CONGRUITY: The theory that best ex-
plains the related facts is probably right. The exist-
ence of God as described in the Bible best explains the
available evidence.
So, we return to the question, "Do atheists exist?"
Atheistic rationalizations or systems of belief do exist as
abstractions in the minds of human beings, but no, ATHEISTS
DO NOT EXIST.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), was one of the greatest men
of world history. He remains the paradigm par excellence
for all politicians. He kept the nation together in spite
of the civil war, and gave her a fresh infusion of character
for a fresh start after the war. We and all democracies of
the world are indebted to him. What is the secret of his
strong moral character and wisdom? I believe it came from God
and his Word:
The Bible was probably the only book his parents
ever owned. Abraham came to know it thoroughly.
Biblical references and quotations enrich his later
writings and speeches. As president, he kept a
Bible on his desk and often opened it for comfort
and guidance. (THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, 1987
ed., s.v. "Lincoln, Abraham."
Many would have given up on life if they had faced half
of what Lincoln faced. He grew up in the harsh frontiers of
Kentucky and Indiana. He grieved over the deaths of many
family members. His brother Thomas died in infancy. His
mother Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln died when he was nine years old.
His sister Sarah died during childbirth when he was eighteen.
He lost three of his own children, Edward who died at four
years of age, William who died at eleven years of age, and
Thomas "Tad" who died at age eighteen.
He managed to educate himself and persevere through loss
of elections until he won state and federal positions.
Finally, when he became president, he became immersed in the
tragic civil war, where he felt the heartache of the suffer-
ing and carnage on both sides. He had a Source of help and
comfort--the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Some blame God for something bad that other human beings
have done. Keep in mind that some professing Christians may
be Christians in name only. Some basically good people may
do evil things in moments of weakness. King David is one of
my favorite heroes, but David's adultery with Bathsheba and
murder of Uriah is a tragic reminder that good people some-
time fail.
Some human institutions that claim to be Christian are
far removed from anything resembling what Jesus of Nazareth
taught. A prime example is the World Council of Churches.
Top Secret KGB reports tell how the World Council of Churches
had been infiltrated by KGB agents and manipulated to help
spread world communism and terrorism! (Joseph A. Harris,
"The Gospel According to Marx," READER'S DIGEST, February
1993, pp. 68-73).
Then, some blame God for bad things that Satan does.
Jesus said,
The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and
have it to the full." (John 10:10, NIV).
According to Jesus, anything that steals, kills, or destroys,
comes from Satan. Anything that brings better quality and
length of life is from God. It just doesn't make sense to
blame God for evil and then get mad at Him. It's a waste of
time and it introduces unnecessary human suffering.
Norman Lear stated that he was against a theocracy being
established in the US. Apparently he is happy with the
present world satanocracy. Jesus said that Satan is the
ruler of the present world system:
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31).
Paul further states that Satan is the god of this world:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them which believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4).
We need people who believe in God--people who live according
to biblical principles 24 hours a day--leading the United
States.
END