The New Atheism

So, circulating in academia and increasingly in postmodern culture is a new resurgence of disbelief in God that has been dubbed 'the new atheism.' This comes in two forms: 1) outright intellectual challenges to Christianity and 2) the subtle or not-so-subtle influence of media and the daily practical agnosticism of many peoples' lives, including 'believers.'

One of the most recent challenges comes from the world of comedy. Its a movie that just hit box offices on October 3, by Bill Maher, called 'Religulous.' Yeah, a combo of religion and ridiculous. Before we write it off as "ridiculous" in and of itself - which it is - we must realize this medium of a comedic video like this is extremely powerful to the media generation and thus it is dangerous. If you watch the trailer (above link), be careful, Bill is slick as I would imagine the devil is - checkout what follows below...

Thankfully, Fr. Robert Barron, among others, has offered an intelligent and inspiring rebuttal of this film:

Regarding the more intellectual side of the 'new atheism' Chuck Colson has this to say:

You know these names, or at least you know many of them: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens. They’re some of the best known of the “New Atheists,” the group that’s launched a massive public assault against religion over recent years.

Now here are some more names that you need to know: Ravi Zacharias, Alister McGrath, Timothy Paul Jones, and Dinesh D’Souza, among others. These are just some of the outstanding Christian apologists leading the charge against the New Atheists. Each of these distinguished authors has recently published a book targeted at a specific New Atheist, and their arguments are devastating to the atheistic worldview.

First is Ravi Zacharias’s latest book, The End of Reason, a response to Sam Harris’s Letter to a Christian Nation. Ravi Zacharias is one of the great Christian thinkers of our time, and one of my own favorite apologists.

Just like Harris’s book, Zacharias’s book is written in the form of a letter to the American people. But as Zacharias points out, “By the end of Sam Harris’s Letter to a Christian Nation, we don’t know who we are in essence or where we are in the grand scheme of a world without God."

Zacharias wants to set that situation straight. He knows the atheistic worldview all too well, as he states in the book, because he used to share it. And it drove him to the brink of suicide.

It was not until he was given a Bible and came to Christ that his life was turned around. He spends the rest of the book explaining why atheism is “devastating to our hunger for significance,” while the God of the Bible gives us meaning, purpose, and hope.

Then there’s The Dawkins Delusion? by Oxford scholars Alister and Joanna McGrath, which, as the title suggests, deals with Richard Dawkins’s popular book The God Delusion. The McGraths pull no punches about Dawkins’s book; in fact, they ask, “Is the case for atheism really so weak that it has to be bolstered by such half-baked nonsense?”

Lest you think that’s going a little too far, the atheistic philosopher Michael Ruse actually endorsed the McGraths’ book by saying that Dawkins’s work “makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why.”

Though Alister McGrath respects Dawkins intelligence and used to be an atheist, himself, he says the kind of blistering and abusive rhetoric that Dawkins resorts to isn’t worthy of him and is easy to take apart.

Then we have Misquoting Truth by Timothy Paul Jones, a response to Bart Ehrman’s book Misquoting Jesus. In contrast to Ehrman, who argues that the Bible is full of changes and mistakes, Jones provides a serious, thorough examination of how the Scripture was compiled and passed down to us over the years, and why we can trust it.

Finally, Dinesh D’Souza’s What’s So Great About Christianity is a very effective answer to Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great.

So don’t forget those names—again, that’s Ravi Zacharias, Alister and Joanna McGrath, Timothy Paul Jones, Dinesh D’Souza—and come visit our website, BreakPoint.org, to find out how you can get copies of their books. You can also order a copy of my book The Faith, which answers many of these same charges. The charges of the New Atheists are all sound bite and no substance. These books will equip you to challenge those baseless assumptions.

Also, if you don't feel like delving into a serious book responding to the new atheism, checkout this Web site which houses quite a few apologetic articles specifically responding to the new atheism.

Finally, a prayer:

Lord Jesus, I ask you would keep me "abiding in you" and in your love. I ask that you would protect me from deception and help me to share with others the light and love I've found in faith in you. Thank you so much for the faith you've given me! Amen!

Wealthiest, Most intelligent man says, Don't Worry!

The wealthiest, most intelligent man in all of the world, no in all of the universe, has stated right in the midst of our personal anxieties, natural disasters, economic crisis, governmental turmoil - DON'T WORRY!

The person who owns all of the real estate in the world! In fact the One who created all of the cosmos, and now sustains it has told those who believe in Him that God the Father has it all under control, even if it doesn't look so from where we are currently standing!

Seriously, the Lord Jesus teaches his followers that they don't have to worry because the Father loves them (you and me) and is King of the universe!

Jesus instructs and empowers us to live differently than those who do not know the Father's love, so that they too can have His peace and assurance! Really! Read his instructions to us in Matthew 6:24-33

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

These are not just nice words but are instructions from the Author of Life! He wants us to live according to the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ!

Take St Paul as an example of a disciple who took the Lord at his word. He grew in living life in Christ and shows us what it looks like to incarnate Jesus' teaching.

Here is one example. Paul while in Philippi has a run in with a young girl who was captive to her owners and to an evil spirit. When Paul set her free from the demon, it got him in big trouble because her owners lost their means of profit. Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into a wretched jail for an act of God! What is their response? Gripe and moan? Fear for their lives? Retrace what they did to figure out where they went wrong in following the Spirit? Consider if God had abandoned them? Nope! Incredible grace! At midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening. And then what happens?! All heaven breaks in.

The Kingdom of God breaks in supernaturally to what appears to be a terrible situation bringing freedom to many !

Check it out for yourself in Acts 16! Paul practiced what he preached and can confidently instruct us to: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-8

Everyday we have the opportunity to surrender to the Lord Jesus and learn from Him to live the new life in the Holy Spirit. He wants us to mature in the Christian life, while being a radical witness to our friends, family and co-workers of the love of God that is available to all in Christ Jesus! What He asks us to be and do, He gives us the power to be and do!

We are in a time of shaking in many parts of the world. During this season Jesus invites us to bring his love and peace to those around us who don't have the hope we do. Our situations and circumstances may look grim, terrifying, depressing, but Jesus is Lord! Reflect on St Paul example and instruction to us

Jesus tells us, "Don't worry, Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well!" Ask the Lord for grace to live in his righteousness, joy and peace that others might know Him as well!