Search The Scriptures: June 10, 2001
ANSWERING AN ATHEIST
INTRODUCTION :
A. Good morning ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Danville church of Christ I’m
delighted you were able to join us for today’s broadcast of the bible study program Search the
Scriptures. As you know, if you are a regular listener, Search the Scriptures is dedicated to
making the gospel of Christ known in our community. To help in this, we are happy to make
available to you - absolutely free of charge - copies of sermons you hear on this Search the
Scriptures broadcast. Therefore, if you hear a sermon you would like to have, either on cassette
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I want to promise you that you will not be sent any unsolicited material nor will anyone call on
you without your specific invitation. And, if you have any questions or comments, or if you
would just like to browse our web site, you can do so at w www.danvillechurchofchrist.org.
B. If you tuned into Search the Scriptures last week, then you know we spent our time
examining evidences for the existence of God. While preparing for that study, I remembered a
paper I had in my possession entitled “Why the Christian God is Impossible,” written by a self-proclaimed
atheist. This document is the culmination of the efforts of an atheist to establish that
the God of the bible cannot exist. Like all propaganda presented by the unbelieving community
this document contains the same drivel that atheists have been espousing for years. My friends,
whenever a lie or a series of lies is repeated often enough there are significant numbers of people
who will begin to believe them. So it is with the arguments being made by the atheist community
against the existence of God. Therefore, I believe that a review of some of these arguments is
warranted this morning. So, if you wish to have some information with which to confront the
unbeliever then get ready because we are going to give you some today. Also, I want to remind
you that during the course of our study I will refer you to some points we discussed in detail last
week. But, before endeavoring a review of some of the atheist’s most often made arguments, I
wish to spend a moment on this premise of the title of this pamphlet, “Why the Christian God is
Impossible.” My friends, this arrogant affirmation does not say that belief in God is improbable.
It does not suggest that belief in God is doubtful. No! Instead this statement says that belief in
the Christian God is impossible. And, my friends, the word impossible means just that,
impossible. It means not capable of existing. Therefore, the writer who stated “Why the
Christian God is Impossible” is declaring that it is not possible for the God revealed in the bible
to exist. Knowing that this title puts him at a disadvantage he immediately begins some damage
control. He says, “Many Christians, as well as atheists, claim that it is impossible to prove a
negative.” I will agree with that comment. It is impossible to prove a negative. But, to escape
the power of that truth, that is, the impossibility of affirming a negative, he says that proving
God does not exist is commensurate with proving that cubic spheres do not exist. He claims that
since the concept of cubic spheres is logically incoherent makes the fact of a cubic sphere
impossible. That is, the properties of a sphere and the properties of a cube are completely
incompatible. Therefore, they cannot exist. He uses that kind of reasoning to affirm his negative
- that it is not possible for God to exist.
I. My friends, I believe it is important to show that two major flaws become evident in that sort
of reasoning. One is, it completely ignores the design of this world. Perhaps you remember, if
you listened last week how we pointed out that you will not find an atheist, nor an evolutionist,
anywhere willing to discuss the design of this universe. They refuse to discuss, intelligently the
tilt of the earth, or the rotation of the earth on its axis. Instead, you will find them talking about
cubic spheres, or dragons, or unicorns. But they will never - and I do mean never - discuss the
design of our marvelous universe. Instead of talking about cubic spheres, atheists would better
advance the agenda of atheism if they attempted to address the design of this universe. Frankly, I
want to hear atheists discuss the relation of the earth to the sun instead of droning on and on
about geometric figures. However, ladies and gentlemen, the truth is, atheists cannot discuss
design without arguing for a designer. My friends, if there is one word that aptly describes this
awesome universe in which we live - it is design. From the smallest atom to the greatest galaxy,
the design of our world is breathtaking. Whether we are discussing the metamorphosis of the
butterfly or the uncanny clock of the 17-year locust, our world is overflowing with design. And,
all this is ignored while atheists wallow in their impossible hypotheses about cubic spheres. If
the atheistic community were honest, they would attempt to calculate for us the chances of this
world having its present design by mere happenstance. Frankly, I would like for any nonbelieiver
to tell me, what are the odds that the human digestive system, or the changing of the seasons, or
the metamorphosis of the butterfly and the tadpole, or the complexity of our solar system all just
by random chance developed to where they are today? I would like to hear any atheist discuss
the probability of this just happening. I tell you what, ladies and gentlemen, you are more likely
to find a cubic sphere than you are to prove that the organization of our world just happened by
chance. Let me illustrate this. Suppose someone gave you a deck of cards and asked you whether
you thought the order of the cards was the result of careful arrangement by an intelligent person
or the result of random shuffling. And upon examination of the cards, you find that all the aces
are together, then all the two, the threes, the fours, the fives, and so forth right through the kings.
Also, you find that all four suits always appeared in the same order - that is, spades, hearts,
diamonds and clubs. Then you find the deck arranged so that when you them dealt, that the
person to your left received all spades, the ace through king. And the person across from you
received all hearts, the ace through the king. Then the person to your right was dealt all
diamonds, the ace through the king. And, finally you dealt yourself all clubs, the ace through the
king. What would you conclude? Would you conclude that this happened by random shuffling or
by design? I’ll say this much, my friends, if this happened at a gambling table in Las Vegas
someone would be in serious trouble. This would be because for this to happen without any
outside cause [that is, by happenstance] the odds would be one in 80-million, million, million,
million, million, million, million, million, million, million, million. I said, 80 and the word
million eleven times. That is 80 with 60 zeros following to one. That would be like you getting
struck by lightening every time you went outside and getting attacked by a shark each time you
waded in the White River. But, do you know what? The chances that our world with its
incredible design just happening without any outside force (I.E., God) is even greater than that.
So, my friends, let the atheists address design and leave the unicorns and cubic spheres to
Sesame Street. And let the reasonable and honest mind consider the words of Psa. 19:1, the
heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork. Then, the second
thing this arrogant statement “Why the Christian God is Impossible” conveniently sidesteps is
the argument that says, If one affirms that he knows God does not exist, then he is - in fact -
affirming omniscience. Now, please stay with me on this, my friends. Whenever someone
affirms that he knows that God does not exist, then he is claiming to know all there is to know.
Now, atheists deny this. They attempt to dismiss this charge by saying this. “But the claim that
omniscience is needed to prove a universal negative presumes that the concept which we are
discussing is logically coherent.” Now, here is where I need for you to say with me. An atheist
states that he knows God does not exist. Therefore, I charge him with claiming to know all there
is to know, because if he says there are some things he doesn’t know, then the existence of God
may be one thing unknown to him. But, then he counters by stating that my conclusion is not
logically coherent. However, my friends, the atheist who claims he KNOWS God does not exist
is claiming to know everything that can be known, and this is omniscience. His denial is untrue!
Those who are affirming they KNOW that it is impossible for God to exist are affirming they
know the origin of the universe and the design about which we previously spoke came into
existence without being acted upon by a creator. That is, those claiming they know this are
affirming they know exactly what happened at the beginning of the world. If these who claim
that they know God does not exist claim they do not know everything that happened when our
universe came into existence, then perhaps the one thing, they don’t know is - that God created
the heavens and the earth. They are claiming omniscience in spite of their dishonest claim to the
contrary. But, they try to blunt the force of this by claiming that bringing God into the discussion
is not 1ogically coherent. But, I ask, logically coherent to whom? It may not be logically
coherent to the closed minded, but it is certainly logical and coherent to those willing to examine
the evidence. Two hundred years ago it was not logically coherent to discuss space stations and
walks on the moon. Five hundred years ago it was not logically coherent to discuss heart and
liver transplants. It might not be logically coherent to discuss radio waves with someone living
in the rain forest who has never been confronted by modern man. Cloning and artificial
insemination would not have seemed logically coherent to Lot and his daughters after the
destruction of Sodom, or else they would not have engaged in incest. My friends, when the
atheist wraps himself in his security blanket of not being logically coherent, it is just his
deceitful way of avoiding the biting truth that he is claiming omniscience. He is claiming he
knows everything but he is not honest enough to admit it.
II. Also, my friends, the writer of the pamphlet entitled, “Why the Christian God is Impossible”
attempts to discuss his understanding of God. Whenever we read what, he has to say, it becomes
immediately obvious that he refuses to accept even the remotest possibility that God did create
this universe. He asks: “What did God do during eternity before he created everything? If God
was all that existed back then, what disturbed the eternal equilibrium and compelled him to
create? Was he bored? Was he lonely?” Ladies and gentlemen, if this is the depth of atheism
then there is no wonder atheists’ refuse to engage in open and honest dialogue with believers. I
can now understand better why they are afraid to have creationism taught in their government
controlled schools. They cannot afford to let students examine the evidences for creation by God
and decide for themselves. Atheists spend their time wondering what God [if he does exist] did
in eternity before creation. I would urge anyone who gets bogged down here to remember this
scriptural admonition from God found in Psa. 50:21 that says you thought that I was altogether
like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes. Instead of spending
time wondering what and how God thinks, and what motivated him to create the world. I believe
atheism would be better served if it tried to offer us the alternative to creation. That is, if God did
not create this world, how did it get here? We are here - not even an atheist can deny that. Matter
exists - where did matter originate? The Christian says - in quoting Gen. 1:1, in the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth. Atheists will say that matter must have, in one form or
another, always existed. That is, all atheists will affirm that matter is eternal. That is, matter of
some kind always existed; that matter had no beginning, it is eternal. Christians say that God is
eternal, and atheists scoff and ask: “Was he lonely?” And, then they turn right around and say
that matter has always existed. Well, I wonder were these eternal molecules lonely? And was
their loneliness the reason they begin to evolve into what exists today? Now, think about this my
friends. Since matter does exist, then only one of two viewpoints can be true. One viewpoint is
that matter always existed, and the other viewpoint is that mind (or God) has always existed.
Either God or matter has always existed. Either intelligence or non-intelligence has always
existed. The atheist will say that the world, and all life, are here as a result of some lifeless
matter floating in space. They say that gases then begin to act upon this matter billions and
billions of years ago, resulting in a series of explosions, and the result of those explosions and
ensuing evolution are what we see today. Ladies and gentlemen, this a greater miracle than any
about which we read in the bible. Yet atheists scoff at all the miracles revealed in the bible.
However, it seems that atheists are more troubled over the subject of sin than they are of
anything else. As a matter of fact, the writer of the pamphlet “Why the Christian God is
Impossible” said that if he acknowledged - for the sake of argument - the existence of God. That
God would be the source of sin and imperfection in the world. He said: “What is perfect cannot
create anything imperfect, so God must be imperfect to have created these imperfect humans. A
perfect God who creates imperfect humans is impossible.” The position this statement affirms
fails to understand either creation, or the nature of man. God said in Gen. 1:27, so God created
man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
What atheists do not understand is that when we are told that man had been created in God’s
image, this did not refer to God’s inherent sinless nature. Instead, it referred to man’s eternal
spirit. Man has been created with an eternal spirit that is the offspring of God. Zech. 12:1 says,
thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms
the spirit of man within him. Also, the bible says in Gen. 1:31, then God saw everything that
he had made, and indeed it was very good. Even though man was created with an eternal spirit
in the very image of God, and even though all that God created was good, man was given some
very specific instructions. God said in Gen. 2:16-17, of every tree of the garden you may freely
eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die. Man was given - by God - volition. That is, a will with which he
could choose what to do, whether obey God and live, or disobey God and die. My friends, man
was endowed with volition. And, when man exercised his will, choosing to disobey the demand
of God, evil was introduced into the world. Paul expressed it like this in Rom. 5:12, therefore,
just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread
to all men, because all sinned. Most atheists reject this argument as weak. They do so because
most are under the mistaken notion that God gave man a will in order to provide man with
happiness. But, where do they come up with this? My friends, the truth of the matter is this. God
gave man freewill so that man would have the capacity and privilege to love God. John writes in
1 Jn. 4:19, we love him because he first loved us. Adam decided to disobey God, but this was
his choice totally. He was not preprogramed to act in such away.
III. What most atheists wish to disregard the most is accountability, and the man who wrote
“Why the Christian God is Impossible” is no different. He said: “God's sentencing of the
imperfect humans to an eternity in hell for a mere mortal lifetime of sin is infinitely unjust.” My
friends, the reason that most atheists reject Genesis 1 and 2 is because if they accept that God
created this world, then they must also accept that all men and women will be judged by him.
And this is something too frightening for them to fathom. So, they dream up all this
underhandedness and rationalization in an effort to make the idea of judgment and hell too
absurd to be believed. They lament that spending an eternity in hell for a mere 60 or 70 years of
wallowing in sin is unjust. Unjust, according to whom? They also think that hell was created for
those who did not tow God’s capricious and arbitrary line. Hell, my good friends, was not
created for man. The bible tells us in Matt. 25:41 that hell was prepared for the devil and his
angels. It is certain, however, that disobedient men and women will be cast into this eternal fire
along with the devil and his angels. However, this was not the purpose for the creation of hell.
And, as to the preposterous idea that eternity is far too long for one to spend being punished for
sins committed for a mere lifetime on earth. I will point out that atheists have no problem with
this concept when it applies to modern judicial punishment. How long does it take to bludgeon a
child to death? Is it then unjust to sentence someone to life in prison for a crime that took only
five or six minutes? The length of punishment has never been contingent upon how long it took
to commit the crime.
IV. But the writer under review saves his harshest criticism for the bible. A book that he claims
is filled with inaccuracies and mistakes. He calls the bible an “imperfect work.” He said: “No
two men will ever agree what this perfect word of God is supposed to mean, since much of it is
either self-contradictory, or obscured by enigma.” My friends, it is these kinds of people Jesus
had in mind when he explained the reason he spoke in parables. Jesus said in Matt. 13:13,
therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not
hear, nor do they understand. The bible seems to be a riddle to those who do not wish to
understand it. The bible seems self-contradictory and confusing to the closed minded and
dishonest. The Lord also said in Matt. 13:11 to his disciples, it has been given to you to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Those wishing to be
wise in their own understanding, along with those who view the bible as a book of foolishness,
will never understand its message. Paul said in 1 Cor. 1:18, for the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. I
refuse to get too worked up by the rants and ravings of foolish men. I just see - in them - the
fulfillment of what Christ said, they see but they really do not see. They hear, but they really
do not hear. Also, this self-proclaimed atheist under review offers to God some of his own
wisdom. He said: "Surely the all-wise and all-powerful God would have known that it would
have been better to reveal his perfect will directly to each of us” instead of by the bible. My
friends, what atheists do not understand is that God did - in times past reveal his word directly to
man. And, you know what? Man still perverted it! Besides, if men are unwilling to listen to and
acknowledge the scriptures, then there is nothing God could do. For example, I’m sure you
remember the story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus in Lk. 16. In eternity the rich man
wanted someone to return from the realm of the dead in an effort to warn his five brothers in
order to keep them from the place of torment where the rich man was now suffering. However,
he was told by Abraham in verse 29, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
That is, they had the scriptures and these brothers should listen to what God said in those
scriptures. God was not about to speak directly to those brothers, warning them of what awaited
beyond the grave. Instead they should have listened to what God already said through the
scriptures. As a matter of fact, if they refused to heed the scriptures, then it would not make any
difference what God did, because they would not listen. Verse 31 continues, if they do not hear
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. To the
consternation of all unbelievers, God has chosen to reveal himself through the inspired pages of
scripture and not directly to each man or woman. 2 Pet. 1:21 says, for prophecy never came by
the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But, the
question is, can this word be understood? Certainly it can - by those who desire to understand it.
However, Paul warned in 1 Cor. 2:14, but the natural man does not receive the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. So long as the bible is viewed as an enigma it will not be understood. The
bible has been written in a way that those who desire to know of its teaching will. Once, Jesus
was asked in Jn. 10:24, how long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us
plainly. These people had the same problem that modern atheists have. They were put out with
Christ because they felt he had been ambiguous in his teaching. They demanded that he just
speak plainly so they could understand. But, note carefully the Lord’s response in verse 25, I
told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness
of me. Jesus said, I have told you, the problem is not the way I am teaching, instead it’s the way
you are hearing. And, this is how it is with modern atheists. They simply refuse to listen to what
God is saying within his word. They also claim that God’s word is filled with contradictions.
This man, under review said, “One need look to no source other than the bible to discover its
imperfections, for it contradicts itself . . .” I’m often amused when I hear this, because the
evidence offered is so unbelievably anaemic. If the bible is filled with contradictions then we
should find some massive and overwhelming evidence. But all we are ever presented with are
some frivolous innuendos of variances. For example, this man’s weight of evidence centers
around three things. One is what he considers to be contradictory justice. He struggles to
reconcile some actions of God with his subjective sense of justice. Two, he cites what is
considered to be contradictory history. And third, he claims the bible is confused about the
lineage of Jesus. This is often said because of the differences in Matthew and Luke’s account of
the ancestors of Jesus. My friends, if there were real contradictions, don’t you think these
atheists would focus upon them instead of things like the linage of Christ? I challenge anyone
claiming the bible is filled with contradictions, list them. Don’t speak in vague generalities, list
the contradictions one by one. And when you do, then we will answer them.
CONCLUSION :
A. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to remind you that men have tried to destroy the concept of God
for millenniums but they always meet with failure. And modern atheists who rail against God
will likewise fail. God is, and his word still directs us to him. In truth, the fool has said in his
heart, there is no God.
B. And with that I must close for today. Thanks for being with us and stay tuned for some
important closing announcements. Be sure to join us again next week as we again open our
bibles and Search the Scriptures. Until then, for the Danville church of Christ, this is J.R.
Bronger saying goodbye for now.