Militant ATHEISM versus JESUS CHRIST
"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring" (Acts 17:27, 28).
Having realized abundant blessings as a result of the manifold grace of God and the influence of and fair degree of obedience to His principals and precepts1 (as well as harm due to the neglect of them), the western world has largely forsaken the most critical aspect of it's foundation, and “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever” (Rm. 1:25). As Abraham Lincoln once said, in the face of a far less degree of spiritual declension, “we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”
Man without the living and true God is spiritually dead, and makes gods out of created things, which unlike the living and true God, will ultimately fail him. Presently, with the realization of increasing loss of security and discontent, another “faith” is arising which promotes itself as the answer in contrast to (it's portrayal of) religion.
An atheistic trinity of writers, Richard Dawkins, Samuel Harris, and Christopher Hitchens (deceased, now in Hell if he died unrepentant) enjoyed much success in evangelizing dangerous “militant atheism. It is in response to which and it's predominate claims that this page is written.
1. Atheism claims to be different than “religion, which requires faith, but atheism itself is a position of faith, for unlike a baby who cannot believe milk comes from a cow since he is not capable of such reasoning nor has knowledge of such, then even a person who can only believes what he was told but which cannot be proved is a believer, and how much more in the context of evidence indicative of a contrary position even if neither position is not conclusively scientifically settled.
And indeed, while a creator God is typically rejected by atheists/anti-theists (seldom different) even as a hypothesis, the belief that there is no God or gods is something they cannot prove. And to believe that an exceedingly vast, systematically ordered universe, exquisitely finely tuned for life as we kmow it, with profound intricate, elaborate complexity and extensive diversity, can be all a result of purely natural processes requires much faith. More so i submit, than that the universe logically testifies to design, requiring a First Cause (at the least), that of a being of supreme power and intelligence being behind the existence of energy and organization of matter, and laws regarding the same. See https://peacebyjesuscom.blogspot.com/2024/09/is-there-scientific-evidence-for-god-is.html
Atheists assert that there is no Creator/Designer, thus all matter came from nothing, or
was (somehow) pre-existent, and developed and arranged itself without
any Designer (thus time, matter and chance become like gods, being intelligent). Yet the
fact of an exceedingly complex and orderly universe (in which
disorder is manifest an aberration) manifests design, from simplicity
to complexity (with God being outside the created order); the origins
and arrangement of which is not explained by the powers attributed to
it by atheistic evolutionists.
Ultimately, atheistic evolution
appeals to them because they are in rebellion against their Creator,
and want no moral authority over themselves, unless he operates out
of the same objectively baseless system they prefer.
In
contrast, the Bible is an immutable and proven source of truth and
morality, and of liberty with it's necessary limits — if it is
obeyed as stated. And thus the history of the New Testament. church
was not that of any physical wars but of sincere worship, preaching
and healing the sick, feeding the poor, and caring for the dying, and
hard work in civil and eternal affairs.
2.
Atheism denies the unique sense of God that man is born with (worship
is an activity peculiar to man), thus history evidences that atheism
lends itself to worship (whatever you live for is your god), not only
of one's self, but also other earthly authorities, to their own hurt
and that of others.
In
contrast, those who are truly born again and are faithful followers
of Christ do not place implicit faith in men (Ps. 118:18, 19), but
follow them insofar as they lead in accordance with with the word of
God (thus otherwise good men are imprisoned by atheistic governments
when they do not bow down to the State “religion”).
3.
Militant atheism usually broad-brushes all religions together as
oppressive and violent (militant Islam is thus their polemical best
friend), while ignoring atheism's potential to do likewise or worse,
and overall it feeds on and produces unhealthy discontent.
4.
Militant atheism further demonstrates that it is like what it
condemns by it's increasingly dogmatic declarations, religious
fervor, and communistic-type desire to control children's minds. Many
atheists today support prohibiting the teaching of religion to
children, and even removing children from Christian/creationists
homes. Instead, they effectively support making atheistic secularism
the State sanctioned religion (which it largely has become) ―
all in the name of separation of Church and State. Militant atheism's
Communistic-type propaganda is evident in books by the three
aforementioned authors, in which they slander a category of people in
seeking to incite class hatred, indiscriminately equating evangelical
Christianity together with militant Islam as threats to world peace,
and without warrant, exalting themselves as man's savior.
The
currently famous atheist author Harris calls for forcing all
religious “witch doctors out of our lives before they explode
the bomb,” yet the history of atheism is most manifest as that
of violent suppression and brain washing. And in stark contrast to
such charges, no one was ever the object of physical force by a true
Christian in seeking to evangelize or defend the faith, when acting
consistent with the doctrine of the New Testament. For in contrast to
such religions as Islam and atheism, Biblical Christianity seeks not
a physical kingdom, but we who truly believe are part of a spiritual
one, and thus “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,”
but spiritual, as we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but ..
against spiritual wickedness” (Eph. 6:12).
The
Inquisitions and Crusades which militant atheists often invoke in
their propaganda, required and promoted ignorance of the Bible, as
Roman Catholicism very clearly acted contrary to it, and those who
loved the Bible were also subjects of her unBiblical ethos and
actions.
That
form of Christianity more formally came about after the 4th
century church (which had already somewhat deviated from Biblical
doctrine) stood as the primary stable institution in western Europe
as the the Roman Empire dissolved, and the Roman church yielded to
the temptation to unBiblically take on much of the form and means of
the Empire, replete with a Caesario-papacy, and the use of it's
carnal means to fight it's battles.
5.
As atheism has no transcendent objective authority for morality, they
essentially appeal to Biblical or otherwise religious morality in
seeking to present themselves as morally superior, while logic and
history warrant just the opposite assurance that they will be so when
in control. In contrast, the result of true surrender to Christ in
repentance and faith is overall that of life and peace and good will
toward others, and beneficial productivity.
6.
Lacking any transcendent objective authoritative code of morals
(unless one considers Darwin's “Origin..,” to be such),
atheism operates out of an objectively baseless morality, and can
only assure us it will do what is “reasonable” to them,
in contrast to such as go by the Bible. Atheists also typically
insist that social Darwinist Hitler was a Christian (contrary to
Biblical Christianity, and Hitler, like atheism, had plans to
eliminate Christianity in any form), while vehemently protesting
against atheism being linked to men like Stalin. Yet the fact is mass
murderers like Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot and multitude more were
in-deed acting out of atheism's basis for morality (or lack thereof),
doing what was pragmatically “reasonable” to them in
slaying and subjugating their multitudes.'
How
soon we forget. The Stalinist Purges produced 61 million dead and
Mao's Cultural Revolution saw 70 million casualties, while Pol Pot
and the Khmer Rouge killed up to 6 million with the support of
atheistic China. These casualties were just those of their own
people! Atheist Lenin saw the massive Russian famine as a good thing,
as he felt it would help eliminate the people's faith in God.
Thus
organized militant atheism has a bloody legacy that is recently worse
than even false formal religions (though modern weapons helped). If
false religion was the opiate of the people, atheism was their
poison.
Atheism
even desperately attempts to attribute Stalin's atrocities to his
upbringing as a Orthodox Russian Catholic, or his and fellow
atheist's crimes on “political religion.” But Stalin was
not acting out his primitive faith (if he even possessed it), much
less Biblical Christian faith, nor was political religion the real
cause of their slaughter and oppression. Rather, Stalin and the
aforementioned national atheistic murderers were acting out of the
“morality” atheism allows, and which easily fosters it's
instrumental political religion, which encouraged and enabled them to
whatsoever seemed right in their own eyes (contra,. Dt. 12:8). As
Dostoevsky stated: ”If God is dead, then all things are
possible!”
7.
Atheism has not built countries in which beneficial western ideals of
fairly elected officials, small government, freedom of speech and
address of government, private enterprise, and capitalistic economy
were foundational, nor is atheism naturally widespread in countries
unless imposed by atheistic governments (and which government
typically wage war against the above ideals). Rather, atheism ideally
builds upon a foundation that has benefited by Christian influence,
but has drifted from it (or realized corrupt forms of it), and then
it works to create Communistic-type propaganda, then to supplant and
suppress Christian morality and teaching, thus effectively or
formally making it's ethos the mandatory State religion.
Many
atheists also have notably stood out as anarchists, which is not
surprising, as both Communism and anarchism are both driven by a
rebellious spirit and lust for power (Prv. 28:2), which resents
authority, but can easily justify forcibly subjugating others.
In
contrast, Biblical Christianity works to brings souls to be
controlled from within, by the Spirit of Christ and (or at least) an
unselfish moral conscience, so that they need not be controlled from
without, thereby enabling small government
Moreover
Biblical Christianity supports free enterprise1,
diligent work (Prv. 22:29; 31:10-31), investigation and wisdom (Prv.
15:28), and democratic practice (Acts 6:3). As well as the principal
of separation of church and State (Mt. 22:21; 1Cor. 5:12), which
Christian Roger Williams (founder of R.I.) first instituted in
America. It also clearly requires diligent obedience to civil rulers
(Rm. 13; 1Pet. 2:13, 14), unless clear moral comprise is required. In
addition, it promotes learning and effects more philanthropy than any
other belief system,
All
told, Biblical Christianity has not been tried and found wanting, but
overall has been found wanting to be tried. In contrast, atheism is
shown to be simply another false religion, and a dangerous one. This
is not to say that atheists cannot be overall good people, and even
better than many formal religionists, for God has given an innate
sense of right and wrong to all, and insofar as a person, nation, or
religion obeys the “light” they have from God, the better
off they and others are.
But
while other religions usually possess an objective, codified
authority (a type of “holy”book) which generally guides
or constrains them on them in how they will act, in atheism all one
ultimately has to go by is their own sense of right and wrong as
seems reasonable to them. And as history abundantly illustrates, what
seems reasonable to atheism can easily be what they see as practical
to achieving their ideals, with means that are cruelly suppressive,
manipulative, injurious and destructive to those who oppose them.
Yet
as atheism charges, this is often indeed what theistic religion also
does — though some more than others — with the exception
of one. And that is Biblical Christianity. An examination of the
faith and practice of the early church in the Bible reveals none of
the above objections, rather we see a community of believers who used
neither violence nor carnal coercion to gain followers, but "By
pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy
Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God,
by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left"
(2 Cor 6:6-7), and “mighty signs and wonders, by the power of
the Spirit of God” (Rm. 15:19), so “believers were the
more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (Acts
5:14). Such believers, from all occupations, were persecuted (and
even called atheists) because they would not worship Caesar as the
State religion mandated.
The
first believers were all Jewish, who saw in Christ the leader who was
prophesied in the Bible over 700 years previous, that would be born
in the non-nondescript town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). And of whom the
prophet Isaiah foretold would be “wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement
of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 5:5,
6). And who “showed himself alive after his passion by many
infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3).
No
other person ever born except Christ (the existence of whom is also
testified to by non-Christian historians such as Josephus) has
fulfilled so many prophecies, nor is there any who lived sinlessly
and so selflessly, then died for our sins and rose victoriously, and
who can provide forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who
trust Him. And whose reality is evidenced by abundant and ongoing
positive empirical proofs. Which is that ALL those who genuinely turn
in their hearts to the LORD Jesus from sin, and cast all their faith
in Him who gave Himself for them (and not in one's own merit or that
of a church, etc.), realize effects that correspond to the claims of
Object of their faith, and are contingent upon obedience to Him. A
careful study of solid believers, of their lives the day and years
before their day of salvation and those after it, will reveal such
changes in heart and life, initially and on going, that are overall
unique among religion in means and scope, and ultimately defy
naturalist explanations.
In
Matthew 27:22 we read how Pontius Pilate asked the base multitude
before him the eternal question, “What shall I do then with
Jesus which is called Christ? Their response was “Let him be
crucified” — to their own damnation. What you do with
Jesus Christ reveals what you ultimately love, and determines where
you will spend eternity. All have sinned, misusing the good things
and breaking the good laws God has given us, and no sin can enter
into God's holy and blessed heaven, and those who love sin over
Christ shall spend eternity tormented in a place just the opposite of
Heaven! We pray that you would not sin away your day of grace, but
humble yourself as a sinner before God, and turn from sin to Christ,
asking Him to save you. And which decision is shown by being baptized
and following Him who alone can promise, “I will never leave
thee nor forsake the. To God be the glory!
For
more on this see here
To
download a (2007) version of this in tract form, click here
For
home page and contact info, see www.peacebyjesus.net
1http://www.garynorth.com/public/department57.cfm
More
sources relevant to atheism (note that such listings cannot infer
that I necessarily agree with all a site may contain) :
|
POLEMICS (countering atheists arguments) http://net-burst.net/hot Issues That Make Christians Squirm! http://www.christian-thinktank.com http://www.tektonics.org/copycathub.html (Were Bible stories and characters stolen from pagan myths?) http://www.christian-thinktank.com/ http://www.christian-thinktank.com/copycat.html http://www.answering-islam.org/Bible/Contra/index.html (responses to Alleged Bible contradictions) http://www.muslimhope.com/BibleAnswers.htm (responses to alleged Bible contradictions by verse ) http://www.epsociety.org/library/articles.asp?pid=45 (Is Yahweh a Moral Monster?) http://www.answers.org/atheism/zindler.html (Atheism vs. Christianity, A Response to Unanswered Questions) http://www.harvardhouse.com/site-map.htm (“Spiritual Technology: Worm Hole to Another Universe”) http://atheism-analyzed.blogspot.com/ http://www.tektonics.org/jesusexisthub.html http://www.tektonics.org/uz/wally01.html (Joe Wallack's 10001 Errors...) http://www.tektonics.org/af/barkerd01.html (Answer Key for Dan Barker's "Bible Contradictions") VIDEO: Dr Maurice Rawlings - NDE – Interviews: To Hell and Back; including an atheist) Download NDE Research: Gary habermas Near Death Experiences and the Afterlife (Video File download) AMAZING TESTIMONIES VIDEOS (700 club) |