When I
asked someone I care about to read Mere Christianity, he asked me in turn to read "The
God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. The expectation I have is to
respond to him chapter by chapter, but rather than do that via letter or FB
posting, I am choosing to post my notes from reading Dawkin's book on this
blog. In doing so, I am trying to
write so that it makes sense even if you don't have Richard's book, which is
essentially an atheist viewpoint against religion in general, and Christianity
in specific. What follows then is my
thinking as I read it:
Preface
In the
preface, Richard Dawkins only half-mockingly quotes, "You and I, of
course, are much too intelligent and well educated to need religion." He then tries to dispel that line of thought, but later in
the preface he goes on to say that atheism always always indicates a healthy
mind (inputing that Christians have unhealthy minds). On this point I will take my first argument with atheist
thinking. The very premise of all truly
Christian thinking begins with the understanding that we are not perfect, but
rather sinners. This is actually not
exclusively a Christian concept - every single one of us knows that we do
things that we innately know are not correct, for we all have a built in sense
of right and wrong - a sense we ourselves violate, at least occasionally.
Scripture
records that the very first sin was not committed by mankind, but by a created
being that existed before mankind. That created being, finding
himself to be so fantastic in almost every aspect, sought to elevate himself to
the position of God. In thinking this and acting
on it he committed the sin of pride and was subsequently cast out of God's
permanent presence. Unfortunately he first
infected mankind with this same sin by tempting Adam and Eve. Thus, Christianity teaches that pride is the
"original sin". Certainly Richard
demonstrates this same pride in suggesting that refusing to acknowledge God is
a matter of intelligence, education or the health of your mind. Indeed, in making such statement he looks down his nose at
all who would claim to know God Most High! Yet of all the sciences,
theology is well recognized as the highest (requiring the most intelligence and
brilliant of minds), and requires the very deepest of thought. What could possibly be more
intellectually demanding than the searching out, the examination and the study
of Him who is the very source of all intelligence? What could be more healthy than the pursuit of Him who is
the very source of all health? Later in the preface Richard
further entrenches his erroneous viewpoint when he makes the comment that the
number of atheists is higher among the educated (another reflection of his
above mentioned viewpoint). But I will not dispute the statistic of itself, for Scripture
declares the same statistic (see 1Cor 1:18-31)!
"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. For it is written: “I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will
frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where
is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish
the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the
world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the
foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews
demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those
whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the
weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
How blessed we are that God does not require that we have a
particularly high IQ or even a capacity to be able to wrestle through difficult
thoughts! His salvation is free to all,
easy to understand for all! For each of
us knows we need a solution to our sins.
That is the beauty of the Gospel.
To those He is drawing it is beautiful.
To those who refuse Him, it is foolishness!
Dawkins
quotes Phillip Johnson as saying that Darwinism frees people from the delusion
that a higher power controls their destiny.
I have to take exception to that too! Christianity and the Scripture
clearly lay out that God is not controlling your destiny. you get to choose if you want to draw near to
God (to your great benefit) or to steer away from Him (to your great destruction). In fact, almost daily you make decisions that
either move you closer to Him or apart from Him. That is not His doing, but your own. He desires that you would draw near, for He
knows that as His creation, you need Him.
But He gave us free choice, and we can exercise that free choice to our
own hurt. Such is the mercy of God – His salvation from sin, His power to live in holiness, His
joy, His peace, His grace and all spiritual riches in Christ ARE OURS if we
choose Him! Praise God!
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