How should Christians respond to the new atheism? By the “new atheism” I mean the new, aggressive, evangelistic form of atheism.
As the saying goes, nature abhors a vaccuum. Why do we have a battle over gay marriage? Because we abandoned traditional marriage back in the 70s with no-fault divorce laws and allowed marriage to be defined by how we felt at any given moment. We relinquished our core arguments about how marriage was biblically based and for the benefit of children and for a stable society, and the culture rushed in to redefine it. When the purpose of marriage is to affirm love, it’s much harder to argue why same sex couples – or more than two people – should not engage in it. Because who are we to assess the quantity or value of their emotions?
Why do we have massive government social programs? Because the church allowed government to encroach on its mission field. And the more government encroaches, the less the church seems to do. The American church is actually less generous now than it was during the Great Depression. If we’re not going to take care of the poor, the widows and the orphans, why shouldn’t the government?
Why is atheism suddenly, boldly recruiting? Because mainstream Christianity has allowed itself to be so watered down, “seeker friendly,” too-hip-to-be-biblical, that it looks a whole lot like popular culture. Rather than evangelize to a lost world and proclaim the glory and sufficiency of Christ, we’ve affirmed the benefits of a lost world and tried to sell fire insurance policies of salvation via a softened, unbiblical faith. “Acceptable” Christianity has been redefined in such a way – essentially “the world plus Jesus” – that it’s very easy to then move on to a rationale for “the world minus Jesus.” If enjoying our earthly lives is the most important thing, if all religions are really equally good and there are many paths to God, why would anyone acknowledge or seek forgiveness for sin?
While I agree with the Wintery Knight that apologetics are a critically important response to atheism, I also think apologetics should be accompanied with more hands on service. As James pointed out, faith without works is dead. Or as Jesus put it,
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 5:13-16 ESV)
No disagreement here, Laura! Thanks for the link!
“Rather than evangelize to a lost world and proclaim the glory and sufficiency of Christ, we’ve affirmed the benefits of a lost world and tried to sell fire insurance policies of salvation via a softened, unbiblical faith.”
Great point. That’s why I had that snarky list at the end. Look – if this is true, then we should be letting it change our priorities.
Wintery Knight recently posted..The best book on government is Mark Levin’s “Liberty and Tyranny”
Two thoughts.
1. Why, when I feel the need for some rousing bible-based reinforcement, do you think I pull up a Glenn Beck radio or television program, or his commencement speech at Liberty University or one of his stage shows. Or the Restoring Honor Rally. Seems like once in a while it would occur to me to go to church, except……
Except I really don’t need to hear any more about social justice, or big tents, or liberation “theology” or taking the blame for stuff I had nothing to do with.
If you want to have your faith pumped up–watch the Liberty University speech, even (especially) if you think he has noting to say.
2. Hmmmm….now I have forgotten what the second one was.
I don’t dislike Glenn Beck. Nor, I confess, do I love him. I have a couple of his books, I occasionally listen to his radio show, and never catch his TV show but only because I don’t have cable TV. So please don’t think of this as Beck-bashing; it’s really not personal at all.
He’s a rousing speaker, but absolutely not a good source of biblical truth. His statements on faith are very superficial and vague – he’s sort of a political Joel Osteen. In Beck’s case, he made the point that he wants to focus on the general concepts where we agree, rather than particular doctrines where we disagree – which is good sense, because his own faith doesn’t bear up well to biblical scrutiny. The thing is, doctrine and theology matter a great deal. I can be full of faith that it’s safe to cross the street without looking, but that doesn’t stop the truck from rolling over me. Faith is no protection. Truth is.
I don’t think what he’s doing is all bad, mind you – I think there is a certain value in stirring people up, getting them to consider spiritual things. But he doesn’t have answers, and there’s a real danger in just leaving people out there hanging, thinking Beck provided them with answers and not questions and platitudes. For example: in the Liberty U speech he advises us to “root ourselves in the gospel of peace - stand for liberty!” That sounds pretty good, except it’s not biblical unless he means liberty in Christ, which is not at all political; it’s freedom from the power of sin. And in context, that’s not what he meant. If Christianity, if the gospel of peace, was a call to stand for political liberty, that is a slap in the face of Christians in Darfur and Zimbabwe and all oppressed Christians in history.
All of this to say – Beck is filling the vaccuum. But I don’t think he’s filling it with the right thing. Next time you feel the need for some rousing bible-based reinforcement, try out a couple of John Piper sermon jams and let me know what you think of them.
BTW, if your church is involving itself in politics – “social justice, big tents, liberation theology” – you really should find another church. Politics has no place in the pulpit.
Glenn Beck is a little annoying at times with his excessive emotionalism, but I mostly agree with Larry. Churches waste their time telling us to “be content” or love our wives or “focus on God” or follow other vague and hollow directives. It’s only when you listen to people like Glenn Beck that you actually get to hear God’s vision for how society is really supposed to be run.
//Politics has no place in the pulpit.//
Flatly, 100% WRONG. And that’s a huge part of the problem. We foolish American Christians seem to think that homosexuality and abortion are the only issues God cares about (and of course, some churches don’t even care about those). What a lame excuse for a religion.
Drew, I look to the bible, not to Glenn Beck, for God’s vision on how society is supposed to work. For pity’s sake – the guy is a Mormon. He looks to Joseph Smith for spiritual guidance. That’s WHY he’s being so vague when he talks about faith.
As for politics in the pulpit – there is only one kingdom that the church is responsible for working to build, and it’s not this one. I think you’re being very shortsighted. We’re talking about eternity, not the next election cycle or even ten election cycles. Be in the world, not of the world.
Is capitalism righteous or wrong? And if it’s not righteous, then why do you condemn the Leftists for destroying it? The Founders didn’t establish our country the way they did just because they felt like it. They did it because that’s the way God commanded them to set things up.
I don’t think the choice is whether capitalism is righteous or wrong. It’s a system, subject to being used abusively from both ends of the spectrum. People can be righteous or not, and capitalism is a tool available to us to organize our economic system. God puts the kings on the thrones and establishes kingdoms as he sees fit. He’s seen fit to place American Christians in a semi-capitalist, mostly free market, federal republic. He’s seen fit to put Zimbabwean Christians under an insane dictator who reduced their country from being known as the breadbasket of Africa to a place where people regularly starve. Yet the gospel is true for all of us equally.
Going on the assumption that God commanded the Founders to set things up a certain way – and they were definitely not all biblical Christians – Jefferson for example was such an arrogant git he rewrote the bible more to his liking – it doesn’t necessarily follow that that is the way God intended things to be forever. God commanded the Israelites to set things up a certain way as well – and later replaced that covenant entirely.
Bottom line; corrupt people form a corrupt government; righteous people will form a righteous government. The purpose of Christianity is to remake people, not government. Change should be bottom-up based on hearts changed by evangelism at best, moral suasion at worst – not imposed from the top-down.
You are mostly ignoring the issue. If God does not support capitalism, why do you? If God does support it, then why are you saying that churches should not?
//Bottom line; corrupt people form a corrupt government; righteous people will form a righteous government.//
So…are you admitting that conservatism and capitalism are righteous?
I’m not ignoring the issue, I’m saying your paradigm is incorrect. Capitalism is no more righteous than a hammer; it’s just an economic system, a tool. It is the person holding the hammer who either exhibits righteousness, or does not. You’re conflating people with ideas and things. Government is made of people; it’s the people within government – and the people who select them to form the government – who determine the level of corruption or righteousness in government.
Should churches in Darfur be preaching capitalism, or should they be preaching the comfort of a saving God? There is one gospel, not the American gospel and the African gospel. What America MOST lacks is not capitalism or a better political system, it is God. It is the job of churches to address that lack.
Also – God has established all the governments of the world, not just the United States. If you believe in a sovereign God who loves us and is active in our lives, then it follows that he has done so for our good and His glory. Decades of oppressive, abusive treatment in China brought forth amazing testimonies – read about Watchman Nee, and about the Boxer Rebellion – and exponential church growth to the point that there are now more Christians in China than members of the Communist party.
I think to some extent we’re talking past each other here – kind of like Ayn Rand’s beliefs about enlightened self-interest and why she so heartily opposed religion. I agree with what she said about enlightened self-interest being the best motivator of humankind, but I also contend that she did not see far enough when she derided self-sacrifice. When you factor in a sovereign God and eternity, enlightened self-interest looks very different. (“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”) I think you are not looking far enough ahead.
From my About page:
“God is not a Republican or a Democrat – He’s a monarchist. So although I am politically conservative because I believe that conservative ideals are most likely to provide an environment where I am free to practice my faith, create wealth with which to help the poor, enjoy freedom and spread it around so that fewer people are oppressed… I’m also aware that this world is not my home. ”
I approve of and enjoy capitalism for the reasons I expressed. I’m thankful God gave it to us. We’ve done a lot of good with it, and the church could do far more good if we were less selfish. But in the end, capitalism is chaff, not wheat. Capitalism will not be practiced in heaven, where the streets are gold and we finally understand that the purpose of our existence is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And because capitalism – and our Federal Republic – are only temporary establishments, I think it is unwise to focus on them to the point that we lose sight of the living God and our real purpose for existence. There are other places to advocate for politics. Churches need to advocate for God.
// I’m saying your paradigm is incorrect. Capitalism is no more righteous than a hammer; it’s just an economic system, a tool. It is the person holding the hammer who either exhibits righteousness, or does not. You’re conflating people with ideas and things.//
Is murder righteous or unrighteous? Is cocaine righteous or unrighteous? You can argue about terminology all you want, but the issue is whether God supports these things, whether he supports capitalism or whether he supports socialism. And if you think God supports socialism then you ought to be a socialist and not a capitalist. If you don’t think God supports either one, then you have no moral right to condemn the Leftists and you may as well close down your blog — or else focus solely on the more non-economic issues like abortion and homosexuality.
//Should churches in Darfur be preaching capitalism, or should they be preaching the comfort of a saving God?//
It was you who was complaining about churches that only preach salvation from hell and neglect to teach sanctification. I think in Darfur they should preach about salvation from hell AND about capitalism, as well as about everything else that the Bible advocates. And the same goes for here.
God has already declared that murder and intoxication are sinful, so that’s not a very good comparison. And he certainly supported “from each according to his ability to each according to his need” in Acts. (Which is different from modern socialism because it was entirely voluntary and done for the purpose of glorifying God; as in the example of Ananias and Sapphira, corrupt people operate corrupt systems. Or in their case, try to.) But where I’m going with this is that in history God has not restricted himself to only free market capitalism. Obviously, the fact that God has worked mightily in China under Communism, says something about his glory and power and the methods he chooses to use to display those things. You seem extremely focused on building an earthly kingdom. You’re demanding that I declare whether God supports capitalism; I’m telling you that the reality is that God USES all kinds of things to advance his kingdom – not this kingdom. I’m not saying he opposes capitalism or supports communism. I’m saying he’s a big God and that his plans are not our plans. Rather than try to fit him into our world, we should be trying to fit ourselves for eternity in HIS world. Look, if I send you a copy of John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life, will you read it?
Well now you at least sound open to the idea that maybe God DOES support capitalism, but since you haven’t been taught the Bible’s teachings about capitalism, you remain skeptical. This is exactly why I’m saying that churches should teach capitalism. If they don’t, they aren’t teaching the Bible and are being negligent in carrying out their duties. As a result, devout Christians often remain ignorant of biblical teachings on economics. Then they have to turn to Dave Ramsey or Glenn Beck if they want to hear practical truths.
//God has already declared that murder and intoxication are sinful, so that’s not a very good comparison.//
God also declared that a worker deserves his wages, and that stealing is wrong, and that profit is good.
I would recommend that you order the book “Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt-Manipulators.” Maybe that can convince you. It goes through basically the whole Bible and discusses the parts that apply to economics, and it specifically refutes various passages that the socialists often try to misuse to prop up their demonic doctrines.
And I would at least consider reading any book that you recommend, but I don’t really feel like I’m wasting my life at present and I’m not sure what the purpose of the Piper book is. I’m not a huge fan of Piper, but that’s mainly because I hate lordship salvation and I feel like Piper is sympathetic to it. His non-soteriological stuff may be fine, though.
Incidentally, you might want to reconsider where you’re going to church, if all you’re getting from the pulpit are vague platitudes about focusing on God.
Isn’t the new atheism just atheism no longer hiding?
I have been invited to churches throughout my life but it is only recently that I decided to no longer be silent about being an atheist. In the past I felt that I would be insulting a believer to voice my own beliefs. Now I try to be honest but not hostile.
I do agree that acts speak much louder than words. People who talk about being Christians while behaving abhorrently just reaffirm my aversion to overt religiousness. I admire those who actually live their beliefs.
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I agree atheism is no longer hiding. And I’m actually glad about that. There’s a bible verse about being either hot or cold, but not lukewarm. I prefer it when people openly pick a side.
Disbelief isn’t insulting, though people definitely can be. I’m a fan of Christopher Hitchens and Pat Condell and Penn Jillette in spite of how they excoriate religion, because they may sometimes speak a bit harshly, but they are pretty civil. Best to duke these things out and have an open and honest discussion – that’s what apologetics are for. (In fairness, believers can be uncivil and off-putting too, obviously it goes both ways…)