REFORMED WITNESS
Volume I, August 1993, Number 8
The Cruelties of Atheism
How it deceives, drawing people from faith, and inflicting terrible consequences upon society
Article by Dr. Peter Masters
From the Sword & Trowel 1993 No. 1Also in this issue: The Proper Reply To Atheists
When the apostle Paul reviewed the tragic and degenerate condition of the human race, he quoted King David in Psalm 36 - There is no fear of God before their eyes - as the explanation. The Greek word which Paul used for fear is a strong word, indicating terror or alarm. In the psalm which he quotes the original Hebrew text uses a word which means, 'they cannot be startled'.
The kind of fear which the psalmist and Paul both have in mind is an instinct of God which may alarm one. When would this happen? Usually, when a person intended to commit some despicable act or sin. At such a moment an awareness that God exists may suddenly trouble the conscience and a powerful restraint, maybe even a fear of judgement, will be felt. As the knife is raised, metaphorically speaking, to do the deed then the realization that there is a supreme Judge 'startles' the would-be sinner. The great objective of atheism is to get rid of this unwanted restraint. It is seen as an emotion which interferes with our freedom to run our own lives, and do what we like. Atheism wants to have its own way morally. The idea that God is there, and that He is holy and may call us to account, is an inconvenient, obstructive idea, and it must go. People say, 'I want to be completely in charge of my own life. I do not want to be intimidated by a "nanny" society or a Puritan God. I do not want any critical voice ringing in my ears and interfering with my plans. Nor will I tolerate the sense of shame which would certainly plague me if I believed in God and the standards of the Bible.' Militant or passive? This is atheism. An atheist is a person who is determined to get the instinctive awareness of God completely out of his mind. To be fair, we must recognize that there are two kinds of atheist. On the one hand, there is the militant promoter of atheism: the ardent, aggressive atheist who is determined to disprove God, reject all faith, and to persuade as many other people as possible to do the same. On the other hand, there is the 'passive-atheist', or the 'receptive-atheist'. This is the person who has simply absorbed atheism from the unrelenting barrage of anti-Christian, anti-spiritual propaganda which assails us in this present age. Passive-atheists, like militant promoters of atheism, have no fear of God before their eyes. They push God out of their thinking and out of their lives, and do not believe that He exists and sees what they are doing. But they do this because they have been persistently lied to by militant atheism, and they have believed the lies. We do not say that passive-atheists are not responsible for their atheism, because all atheism is sin, which will eventually be judged by Almighty God. Even if I am just a victim, who has absorbed atheism from the society around, I am still guilty, because I am a willing victim. At my final judgement I will not be able to plead that I was just swept along with the crowd. The truth behind our atheism is that we want it this way. It suits us to have no fear of God before our eyes, as we shall soon see. Many passive-atheists have not fully recognized their own atheism, adopting instead the label - agnostic. But an agnostic is the same as an atheist, except that he puts it slightly differently. The agnostic says, 'I don't know; nothing can be known about God.' Agnosticism is a 'keep your head down' form of atheism in which people are either unwilling or unable to defend their position. Some people think that agnosticism is a rather neutral position to take up. To them it sounds humble and reasonable, but really the agnostic is saying to those around - 'It's not possible to know about God, and I don't want to know about Him.' this is just the same as atheism. Today atheism is the popular ideology; the generally accepted and pre-eminent point of view. The media is controlled by atheists, and its opinions are everywhere. It is 'in charge'. Because atheism is the ruling outlook of the times, people get the impression that it is the only valid point of view - the philosophy which possesses all the strong arguments. But the exact opposite is the case, and it is only too easy to expose the shallowness and flimsiness of atheism. Seeing the flaws The purpose of this article is not to direct hostility or ridicule to anyone, but to challenge atheists to see the gigantic flaws and the horrific consequences of the ideas which have been pressed upon them. It is to persuade them that they have been taken advantage of, even to some extent manipulated and brainwashed into rejecting the existence of God. This is a plea to all such friends to consider what has been done to them. The first point to make about atheism is that in God's sight it is not a credible intellectual option, but a sin. In fact, according to the Bible, it is worse than the sin of murder. How can refusal to believe in God be worse than murder? The answer is that unbelief is ultimately behind murder, as it is behind every sin. It is unbelief (atheism) that denies the existence of God, rejects all His moral standards, and does away with any feeling that one day the sinner will have to give an account for his deeds. It is unbelief that set the sinner free to do his worst. Unbelief is therefore the 'engine' of all evil. The very first of the ten commandments is really about unbelief. The bible also speaks of an evil heart of unbelief, and it is necessary for us to consider some of the reasons why atheism or unbelief is so great a sin in the sight of a holy God. Almost the mildest thing one can say about atheism, is that it is proudly ungrateful. It says, 'I owe no gratitude to any Creator.' This is atheism. It is the spirit of the highly-spoiled child who regards himself as the center and sole object of life, and views parents who are the source of all his benefits as his servants and debtors. Intensely unreasonable But atheism is worse even than that. Atheism is sinful because it is also intensely unreasonable. Have we ever had an argument with someone, or perhaps remonstrated with a child, only to meet with a wall of total unreasonableness? Have we ever felt the frustration and despair of being confronted with sheer, mindless prejudice? Let us imagine that someone known to us intended to do something disastrous and dangerous, and we went to remonstrate with that person, only to find there was no willingness at all to listen to reason. All our arguments and pleading proved useless. Nothing could be conducted on a logical or reasonable basis, because the person was dead set on pursuing the predetermined goal. This is the usual character of atheism. Atheists are determined to be atheists, and will clutch at any straw to dispose of God. Yet there is nothing more unreasonable than refusal to believe in God. It goes against a tidal wave of evidence to be seen all around us! When we look at this created world, with its order, intricacy and design, and its systems and cycles, surely we see the indications and evidence of a creative intelligence! But atheism, being not so much a viewpoint as a prejudice, feels no challenge from the evidence of the universe. It is interesting to see how many leading scientific minds now write to oppose and discredit the theory of evolution as an explanation of life. But has this shaken the 'religious' tenacity with which atheism clings onto evolution? Not at all! Atheism is equally unreasonable in the promotion and protection of its own ideas and schemes. Having thrown out the old, moral standards of the Bible, atheism has substituted its own system of ethics - slender as they are. Its spokesmen have claimed that the organization of society along these lines will produce a morally liberated and ordered world, but wherever the alternatives have been tried (such as here in the UK) they have led to disaster. Atheistic sexual licence, atheistic policies for crime and punishment (based on the naive myth of the essential goodness of human nature), have all wreaked havoc. But atheism never faces up to the failure of its theories. Just now this country is experiencing a storm of concern over crime and social disorder, particularly among the young. People are alarmed at the increase in juvenile crime, and in crimes committed against children , even by their own parents. Suddenly the newspaper and television documentaries have begun to reflect the public concern, and hardened politicians are being forced to accept that something has produced a catastrophe in our society. What we are seeing is the result of decades of unrelenting hostility to the values and standards of God - the fruit of atheism. No responsibility Atheism, however, will never accept responsibility. Militant atheists certainly will never say, 'We have dictated the moral shape of society for nearly half a century, and what we now see it the result of our policy.' Atheism will face neither the evidence for a Creator, nor the evidence of the bankruptcy of its alternative 'moral' system, because it is by nature totally unreasonable. Unreasonableness does not care about evidence. It adopts whatever theory supports its opinions, and turns a blind eye to whatever contradicts them. Atheism has always been like that . Although it seems to be powerful and respectable, let no one be fooled. Atheism is willfully unreasonable in its determination to purge God from human thinking. Notice how atheism becomes frenzied over the topic of censorship. As soon as anyone proposes a restriction on foul and inflammatory publications, or on violent or pornographic videos, atheism shrieks its protests about the loss of civil liberty. Atheism becomes far more upset about censorship than over rape and child abuse. To atheism, censorship violates the supreme human right, because there must never be moral restriction. Absolute moral standards given to the human race by the Creator must never be tolerated. The words of the Bible - There is no fear of God before their eyes - are very strong. They form a figure of speech which portrays people as not wanting the knowledge of God anywhere on their horizon. Wherever they look, they do not want to see the slightest indication that there might be a God. It is the goal of atheism to get God out of every corner of society. It is necessary to comment of the character and methods of atheism, because here lies further evidence of its offensiveness to God. However polite the outward face of atheism, the fact is that its methods are invariable ruthless and deceitful. This is not to say that all individuals who happen to be atheists are themselves ruthless and deceitful. It is an observation on the vast movement or crusade taken as a whole. In teenage I read a series of novels by a leading literary advocate for loosening up of marriage ties in society. Here were the arguments in favour of the rejection of old-fashioned, biblical notions of marital loyalty, and so on. They were, of course, the arguments of atheism. It was easy to be attracted to the characters in these novels, but it suddenly dawned on me how dishonest there novels were. The novelist's aim was to show that it is unreasonable - even cruel - to expect two people to remain bound together for life, and that divorce should be readily available. He set out also to prove that Christian principles and standards were an outrageous limitation on the enjoyment of life. Fiction is the evidence! How did the novelist make his case? He created situations in which nice people all needed to get divorced and found themselves prevented by laws which were defended by a pack of small-minded bigots. Those who did not seek divorce were (needless to say) unhappy in their marriages, while the few who were able to secure a divorce (under the difficulties which used to exist) were blissfully happy with the outcome. By what means, then, was the case against God's order for unity, loyalty and love in marriage demolished in these novels? Was it by strength of argument; by reason supported by evidence? No, it was effected by deceit; by cheating. Fiction became the argument; invention became the evidence. And this is the usual technique of atheism. Having no credible arguments to support its crusade against God's revealed moral values, atheism resorts to fiction to influence the masses. Nowadays society is brainwashed by non-stop television fiction, invariably written by atheists, most of whom are obvious supporters of a promiscuous, self-serving, deeply covetous, pleasure-loving and often homosexual lifestyle. They write not only to make money, but also to justify their own way of life, and to persuade all society to scorn moral limitations. There is no fear of God before their eyes as they strive to stamp their own characteristics and tastes on an entire generation. Deception-by-entertainment Today's dramas and soaps are changing the outlook and behavior of society, but by dishonest means, as greed, self-esteem and immorality are portrayed as natural, reasonable and fulfilling. The phoney 'evidence' is far from the truth, the writers themselves frequently leading desperately painful, unhappy lives, strewn with the heartaches of broken relationships, addiction problems and sexually-transmitted diseases. Meanwhile the rising generation is given the impression that 'normal society' has always been one dizzy round of promiscuity and perversion. Television fiction constantly promotes these 'anti-values', using characters designed to attract admiration and affection, especially from the young. Atheism has certainly mastered the science of communication, but with ruthless deceitfulness and distortion. By this means alone it shapes the views of the masses, and captures society to its ways. If atheism is so bad, how does it come to be so successful? How is it that shrewd minds do not see through it, and reject it? The answer is that atheism bribes its way into human hearts. It offers us almost any pleasure or liberty we want, however we want it and whenever we want it. It promises to give us the right to do what we like without having to face enquiry or judgement. It tells us that there is not reason why we need ever suffer another pang of conscience. Such an offer is so attractive that we are ready to accept it without further enquiry into the credibility of atheism. Because we ourselves are sinners, atheism holds out to us a highly attractive formula for life. But there is a further ugly feature of atheism. It is, without doubt, the most cruel force in the world today, unleashing lust and violence on a scale impossible but for its influence. Have we never wondered why there is so much more child abuse now than ever previously known? Some commentators (without the slightest evidence for what they say) claim that there has always been considerable abuse of children. It is true, of course, that all manner of vile sins have existed in society throughout history, but there is no doubt that in the last twenty years a phenomenal upsurge has taken place of the most unspeakable forms of filthiness and criminality, perpetrated particularly against children, and even by their own parents. This is the age when the unborn child may be murdered at whim, and when growing children are frequently disregarded while parents tear their marriages asunder. Is it surprising that parental callousness should in may cases extend to the indecent abuse of children? Atheism has taught people to please themselves and to scorn the all-seeing eye of God. Is anything surprising? Take away the existence, even the possibility of God from before people's eyes, and they will go from worse to worse, moving to levels of greed, lust, disloyalty, violence and bloodshed unseen in any previous society. This is the potential cruelty of atheism. Dehumanizing Whenever we read about suffering people, whether through treachery, fraud, sexual crimes or wanton violence, let us be clear that this is all the cruelty of atheism, supported by the unreasonableness of people who go on promoting it notwithstanding all that is happening. Among the endless flow of dismal statistics, we recently heard that half of all women who are murdered are killed by their own husbands or common-law partners. Is this not a reflection of the selfishness and barbarism only possible through all awareness and respect for God and His standards being removed? Another stunning statistic now affirmed by several surveys is that as many as one in four women (whether officially married or living with a man) will be battered or beaten by their partner at some time. What has happened in society to make such monsters out of men? What has happened to produce such cowardly, uncontrollable creatures? The answer is - atheism. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Atheism, in the course of time, dehumanizes people, and makes them subject to their lusts, pushing may beyond the power of self-control and into regions of disgusting and debased behavior. Think also of the cruelty inflicted on an entire generation of children growing up without punishments to train them into respect for rules and fellow human beings. Atheism insists on their 'inherent goodness', and outlaws discipline. But will atheism be able to deliver thousands from early criminality, and thousands more from growing up without 'character' or self-control? Worse to come Atheism, in putting its own naive ideas in place of God's evaluation of human needs, and in refusing to accept the failure of these own ideas, is cruel in arrogance. And no one should think we have seen the worst of all this, for there is far worse to come. If matters have deteriorated as much as they have in the last ten years, what do we think will happen in the next ten years? Atheism has now achieved total control of all the major sources of influence over society, and is in full cry. The worst is yet to come. Atheism, in the sight of Almighty God, is a horrible sin. It is cruel. It is proud. It is a delusion. It is hideously expensive. It is comfortless. Atheism can do nothing good for us. It is also utterly powerless to change a single human life for the better - to improve or build character. No person has ever yet been reformed in moral character under the influence of any plan or theory proposed by atheism! It is incapable of imparting to individuals any power over themselves, and it certainly cannot get a single soul to Heaven. Atheism is a force which has nothing decent, uplifting or refining for anyone. Finally, the sinfulness of atheism is to be seen in its audacity. Supposing someone who wanted to protest about some small problem in their firm stormed unannounced into the office of the head of the company, and let fly. This is just what atheism does. It is so audacious that it tears down no less a being than Almighty God to vent its anger over moral restraints. It deposes no less a person than the architect and builder of the universe. It aims no lower than the divine lawgiver and judge! It insults the designer, indeed, the landlord of the universe, its rightful owner and king! Before being swept away by atheism, passive-atheists should reflect on its staggering offensiveness to God on account of its audacity. Are we among the millions of passive-atheists who have been manipulated into declaring independence from God, through the influence of atheism? There is another way of life available which is completely different. It is possible to be brought into a living relationship with Almighty God, Who is ready to forgive us and reveal Himself to us. The Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the very opposite of atheism. While atheism is cruel, the Gospel is the kindest system in the universe. It tells of the Lord Jesus Christ - co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (for we have three divine persons in one Godhead) came down from Heaven to suffer and die in inexpressible agony on the cross, in order to take, Himself, the punishment of sin on behalf of all who go to Him for forgiveness and new life. Christ gave His life as an atoning sacrifice to pay the price and the punishment due to me for my sin, if I repent of my sinful life and give my life to Him. Because of what He has done I can be pardoned and changed. Because of what He has done, I can come to know the Lord, and walk with Him, and love and serve Him. God is there! The very opposite of atheism is what we desperately need! May no reader be swept away by the present antagonism and hostility to God. Rather, belive in Christ, be ashamed for your sins, and ask for pardon, and He will receive you. Contrary to all that atheism claims, the Lord is there.Believe in Him, and in all that He has said in the Bible, and ask Him to forgive you all your previous unbelief, selfishness, arrogance and foolishness, and also ask Him to give you spiritual life. If you mean it with all your heart, He will do it.
The Proper Reply To Atheists
By Dr. Gordon H. Clark
Adapted from the Trinity Review, July/August 1983See more articles by this author
The explanation (for the existence of God-editor) must begin with a more direct confrontation with atheism. If the existence of God cannot be deduced by cosmology, have we dodged the burden of proof and left the battle field in possession of our enemies? No; there is indeed a theistic answer. Superficially, it is not difficult to understand; but, unfortunately, a full appreciation of its force requires some philosophic expertise. A knowledge of geometry is of great help, but it is seldom taught in the public high school. One cannot realistically expect Christians to have read and to have understood Spinoza; and Protestant churches usually anathematize plain ordinary Aristotelian logic. In geometry there are axioms and theorems. One of the early theorems is, "An exterior angle of a triangle is greater than either opposite interior angle." A later one is the famous Pythagorean theorem: the sum of the squares on the other two sides of a right triangle equals the square of its hypotenuse. How theological all this sounds! These two theorems and all others are deduced logically from a certain set of axioms. But the axioms are never deduced. They are assumed without proof. There is a definite reason why not everything can be deduced. If one tried to prove the axioms of geometry, one must refer back to prior propositions. If these too must be deduced, there must be previous propositions, and so on back ad infinitum. From which it follows: if everything must be demonstrated, nothing can be demonstrated, for there would be no starting point. If you cannot start, then you surely cannot finish. Every system of theology or philosophy must have a starting point. Logical Positivists (Logical Positivism is a modern form of atheism -editor) started with the unproved assumption that a sentence can have no meaning unless it can be tested by sensation. To speak without referring to something that can be touched, seen, smelled, and especially measured, is to speak nonsense. But they never deduce this principle. It is their nondemonstrable axiom.Worse, it is self contradictory, for it has not been seen, smelled, or measured; therefore it is self-condemned as nonsense. If the axioms of other secularists are not nonsense, they are nonetheless axioms. Every system must start somewhere, and it cannot have started before it starts. A naturalist might amend the Logical Positivist's principle and make it say that all knowledge is derived from sensation. This is not nonsense, but it is still an empirically unverifiable axiom. If it is not self-contradictory, it is at least without empirical justification. Other arguments against empiricism need not be given here: the point is that no system can deduce its axioms.The inference is this: no one can consistently object to Christianity's being based on a nondemonstrable axiom. If the secularists exercise their privilege of basing their theorems on axioms, then so can Christians. If the former refuse to accept our axioms, then they can have no logical objection to our rejecting theirs. Accordingly, we reject the very basis of atheism, Logical Positivism, and in general, empiricism. Our axiom shall be, God has spoken. More completely, God has spoken in the Bible. More precisely, what the Bible says,God has spoken.
"I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order that I may understand. For this I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand."
Anselm of Canturbury, Proslogion
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