http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=779
Atheists Are—“Bright”?
| by | Dave Miller, Ph.D. |
A recent atheist conference in Crystal City, Virginia included the usual insistence by atheists that “God is a myth” and “children must not be taught religion” (Castillo, 2007). Oxford professor Richard Dawkins unleashed his typical militant, intolerant tirade against Christians. He insisted: “Religion is not the root of all evil, but it gets in the way of [determining] how we got here and where we find ourselves...and that is an evil in itself” (Castillo, emp. added). Ironic, is it not, that if atheism is true and there is no God, no absolute, objective evil even exists. That means that Dawkins must use the term “evil” to refer simply to his own subjective opinion.
When asked to state the main difference between believers and atheists, Dawkins unhesitatingly quipped: “Well, we’re bright” (Castillo). Apart from the arrogance, let us make certain that we have grasped correctly his sentiment. In order to be an atheist, one must know that God does not exist. That means that one must possess evidence that proves that God does not exist. In fact, the atheist must know (and thus be able to prove) the following (see Warren and Flew, 1977, pp. 7-8,55-58):
1. Matter is eternal, having existed non-contingently, without a beginning.2. Matter is all that exists.3. Matter has always existed.4. No one piece of matter is worth any more than any other piece of matter.5. By sheer chance, dead matter became living matter.6. By sheer chance, dead matter became conscious matter.7. By sheer chance, dead matter became a human being.8. By sheer chance, dead matter developed conscience.
But the atheist cannot know or prove any of these eight items! Even modern science acknowledges that the Universe is not eternal (see Miller, 2007, 27[4]:30-31). These eight are but a fraction of the insurmountable barriers to proving atheism. So the atheist cannot prove the very things that must be proven in order to assert that God does not exist. Yet, we are assured by one of the world’s leading atheists that they, in contrast to theists, are “bright.” “Professing to be wise, they became fools.... [and] exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:22,25).
REFERENCES
Castillo, Brent (2007), “Is U.S. Ready for an Atheist Revolution?,” The Wichita Eagle, October 11, [On-line], URL: http://www.kansas.com/opinion/castillo/v-print/story/197554.html.
Miller, Jeff (2007), “God and the Laws of Thermodynamics: A Mechanical Engineer’s Perspective,”Reason & Revelation, 27[4]:25-31, April, [On-line], URL:http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3293.
Warren, Thomas B. and Antony G.N. Flew (1977), The Warren-Flew Debate on the Existence of God (Ramer, TN: National Christian Press).