The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good" (Ps. 14:1).
Atheism is the belief that there is no God. The Bible, especially in the Psalms, confronts such lack of belief with scorn and derision.
The Psalmist puts all human beings in the same category: "They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one" (Ps. 14:3). In other words, Scripture tells us that the root of our faith or lack of faith is sin.
The believer acknowledges his sinful nature and confesses his need for a savior. The atheist tries to explain away wrong actions by attributing it to ignorance — a lack of education or reason. Humankind tries to justify itself, but the prophets warn, "For the fool speaks folly, and his mind plots iniquity" (Isa. 32:6).
That men and women propose an atheistic worldview is not new. Humanity goes through cycles of faith and unbelief.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the scientific revolution, Nietzsche was confronted with the tragedy of humanity and saw the conflict of modern humanity as ending up in a transformation of all values (Umwertung aller Werte) so that good became evil and evil became good.
Again, Scripture warns us thousands of years ago, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness … woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight" (Isa. 5:20f).
Eventually Nietzsche concluded that God is dead and thus began the 20th century "God is dead" movement, which soon ran out of energy and conviction.
But philosophers and many in academia are now convinced that the scientific method can explain everything. They have been much in the media lately through skillful propaganda and are proposing a new atheism. Richard Dawkins has written "The God Delusion;" Sam Harris, "The End of Faith;" and Christopher Hutchens, "God is Not Great."
What is particularly sad is that many of these academics teach at schools whose foundations were Christian. Harvard University in 1642 had Rules and Precepts, one of which stated, "Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, John 17:3, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning … ."
Today the humanist chaplain at Harvard proposes a positive humanism that appeals to skeptics and agnostics as well as those who maintain only cultural aspects of religion.
Atheism and godless humanism in the end must confront the existential questions of life and give answers to these serious questions.
A professor of humanities in Detroit states, "There are some questions we secularists have to answer, ‘Who am I, what am I, what can I know?’
Unless we can answer these questions adequately for ourselves and for others, we can’t expect people to even begin to be interested in living without God." (See The Washington Post, May 26, 2007, B pp.9–10, for further information on the new atheism.)
This professor is correct. But, it is precisely these questions that Christian theology has successfully confronted and answered for 2 millennia.
And it is precisely why the Christian faith is thriving in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where the poor, the oppressed and downtrodden meet God in the crucified, suffering and risen Christ.
Those who are suffering do not have time to philosophize, but in Christ they experience meaning, love, forgiveness, hope and purpose in life.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, about to be executed by the Nazis, found his peace and meaning in Christ, expressed in this poem from prison: "Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine. Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine!"
We need not fear the atheists. Rather we need to fear God and particularly fear the judgment upon a weak and unbelieving church.
The far greater tragedy of today is the ‘practical atheists’ in our churches, those who say they believe in God and yet act as though God does not exist.
The prophet Ezekiel spoke of such people: "…for with their lips they show much love, but their heart is set on their gain. And, lo, you are to them like one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it" (Ezek. 33:31f).
The God we meet in Jesus Christ calls us to action: to do, to follow, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, to go into all the world and proclaim the Good News.
Let us so live and love that others might see Jesus and believe in God who sent Him.
Then atheists will return from their folly and find meaning in Him who alone gives purpose, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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