Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear. -Thomas Jefferson
Atheists are certainly bold when it comes to questions concerning the existence of God. However, their questions for the most part are not for their own satisfaction as much as to cause you to question yours. They lean upon this quote by Mr. Jefferson as support for their inquiry. However, a better understanding of the context of this quote is helpful.
The quote is taken from a letter Mr. Jefferson wrote to his son Peter. It contained recommendations about his studies in his second year at William and Mary. The fourth section was on religion and by far the longest. Mr. Jefferson wanted his son to know what he [Peter] believed and why he believed it and be able to defend his beliefs. Questioning with boldness was a part of obtaining that objection in all the fields of study. It was not an attempt by Mr. Jefferson to turn his son away from religion, simply to come to his own conclusions.
In the previous section preceding this quote, Jefferson stated, "He who made us would have been a pitiful bungler if He had made the rules of our moral conduct a matter of science. . . . The moral sense, or conscience, is as much a part of man, as his leg or arm." Jefferson's belief in God is unquestionable, however, he did not want his son to have that as his only basis of belief, he needed to be able to defend his belief from his own perspective. So, let's take Mr. Jefferson's advice and examine some of the questions atheists have put forth for us to consider.
The Atheist thinks this way because he sees all religions as equal, equally foolish. He does not understand the distinctions made when examining Christianity. The first thing that must be addressed is that belief in God is not a path to heaven and does not remove guilt. The atheist assumes the Bible teaches a path to God in the same way other religious writings do. Therefore, he concludes religious views are determined by outside influences that may weigh upon them. It is true what religious people believe about God is very much dependent upon the culture in which they live. The obvious answer to the question is if you were born and raised in a portion of India that was predominantly Hindu, you would likely hold religious beliefs based on Hinduism. Likewise, if you were born and raised in a predominantly Muslim country you would most likely hold religious beliefs conducive to Islam, etc.
What the atheist suggests is also true for many of the Christian religion. They have obtained their Christian beliefs from culture in the same manner as Hindus, Muslims, etc. Therefore, if those Christians had been born in some other culture under those influences they would have a different religion and believe that religion as firmly. However, One does not become a Christian based on what culture they were born in nor are they a Christian because their parents were. There are many in churches today professing to be Christian based solely upon these influences and they are no closer to the Gospel than any other religious belief.
That message was primarily to religious people, Jewish first and later to pagans with various religious beliefs. Romans 1:16 ESV
(16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
So their beliefs were already ingrained in them from their cultural surroundings as the Atheist suggest would be. But the Gospel message overcame all the cultural influences. The message they heard revealed first despair and then a glorious hope. For the first time they understood regardless of their religious efforts, their condition was hopeless. There was no hope of redemption at the hands of their own efforts. Their hope lay solely in the work of another. They had to put away all their religious efforts to appease God and place all hope of salvation in the work of Christ alone.
This concept eludes most religious people, for all sects of religion tend toward working and being good enough in the end to be accepted by God in whatever form they imagine Him to be. The Atheist simply denies any accountability to a supreme being to find comfort in whatever he contributes to the goodness of the society in which he lives. He finds purpose in bettering his society and leaving it hopefully better than he found it. As a result, you find many morally good people who contribute greatly to our society that hold to atheism. It is the Gospel alone that breaks through all such attempts of human effort to bring clarity to the hope of salvation.
John 3:1-8 ESV
What if you were born in a country steeped in some other religion? What if you are an Atheist? What if you are a professing Christian trying your best to make it to heaven? You will continue to hold to such beliefs until you are born of the Spirit, without which you will never see the clarity of the Gospel and the work of Christ on your behalf. You will find yourselves in the position of which Jesus spoke,
(1) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
(2) This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
(3) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
(4) Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
(5) Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
(6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
(7) Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
(8) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus was a religious man steeped in his religion, yet was troubled by things he had heard Jesus teach. He was convinced Jesus was a prophet because of His miracles and was a man who firmly believed in God. However, his trust was in the efforts and advancements he had made in his religion as a means to be blessed by God. Jesus explained to Nicodemus he was never going to see the Kingdom of God based on his own efforts. It would come as a spiritual work by the Spirit of God, something he could not do for himself. He must be born of the Spirit, or as Paul would later put it, 1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. We cannot make ourselves spiritually alive, it must be a work of God. This work is accomplished not through our works but through faith alone. And lest we should think something of ourselves for having such faith, Paul tells us it is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Matthew 7:22-23 ESV
(22) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
(23) And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
All their good works are but lawlessness and will be useless to them on that day. There is only one Savior offered to the world, Islam speaks of Jesus in its writings, but it does not offer him as the Savior. There are Christian sects who speak of Jesus as their savior but deny Him his divinity. They offer a Christ less than God which could never take away our sin. Some offer Christ plus some other necessary work by their own hands which again leaves them in a hopeless situation. Salvation is found in Christ alone and that by grace through faith alone. This gift is given to His people and they are made alive regardless of their country or culture, it is worked within His providence and governance of the world as He accomplishes His plans and purposes established from all eternity.
One does not choose Christianity as one does any other religion, Christianity is being born into a spiritual state beyond your reach. A Christian is not someone who has turned over a new leaf or changed the direction of their life because of past regrets. He has supernaturally become something he was not before and will never be what he was again.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 ESV
(17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(18) All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
(19) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
The atheist argument is reasonable to the natural mind who lives solely in the natural world, but it is an ineffective argument to the mind of the Christian that has been regenerated by the Spirit of God.
David
