Many people today claim that they do not believe in a creator or any supernatural deity. They argue that believing in the God of the Bible is irrational due to a lack of evidence. Atheists are typically materialists, believing that the world came about through unguided forces over millions of years and that physical matter is all that exists. However, there are several problems with this position.
If … our thoughts are merely chemical reactions taking place in our brain, then we cannot trust our own reasoning
No reason for reason!
Firstly, while atheists appeal to reason, atheism itself cannot account for reason and logic. If our minds are simply the product of time and chance, and our thoughts are merely chemical reactions taking place in our brain, then we cannot trust our own reasoning. If our brains are merely biological computers with inputs and outputs, there is no reason to believe that our decisions are right and true. However, Christians have a reason to believe in universal truth and logic. The Bible teaches that God is a God of order and wisdom, and He has built into the universe certain unchanging laws that reflect His nature. Even more, He created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27). As image bearers of God, we have the gift of rational thought and decision-making. Claiming that believing in the God of the Bible is unreasonable is self-defeating because without the God of the Bible, we have no foundation for universal reason or logic.
No basis for objective morality
Secondly, atheism cannot account for morality. That’s not to say atheists don’t abide by any morals. However, they cannot give a reason why, for example, when a bomb explodes and kills people, it is the person who placed the bomb that should be put on trial and not the shrapnel that killed the bystanders. What’s the difference between the shrapnel and the bomber in the atheist worldview? Both were simply acting on the basis of a chemical reaction. Both were a collection of molecules. However, the Bible gives us a reason why it is the person who placed the bomb who should be put on trial. The Bible teaches that as image bearers of God, we have a conscience (Romans 2:15-16). We know by nature that it is wrong to murder, and we are accountable for the choices we make.
No reason for human dignity
Thirdly, atheism cannot account for human dignity and value. Why do we value human life? If tragedy strikes, and a loved one is hit by a car, we mourn. It is a terrible loss. If bugs die as they splat onto our windscreen on a summer’s day, we do not mourn. What’s the difference?
… the Bible tells us why human life has such great dignity and value.
Atheism says that the difference is simply the amount of matter, or the genetic makeup of the animal, or the degree of evolution. But the Bible tells us why human life has such great dignity and value. Not only are we image bearers of God, but we have eternal, immaterial souls. We are different from animals. We do not simply act on instinct. We are precious creatures with value.
No good explanation for complexity
Fourthly, atheism cannot account for the complexity within living beings. From organ systems down to the cellular and molecular level, atheism cannot explain the existence of irreducibly complex mechanisms. There are thousands of examples in nature of systems that could not evolve over time because they require all their components to function effectively.
Take, for example, the bacterial flagella. This is a structure made of nearly 50 different proteins, which forms a biological ‘motor’ that spins at between 30,000 to 100,000 rpm, enabling the bacterium to move twice the speed of a cheetah. Cheetahs can move 25 body lengths per second; bacteria can move 50 body lengths per second. If you remove any of the proteins that make up the flagellum ‘motor’, the motor ceases to function. It could not have evolved in a step wise process, as many evolutionists claim. To function at all, it had to be present with all the working components, just as with any human-designed rotary motor.
… although atheism cannot give a reason for reason, morality, human dignity and complexity in nature, most atheists still believe in them
God doesn’t believe in atheists
What’s interesting is that although atheism cannot give a reason for reason, morality, human dignity and complexity in nature, most atheists still believe in them. Why is that? The Bible teaches that by nature, we all know that there is a God. We may deceive ourselves into thinking there is no God, but the fact that we still believe in reason, morality, and human dignity points us back to the truth that God has revealed about us in the Bible. It is the only book that explains where these things come from.
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