Reggie Weems Blog

Oxford professor and world renowned atheist Richard Dawkins may not be a Christian but he is certainly a believer in evangelism.  Only, his evangelism (our English word ‘evangelism’ comes from the Latin word ‘evangel’ meaning ‘good news’) contains no good news for humanity.  Nonetheless, “John Preston in The Sunday Telegraph (Dec 17, 2006) wrote that Professor Dawkins is “almost evangelical” in promoting his atheism.  Dawkins’ book, ‘The God Delusion’ remained on The New York Times bestseller list for 14 weeks and his recent television documentary labeled Christianity as “the root of all evil.”  Really?  Would the world really be better off without religion?  And is it the root of all evil? 

Wasn’t it the highly atheistic, aggressivley anti-religious, Christian hating, church burning, God-debasing efforts of Stalin in the Soviet Union, Mao Tse-tung in China, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Hitler in Europe and Ceaucescu in Romania who impoverished, imprisoned and brutally murdered literally an untold number of millions, perhaps billions of people in a single century without any kind, good or benefecient thought of God.  And has it not been Christians, of whose lot, William Wilberforce was recently celebrated, who have historically sought to end suffering, to eradicate slavery, to end poverty, to raise the standard for human existence around the world? 

Indeed, Professor Dawkins is more concerned with evangelizing the public with “his own views of what religious people believe” (Dawkins God by Alister McGrath, 2005, p 83) than with what is true about Christianity.  Long ago Dawkins left his own field of expertise and entered into a puritanical witch hunt (no pun intended) against Christianity bearing little resemblance to genuine religion at all.  “Dawkins engagement with theology is superficial and inaccurate” (Dawkins God, p 83).   

Professor Dawkins has also stated that “there is a strong correlation between religion and education:  the more educated people are, the less religious” (Financial Times, Dec 16/17, 2006, p 16).  But wasn’t it (it was!) Christians who began and funded the majority of hospitals and schools (Princeton, Harvard, etc) in the 18th century as America gained its independence and stood on its fledgling legs?  But can anyone consider themselves truly educated without considering the evidence for the existence of a Supreme Ultimate, uncaused Cause?  The evidence for such a Being is, after all, only and extremely logical and overwhelming.  We’ll begin considering that evidence soon (but first we’ll continue to look at the debate between fundamental atheists and evangelical Christians.  In the meantime, get a copy of Dawkins God by Alister McGrath.  You’ll be happy to read about the reasonabless of your faith and discover the glaring inconsistencies of atheism.