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Christianity Today, October, 2007 |

Global Prognosis

Puncturing Atheism

Fourfold God Squad brilliantly takes on Dawkins, Hitchens, & Co.

David Aikman | posted 10/31/2007 09:03AM

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Third, as I will show in a book currently in preparation, The Delusions of Disbelief (Tyndale, 2008), theists have drawn into the debate highly articulate scientists of fervent Christian faith. In England, Alister McGrath, professor of historical theology at Oxford, has battled Dawkins brilliantly on his home turf of science. McGrath holds a doctorate in molecular biophysics as well as one in theology.

Two other new books put forward important ideas about God's existence, offering magnificent ripostes to the atheists. In The Language of God, Francis Collins, a former atheist and director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, refuses to choose between science and God. "Science is not threatened by God," he writes. "[I]t is enhanced." Former Harvard astronomer Owen Gingerich, in God's Universe, draws a bright line between theists and materialists. He endorses the view that belief in "a final cause, a Creator-God" gives us truthful, coherent understanding about the design of the universe.

Christians have nothing to fear from the new atheist surge. We evangelicals, in our advocacy for the gospel, also have no need for blunt weaponry.

Related Elsewhere:

Other Christianity Today articles on atheists and religion include:

My Top 5 Books on Atheism | Compiled by John Wilson, Books & Culture editor. (August 24, 2007)

"Is Christianity Good for the World?" | Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson debate. (May 8, 2007)

The New Intolerance | Fear mongering among elite atheists is not a pretty sight. A Christianity Today editorial (January 25, 2007)

The Twilight of Atheism | Why this once exciting and 'liberating' philosophy failed to capture the world's imagination. (March 2005)

Pledging to Fight | Atheist says battle over 'under God' has just begun. (August 1, 2004)

Forced by Logic | It took philosophy and a friend to convince this atheist (June 1, 2003)

Russian Intellectuals Try to Revive Atheism | The Moscow Society of Atheists says its ideology has fallen out of fashion (January 1, 2001)

Hitchens' God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything is available from Amazon.com and other retailers.

Douglas Wilson's Blog and Mablog has posts in response to God is Not Great, as well as other topics

NPR interviewed Sam Harris on Letter to A Christian Nation.

David Aikman's "Atheism and Moral Clarity" is available at the Trinity Forum.

"Clockwork Origins", parts 1, 2, and 3 (Books & Culture) discuss Dawkins' books. Books & Culture's other articles about atheists include:

Can You Reason with Christians? | A response to Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation. (May 7, 2007)

Christopher Hitchens Explains It All for You | Move over, Sam Harris; another atheist wants the pulpit. (April 30, 2007)

The Know-Nothing Party | How should Christians respond to ill-informed attacks? (February 5, 2007)

Mr. Wilson's Bookshelf | "Wayfaring Stranger" (November 17, 2006)

Book of the Week: Strange Bedfellows | Christopher Hitchens and Christopher Caldwell collaborate on a collection of political writing. Has the millennium arrived unnoticed? (January 27, 2003)

Uncompromising Positions | Hitchens and Orwell (November 1, 2002)

The Trials of Being Agnostic | A conversation with skeptic Wendy Kaminer. (January 1, 2000)

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October 2007, Vol. 51, No. 10

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Mike Willmore

Posted: November 13, 2007 1:25 PM

I am really pleased that some of our molecular bilkologists are at last putting up evidence against atheists who believe that science has all the answers to creation which disproves the theists assertions of creation. Most of the young people I have come across who have had serious doubts thrown on their christian beliefs are on the grounds of scientific arguement starting with Darwins theoriy and progressing through to Relativity and the latest findings of astonomy, astro physics and microbiology ie DNA etc. It really important that we can face down counter arguements to christianity by showing how science is complementary to theological arguement and highlighting areas where we can reasonably refute propositions. Thanks , as always, Mike Wilmore

Marilyn LaCourt

Posted: November 09, 2007 2:35 PM


Atheists have not declared war on religion. Religion has declared war on reason. Marilyn LaCourt

Ken	Posted: November 07, 2007 10:18 PM

The problem with Dawkins is that he may bask in the sun for now and are full of intelectual knowledge in the highest degree. But he,like all of the rich and famous who deny the existance of God,will at the Great And Terrible day of the Lord tremble uncontrolaby when the anounce comes to them that they are so disgusting that God will spew them out of His mouth. Hell will come as a great surprise when the verdict is announced. Dawkins did accomplish what he intended to do from the beginning.He caused an upset in the religious community and lifted himself in pride and arogance.God is never scilent about people like him.His great admiration for the evolutionary "genious" charls Darwin, is as decptive as he himself. Yes,delusion about God dose exist,but only to those who are too ignorant to know it they are in fact living in a dulusion that he dose exist.My mesage to Dawkins and his kind:party in your prison and dance in your fetters.

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