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Christianity Today, February, 2009 |

Atheists' Outreach

Debating God on public transit draws Christian response.

Laurie Fortunak | posted 1/21/2009 10:36AM

Commuters in Washington, D.C., and London encountered a public debate of sorts between atheists and Christians during a December ad battle on city buses.

"Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' ...

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CBob	Posted: January 23, 2009 6:22 PM


"Atheism!...lota folks get worried and disturbed and think that somebody could be! Let's break the word down and see what it means. Atheism - 'At-THE-IS - umm!'" - Bro. Dave Gardner.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: January 23, 2009 10:42 AM


The problem is not overt Atheism but Christian theology which has no room at all for the God of the Bible and the way he reveals himself.

FR	Posted: January 22, 2009 11:44 PM


There is no evidence for a God, here we are in the 21st century and people still believe in bronze age myths. Read the history of religion from animism, to polytheism to monotheism and you get a clear picture. Christianity borrowed from many ancient pagan traditions (like eating the body and blood of Christ).

zeno	Posted: January 22, 2009 11:46 AM


"Atheistic attacks on Christianity"? What attacks? "We are increasingly bombarded with anti-Christian messages"? Where?

SteveB

Posted: January 22, 2009 10:54 AM

We xians owe Richard Dawkins (fundamentalist atheist and a key sponsor of the bus campaign) a debt of gratitude because stuff like this provides a great opportunity for xian communicators to start thoughtful conversations. For example: “Let’s assume that Dawkins is right. The universe and everything in it (including us) is an expressly undesigned collection of matter, capriciously assembled by a Blind Watchmaker, which does not—and cannot—think, plan or care about anything. Our genesis was entirely accidental, our rise to the top of the evolutionary ladder was arbitrary, and when we die, we cease to exist. Furthermore, the best evidence from science tells us that universe itself will someday wind down resulting in the ignominious extinction of all life as we know it. No one will weep, and certainly no one will worry, because there will be no one to do so. If you were to embrace this world view, how do you think this would help you ‘stop worrying and enjoy your life'?"

elly	Posted: January 22, 2009 10:47 AM


I don't understand the Atheist movement need to say "hey we're over here"...what exactly has happened to convince them that they are ignored, or that people have somehow forgotten about atheism?

Joe	Posted: January 22, 2009 10:47 AM


The best response to "Just be good" is "what is good?"

Mary	Posted: January 22, 2009 10:31 AM


It is interesting to me how atheism has become a 'religion' unto itself with the anti-theists. They seem to spend as much time and effort defending their religion as many theists do. If their assertion is correct, why should/would they care.

Daniel

Posted: January 22, 2009 10:19 AM


I'm not overly concerned about the AHA message. It's not hateful, furthermore, it doesn't even break new ground. It offers no hope or purpose. Like people really need a advertisement to tell them to do whatever they want and only worry about themselves.

Chi-j

Posted: January 22, 2009 9:32 AM

If I ever met the atheists who created those campaigns I'd thank them for doing Kingdom work. It was remarks by atheists, particularly in an academic setting ("Well we're all secular rationalists aren't we?"... "You believe in the existence of evil? I'm very disappointed in you." and so on) that dragged me out of my complacency and challenged me to think about what I believed. I am certain I would not be a follower of Christ now if I hadn't received those challenges. So "come, let us sit down and reason together..."

Tom Hollis

Posted: January 22, 2009 8:27 AM


As one who has engaged in much personal evangelism, I have always found the atheists' evangelical fervor to be rather humorous. In a universe without inherrant meaning, how ardently they seek to sway people to their point of view. One would think that a true atheist wouldn't bother.

Chris

Posted: January 22, 2009 2:18 AM


The answer is in the statement itself...."PROBABLY". Hardly absolute to give comfort as it suggest is it?

jimd	Posted: January 21, 2009 10:27 PM

I believe the campaign of the atheists should be rebuffed in a like manner. There are alot of young impressionable minds out there searching for something to believe in. We cannot stand by and let them be led into spiritual death with out offering a counter point to atheism. I agree with many of the respondents that Evangelism is bigger than just puting up a Bilboard sign etc. , but you can't let this assault on the most important decision a person will ever make go unanswered, while we sit idly by and do nothing.jimd

Ed Hill

Posted: January 21, 2009 10:15 PM


Most useful contributions. And intellectually positive also. Well done.

Pres Nowlin

Posted: January 21, 2009 8:46 PM


Strong Christianity (read that "real") grows in the marketplace alongside all kinds of folk and beliefs. The test of ideas in the public square is very convincing. Those who hide from public debate with atheists have to circle the wagons and nod knowingly at one another - being assured that there are others thinking as they do thus avoiding the need to speak the truth.

Ted Voth Jr

Posted: January 21, 2009 7:08 PM

We who've taken Jesus as our savior should take his example in evangelistic style. 'Let your light shine before the world', he said, as he let his own light shine; he showed the world what God is like. The main obstacle to the gospel today is the unloving unjoyful unpeaceful impatient brutal ungood faithless unmeek arrogant un-self-controlled Church. people look at us and say 'I've heard how Jesus was, and these guys are nothing like that! I don't wanna be that way. People are looking for truth but with their experience of us they're willing to look anywhere but in Christ. Mt 23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither do you let those who are entering go in. In His Love TV2…

Ron	Posted: January 21, 2009 5:55 PM


There is an old rule in sales, you never mention your competition, good or bad. When you do so you are selling for them. I also think is in the power of our creator to us all such efforts to His glory. Sign on, and mention God all you wish, and watch how God uses it.

TRF	Posted: January 21, 2009 5:51 PM


Atheists say that God does not exist. I thought they were more emphatic than "There's probably no God......" That one word suggests an uncertainty on their part. And an opportunity for theists everywhere.

Tom Maupin

Posted: January 21, 2009 5:37 PM

I am a Christian and think the atheist ad campaign is a splendid idea. It will definitely get the non-committed to thinking about Ultimate Reality. I am all for the campaign. As for atheists, why do they even give a hoot? Atheists have no basis to make any decisions about what is moral or immoral (one may go to heaven or hell or one may go to worm fodder - who cares according to the atheist) because in the end there is no moral Truth – in fact there cannot be any sort of morality based on atheistic faith. This is because atheists believe we are the result of random mechanistic processes and therefore there is no objective basis for morality – everything has happened by accident – morality is meaningless. Cosmic accidents do not produce morality. But, “morality” in the atheist's world; you know many of them do acknowledge “innate morals” – whatever that is, can ultimately and only be based on who has the most power. (Continued)

Michael Spencer

Posted: January 21, 2009 5:33 PM

I think it is quite comical that atheists have a need for everyone to know that they *don't* believe something. Perhaps I should do a sign stating that there are probably not any UFO's. Why does anyone need to brag about something they don't believe? I can understand someone wanting someone else to know what they do believe - especially if it is profitable for them to know it but unbelief? That's like telling people that 1 and 1 does not equal 3. Just more evidence that atheists don't really think things through.

TAC	Posted: January 21, 2009 5:32 PM


I think the ads should answer with the Lords own words.Holy Scripture the Eternal Word will allow the Holy Spirit to resonate with the people.That's where the power is.

RF	Posted: January 21, 2009 5:03 PM

I'm having a hard time understanding God's strategy here. The atheists ask "Why believe in a god?", and God's response is to reiterate an assertion of His goodness through the Center for Family Development? "Because I created you and I love you." The atheists were not questioning His creative power or His love. They were questioning His existance. But, frustratingly, He side-steps that question once again. I can suggest a different strategy. Perhaps He could restore an amputee's limbs through the power of prayer alone. That would inspire belief, just like the miracles Jesus did. OK, maybe that's too hard. Maybe I'm thinking of God as greater than He really is. How about this: He should pick His favorite group (Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc.; it doesn't matter), and give them a 10% higher chance of surviving cancer, when all other factors besides religious belief are controlled for. Just 10% better odds. I mean prayer ought to be worth that much at least. Just some ideas. :)

JohnS

Posted: January 21, 2009 3:56 PM

I am glad that the Christian groups are not letting these ads go unanswered. With people like Richard Dawkins and Chris Hitchens, athiesm is having a little moment of hip revival, and we need to make sure we answer it at every turn. Not only is athiesm wrong on its face and much more of a danger to Christianity than anything Dan Brown has written, historically the path of athiesm leads to Stalin and Hitler and Kim Yong-il.

gdp	Posted: January 21, 2009 3:52 PM

An appropriate article. One remembers the days of Schaeffer and L'Abri (sic?), the preparation and the challenge to invoke the seriousness the subject deserves in a holy way. Relegating apologetics to advertising may give air to the old epicurean chant, but it devalues the significance of the heart, soul and mind, their strength in His, to properly witness to somebody of the "God Who is there", and there in a way that serves as the comfort and assurance God intends it to be - a moral force going beyond advertising and solictation, beyond even a wager.

Allan

Posted: January 21, 2009 3:40 PM


Why is this being internalized as an affront to "Christianity?" Advocating for unbelief in god is an affront to any theist, and therefore not directed at any individual group. Why presume, in this kind of narrative, the victimization of the "Christian faithful." It smacks of an un-realized egoism.

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