Dawkins vs. GOD!

by Ken Ham, president, AiG–USA

First published in
Answers Update
November 2006

One of the leading evolutionary spokespersons of our age is Dr. Richard Dawkins of Oxford University in England. In his new book The God Delusion, Dawkins clenches both fists and attempts to “take on” the God of the universe! The publisher’s blurb on the cover of the book states:

Dawkins attacks God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed, cruel tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign, but still illogical, Celestial Watchmaker favoured by some Enlightenment thinkers.

He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the ultimate improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children.

I will bring just one of Dawkins’ many points to your attention. Taken from chapter seven, the self-proclaimed atheist mocks the hypocrisy of compromising Christian theologians:

The legend of the animals going into the ark two by two is charming, but the moral of the story of Noah is appalling.

God took a dim view of humans, so he (with the exception of one family) drowned the lot of them including children and also, for good measure, the rest of the (presumably blameless) animals as well.

Of course, irritated theologians will protest that we don’t take the book of Genesis literally any more. But that is my whole point! We pick and choose which bits of scripture to believe, which bits to write off as symbols or allegories.

Such picking and choosing is a matter of personal decision, just as much, or as little, as the atheist’s decision to follow this moral precept or that was [also] a personal decision, without an absolute foundation. If one of these is ‘morality flying by the seat of its pants’, so is the other [emphasis added].

At least Dawkins is being consistent. He recognizes that his own “morality”—which is based on his atheism—is relative! And he points out correctly: if theologians “pick and choose which bits of scripture to believe,” then they too are actually saying that truth is relative—to be decided by humans!

For all of our 12 years, Answers in Genesis has been calling out to those Christian leaders who compromise the clear teaching of Genesis by accepting the secular idea of millions of years and evolution.

Such compromise undermines people’s acceptance of the authority of the Word of God. The very people these Christian leaders influence—both the “ordinary” church attenders and the leaders who teach and govern within the local body—soon join their pastors in believing that you can insert man’s fallible ideas and reinterpret the clear meaning (the “hermeneutic”) of Scripture. This has put many youth and adults on a slippery side—with tens of millions eventually rejecting the Bible as the Word of God. (And that’s not just opinion—keep reading!)

A few days ago I was given an initial overview of a major national poll that was commissioned by AiG (as a follow-up to the results of an alarming Barna Research poll of 2002 and a Southern Baptist poll around the same time). The AiG-commissioned poll (conducted by one of America’s leading researchers) clearly shows that a major reason many have left the church is because they no longer believe the Bible is the absolute Word of God. We will share other deeply alarming findings over the next few months.

By the way, such compromise positions in the church are seen by many—inside and outside the church—as sheer hypocrisy. They hear Christian leaders say that the Bible is infallible, but they watch as those same Christian leaders “pick and choose” which bits (particularly in Genesis) are to be accepted as written.

Many church leaders think that such compromise is necessary in order to appease the secular academics of the age. The reality, however, is that secular academics of the age mock such compromise. Like Dawkins, they recognize that if you can’t trust what the Bible clearly states in one area, you can’t trust any of it! Seeing such compromise in the church only fuels Dawkins’ hatred of God and His Word.

Can I urge you to pray for Richard Dawkins? God is long-suffering—as He was in the days of Noah. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Also, please pray for compromising church leaders— that they will accept and proclaim the authority of God’s Word, from the very first verse.

Recommended resources

NEW Answers Book 1 (The) Packed with biblical answers to over 25 of the most important questions on creation/evolution and the Bible, The NEW Answers Book is a must-read for everyone who desires to better understand the world in which they live.	War of the Worldviews What do aliens, dinosaurs and gay marriage have in common? Discover the connection, and how to respond, in this amazing book from Answers in Genesis.	Think Biblically! John MacArthur and other scholars confront the false worldviews that dominate our postmodern world. You’ll understand how to cultivate a biblical mind-set on worship, psychology, gender, science, education, history, and more!	Battle for Truth (The) Only available while supplies last! In this engaging book you’ll find an easy-to-read summary of the worldviews that challenge traditional Christian values, as well as the resources you need to develop a better understanding of the biblical perspective.
Creation/Evolution: Does It Matter What We Believe? Biblical and scientific reasons why we should not compromise God’s Word with evolution, including biblical and scientific evidences for a worldwide flood, why it matters what we believe, and the cost of compromise.	Six Days of Creation (The) In this challenging video, Ken Ham clears up some common misunderstandings about the debate over Genesis 1 and “six days” of creation.	Genesis Flood (The) This is the classic that started the modern creationist movement over 40 years ago! It is a powerful presentation, thoroughly discussing the biblical and geological evidence for the worldwide flood of Noah.