Part 2: Misunderstanding God by Bodie Hodge, AiG–U.S.

An atheistic mom from Texas explains why she doesn’t raise her children with God and attacks God by pushing her religion on CNN. Her verbal attacks on God and Christianity, and their apparent acceptance by CNN staff, warranted a response. This is part two of that response.

God is not logical.

What “god” are you talking about? Certainly, it is not the God of the Bible. God as revealed in His Word is the standard of logic and reasoning. It should be obvious that the ultimate authority on everything is the absolute authority on logic.

How many times have you heard, “Why did God allow this to happen?” And this: “It’s not for us to understand.” Translate: We don’t understand, so we will not think about it or deal with the issue.

This common question is answered right in the beginning of the Bible—the third chapter of Genesis, which shows how biased many are when it comes to the Bible. Due to sin, God is permitting this creation to have a taste of what life is like without Him. We suffer and die due to sin (Romans 6:23). A perfectly Holy God must punish sin.

But again, why would an atheist appeal to logic, which is non-material, and thus contrary to a materialistic worldview? And why would an atheist oppose death and suffering, which are actually the “heroes” of an evolutionary worldview?

Take for example the senseless tragedy in Newtown.

Biblical Christians view this as a senseless tragedy, but sadly, even more babies were murdered that day in abortion clinics—yet no one even blinks an eye at that, and news agencies didn’t rush to abortion clinics to cover that story!

But from an atheistic perspective, why is it wrong when one chemical goes in and reacts with another chemical? That is all that people are in the atheistic worldview—meaningless chemicals in a meaningless universe.

And if people are just chemicals, then why imply that murdered people have value as though they were made in the image of God? That is part of the Christian religion, not the religion of atheism. Murders are the result of unbelief or rebellion against God. If there is no God who sets what is right and wrong, then the atheist cannot say murder is wrong by their professed worldview. A consistent atheist would say the victims were just not fit to survive.

Rather than address the problem of guns in America, we defer responsibility to God.

So, you don’t think the murderers have any responsibility here? It may shock people of today, but murders occurred before guns were invented! The first murderer was an unbeliever named Cain who killed his own brother (1 John 3:12), and he did so without a gun. Or consider Julius Caesar, who was stabbed to death.

Neither guns nor God is the problem. The problem is sin—and the false worldviews (2 Peter 2:1) these murderers hold. Many murderers in today’s culture believe that people are just animals (or more properly, mere chemicals) and can be killed.

If murderers don’t have guns, they’ll use stones, knives, or their bare hands. If one wants to see such murders reduced in a society, they need to adopt a Christian worldview and start teaching the truth to the kids—that they are all related, all sinners, all made in the image of God, and not simply animals. And all are in need of the forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ.

The natural product of a worldview like atheism is that murder, rape, hate, theft, lying, and so on are okay because there is no God to say they are wrong. It is a consequence of an unbelieving worldview.

He had a reason. He wanted more angels. Only he knows why.

More angels? How arbitrary. God doesn’t make angels by murdering people. He created sufficient angels during Creation Week (Nehemiah 9:6; Exodus 20:11).

We write poems saying that we told God to leave our schools. Now he’s making us pay the price.

Well, it is Christians who write these things. But why should God bless a nation if the people in that nation don’t want God, honor God, or obey God? The natural consequences of disobedience to God are further acts of disobedience to God’s commands, including His command not to murder. In an atheistic worldview, why appeal to God’s morality?

The truth is that the Newtown murderer was an unbeliever violating the 10 Commandments. (The 10 Commandments are those laws from God that are now banned from classrooms and public places because of what they teach, like God’s command not to murder.) So why question the murderous consequences of removing these commands from the public? This murderer in Newtown, Connecticut, was a sinner living his life the same way an atheist does—without God’s morality (1 John 3:10).

If there is a good, all-knowing, all-powerful God who loves his children, does it make sense that he would allow murders, child abuse, wars, brutal beatings, torture and millions of heinous acts to be committed throughout the history of mankind? Doesn’t this go against everything Christ taught us in the New Testament?

First, not everyone is a child of God, but only those who are in Christ (John 1:12). But further, Christ in the New Testament answered this type of question about death and suffering because people didn’t understand, even in His day:

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2–5).

God is gracious in giving people time to repent of their sin (2 Peter 3:9). If God put an end to all evil right now, then all people who are not in Christ would instantly die for all eternity in hell without the grace afforded to them for repentance.

All of us are evil (Genesis 8:21) and all of us fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). The fascinating thing is that God came to save sinners by dying in their place for them. Talk about a loving God! Paul wrote, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19).

Christ has been patient with us, allowing mankind to suffer (for a short time) so that the sons of God (Christians) will be revealed. But Christians, unlike unbelievers, will experience all eternity without death or suffering, whereas unbelievers will experience the wrath of God for all eternity separated from all of God’s goodness (Matthew 25:46). This is what nonbelievers want, after all—a life without God—so that means a life without all of God’s goodness and blessings.

The question we should be asking is this: “Why did we allow this to happen?”

Our mutual grandparents, Adam and Eve, are the reason death and suffering are allowed to happen (Romans 5:12).

How can we fix this?

You can’t. Neither can government or scientists—no human will ever stop death and suffering. The real question is, who can save us from this? The answer is: only God.

But God has to punish sin with death if He is a consistent and Holy God (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23), so the solution was to have God become a man and die, taking upon Himself the punishment on our behalf. Jesus Christ, who is God (John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1), became sin although He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and died a death we deserve, once for all (Romans 6:10). So the sting of death was taken in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:54–56) to offer salvation (Acts 4:12). So instead of looking to man for salvation, start crying out to God.

No imaginary person is going to give us the answers or tell us why.

We agree, no imaginary person could. But a real God can. But why would an atheist care about answers or want something fixed as though something were “wrong”? If everything came from nothing and is going to nothing, then who cares? Do you see the inconsistency in that worldview?

Only we have the ability to be logical and to problem solve,

How does an atheist know this? How do you know there are problems in the world? And how does an atheist define a “problem” anyway? Would it be a deformed child that was born? Is it “murdered” children? The next atheist could say these are not problems.

In the atheistic viewpoint, a mutation occurring in a baby may be the next step in evolution. Or regarding murdered children, a consistent evolutionist might say, “This paves the way for next generation of evolution by getting rid of those unfit to survive.” Morality and problem solving would be meaningless in a meaningless existence.

But to repeat, why should an atheist appeal to logic, an immaterial and abstract concept, when they believe in materialism?

God, angels, and spiritual beings also have this ability to reason—and since humans are made in God’s image, this is why we are capable of thinking logically as well. Of course, God is always right—but we as fallible, sinful, imperfect human beings, due to the fall in Genesis 3, fail to do anything perfectly.

and we should not abdicate these responsibilities to “God” just because a topic is tough or uncomfortable to address.

Of course, this subject is not tough to address if you simply read to the third chapter in the Bible, which answers the problem of why evil is in the world—because of Adam’s sin. This is the reason that Christ, the last Adam, came to save us from the evil of sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:45–49).

God is not fair.

If God is fair, then why does he answer the silly prayers of some while allowing other, serious requests, to go unanswered?

First, God is the standard of fairness, and in an atheistic worldview, who cares about being fair? Do what you can to survive, remember? That is an atheistic, evolutionary mantra—and if that means being unfair, so be it.

But regarding prayers being answered, delayed, or getting a “no” answer, I find it fascinating that many people treat God like their little mythological “genie in a bottle” to grant their every wish.

God is not here for people to command Him to do what they want. I once had someone say they would believe in God if I commanded God to make the pot of water sitting in front of us boil. My response was, “I am not God, and I don’t command God to do little things for your benefit. That would make me God and God would be my little servant. But I am actually his servant.”¹

The Lord is the everlasting God and the King of kings, and what He says and does goes. Unlike humans in our temporal understandings, God understands the big picture. Who are we to question God’s decisions in the first place? He is not a “wish box” that you offer a coin to make Him do what you want.

I have known people who pray that they can find money to buy new furniture. (Answered.)

And there were plenty of people whose prayers went unanswered and didn’t receive money for furniture.

I have known people who pray to God to help them win a soccer match. (Answered.)

And there were people who prayed to win that same game, but they lost. In reality, one team will win and the other will lose (or possibly tie the game), whether you pray or not. But prayers should be done in the right way as the Bible describes (James 4:3).

Why are the prayers of parents with dying children not answered?

Sometimes they are, and other times they are not. But who are you to judge God’s actions on this? All of us will die, no matter how much you pray, because the punishment for sin is death, per God.

Even children are sinners—inherently from Adam and also by choice. As a father of three, it would be very naïve of me to think that my children are innocent of sin. The key is, have they repented and believed in Christ and what He has done on the Cross? It is a free gift, and there is no reason to resist it, unless you love your sin too much (2 Timothy 2:2–7).

If God is fair, then why are some babies born with heart defects, autism, missing limbs or conjoined to another baby?

Once again, this is answered in the third chapter of the Bible. Due to sin God no longer upholds the world in a perfect state as He created it. We have been given a taste of what life is like without Him. Due to sin, there are mutations in the population, harmful drugs misused by parents that cause problems, other harmful chemicals in the environment that affect us when not used properly, leaders who inflict painful circumstances, and so on—all of which affect people’s lives. Sin can be forgiven, but the consequences remain, until Christ completes making all things new (Revelation 21:5) in His time (Hebrews 10:12–13; 1 Peter 5:6).

Clearly, all men are not created equally.

Created equal is an allusion to the image of God and value in the sight of God, not physical and mental abilities. And it would seem that you are tacitly acknowledging there is a Creator by describing people as created.

Why is a good man beaten senseless on the street while an evil man finds great wealth taking advantage of others? This is not fair.

But remember, Jesus said no one is good but God alone (Luke 18:19). All have fallen short. One should be careful of judging based on being a big sinner versus being a bigger sinner. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23).

But why would a professing atheist appeal to “evil” and “good”? There is no evil and no good in a materialistic worldview. These are biblical concepts. To appeal to good and evil is to reject the professed worldview of atheism. A consistent atheist would say that the man who was beaten senseless unto death was less fit to survive and the unfair man taking advantage of others was more fit to survive.

A game maker who allows luck to rule mankind’s existence has not created a fair game.

But this is what atheists believe! In the atheistic view, the whole universe is simply the result of chance. But contrary to that, God works all things for good for those who love Him, whether you realize the big picture or not (Romans 8:28).² Consider Joseph, Job, Noah, and many others to whom the grace of God was clearly shown to work out for good from a big picture.

God does not protect the innocent.

He does not keep our children safe.

Regarding sin, God disagrees that people are innocent (Romans 3:23). All are sinners, and all are deserving of judgment. One should be thankful that God doesn’t punish all sinners immediately but instead gives them time to repent before passing into eternity.

Sadly, many unbelieving parents are more than willing to kill their own children before they even take a breath—ever since an evolutionary, non-Christian judicial decision permitted the murder of the unborn. Look at what this atheistic worldview has done for the kids of the next generation: nearly 55,000,000 dead so far, just in the U.S. Such a non-Christian worldview obviously had little concern for children.

As a society, we stand up and speak for those who cannot. We protect our little ones as much as possible.

Then why don’t atheists speak in unison to oppose abortion and speak out for babies and stand up for them?³ Here is why: building on evolutionist Ernst Haeckel, consistent atheists could view babies as simply going through animal phases in the womb per the recapitulation theory (e.g., supposed “gill slits,” “yolk sac,” etc., in the womb). And if you can get rid of spare rats, then get rid of spare kids. Aborted children are simply seen as not fit to survive in the atheistic viewpoint, a similar evil to Herod and Pharaoh, who killed kids.

When a child is kidnapped, we work together to find the child. We do not tolerate abuse and neglect.

If society did this, then kids would not be kidnapped, would they? Sadly, there are those in society that do kidnap children. It is very Christian of you to oppose such things, but as an atheist, why would you care if a child is kidnapped or abused or neglected? Animals do such things all the time; murder, rape, abuse, steal baby animals from other animals, eat their own, and so on.

Why can’t God, with all his powers of omnipotence, protect the innocent?

Again, no one is innocent. And such things are the result of humans sinning and being disobedient to God’s Word. If they obeyed God’s Word, these evils would not happen. But God made people in His image, not “robots”.

God is not present.

He is not here.

Only someone who is truly omnipresent could back up such a definitive statement. In saying that, you are claiming to be the omnipresent God, which is blasphemy—and even if that were true (which it isn’t), that would refute your position that God is not present, since you are. But you are not God, and your assertion is arbitrary. God upholds all things that have been created. But further, God is spirit. In summary, God disagrees with you.

Telling our children to love a person they cannot see, smell, touch or hear does not make sense.

Can children see, smell, touch, hear, or taste their great, great, great, grandfather? Can they do these things to George Washington? Can they see children in the future or around the world with whom they have no contact? So can one love these people, by the philosophy presented here?

It means that we teach children to love an image, an image that lives only in their imaginations.

By this standard, why care about the next generation of kids, whom you cannot touch, see, or sense in any way, since you say it is impossible to love that which you cannot sense. In other words, by your proposed standard those that died in the school shooting in Connecticut die without love or remorse in your heart because it is impossible for you to care for them as you have not seen, smelled, touched, heard, or tasted them. No, at best you saw some pixels on a screen.

But really one needs to get back to biblical authority if they want a proper understanding of love in general. The issue is trusting a person (arbitrary and subjective) or trusting God (who is the ultimate authority on the subject and thus, non-arbitrary).

What we teach them, in effect, is to love an idea that we have created, one that is based in our fears and our hopes.

But love, in an atheistic worldview, is nothing but a chemical reaction—as are hope, ideas, and fear. These are meaningless in an atheistic worldview. By this standard presented to us, it would be impossible to love the idea of children around the world whom cannot be seen, smelled, touched, heard, or tasted.

There is an entirely different way of understanding things when one realizes that he or she was created by God, as opposed to thinking that mankind created God as Darwin said.