Moving Mountains:
Staunch Atheist Now Believes in God
We've just begun a new year and it's a time many people look for
new beginnings in their lives. Everything is fresh and unlimited
possibilities seem to lay before us. For Christians, too, we seek to
serve God better and renew our call to share the Gospel. However, I
recognize how daunting that can be in real-life situations.
Many times in our desire to be obedient in sharing the Gospel, we
can feel like we're having no effect. We talk with our friends or
family members and it seems we're no closer now than years ago when
we first started talking with them. They may continue to voice the
same objections over and over and it can seem like we're not making
any headway at all.
But don't be discouraged; don't give up! God can do miraculous
things for those who are faithful to His calling. People you would
never have thought to be moving closer to the truth of the Gospel
may be affected by your witness - and more than you may know. One
incredible example of this is the change in belief of one of the
world's foremost atheists.
The Design Argument As Evidence for God
A topic that comes up frequently here at Come Reason is the
existence of God, and one of the standard arguments we use as
evidence for the existence of God is the argument from creation.(1)
The fact that the universe shows design, planning, and fine-tuning
is known as the "teleological argument" for God. The
argument is stated, "The universe shows signs of intelligence
and interdependence beyond the probability of chance. Therefore the
universe demonstrates that it has been designed. And if the universe
was designed, then there must be a designer, i.e. God."
Now, this argument has been around for hundreds if not thousands
of years(2). However, advances in science within
the past twenty years have allowed us to better understand just how
intricately designed the universe, and specifically it's living
creatures, are. This is why the Intelligent Design movement has been
gaining so much ground recently. The fact that DNA is an
information-carrying system, the concept of irreducible complexity,(3)
and other discoveries are providing compelling evidence that the
universe was indeed designed by a creator.
Dr. Gary Habermas, professor of Philosophy and Theology at
Liberty University has been using such arguments in his debates with
unbelievers. One of Dr. Habermas' more frequent debate challengers
is Dr. Antony Flew, probably the most noted atheist of the last
half-century. A professor of Philosophy, Dr. Flew is an icon to the
modern atheists - seen as comparable to C.S. Lewis for Christendom.
The peer-reviewed journal Philisophia Christi reports that
Dr. Habermas first began debating Flew in 1985. Over the next twenty
years, they met several times for debates and functions, developed a
friendship, and continued to dialog on the existence of God. As they
continued to talk and meet in debates, Flew began to reconsider his
staunch atheism. In January of 2004 he spoke with Dr. Habermas and
confirmed that he had indeed changed his belief from atheism to
theism.(4)
I cannot emphasis enough how significant Dr. Flew's change in
belief is. Here we have a legendary figure in atheism, someone who
is considered an expert in evolutionary theory and was held up as
one of atheism's most intelligent thinkers, abandoning his position
for a belief in God! In fact, Flew even bolsters the case for
creation. He tells Habermas "It seems to me that Richard
Dawkins(5) constantly overlooks the fact that
Darwin himself... pointed out that his whole argument began with a
being which already possessed reproductive powers."(6)
Now, to be clear, Flew is in no way believing Christian. He
classifies himself as a Deist, along the line of Thomas Jefferson.
Still, this is a truly remarkable change and one where we should
continue to pray for Dr. Flew as he examines all the evidence to see
where the truth may be found. And if you'd like to read the entire
discussion between Dr. Habermas and Dr. Flew, you may do so online
at http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/.
So, take heart in your discussions with relatives and friends who
don't believe. I heard a man explain that truth seems to have a way
of always being uncovered. "Relentless reality" he called
it. Gary Habermas spent twenty years debating and dialoging on the
existence of God with one of atheism's biggest champions and the
evidence persuaded him that there is a God. That same relentless
reality can pervade the thoughts of your loved ones, too. But it
will only do so only if they hear it.
Paul asks in Romans 10 "how can they believe in Him whom
they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher?"
Our loved ones need us to preach. They need us to continue learning
and growing. They need us to share. So, be encouraged. You might not
know it, but your faith may be responsible for moving a mountain of
unbelief.
Have you seen God move mountains of doubt as you've been
witnessing? How do you use apologetics? Let me know by writing me at
newsletters@comereason.org
with your experiences. Until next time, God bless.
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