There are a thousand ways to debate whether faith in Christ is reasonable, but everyone wants to forget: Faith is not reasonable. That is, faith makes demands which are entirely unreasonable. Of course, we are referring to a particular branch of reasoning. The assumption is this reasoning has to conform to Western analytical forms. When viewed from the perspective of human history, this is a minority viewpoint. Citing all the ways in which it is superior to other forms of logical analysis is pretty much circular reasoning, since it relies on itself for deciding what is “superior” or good.
That’s the background for my approach to a challenge handed to Vox Day. I don’t take quite the tack Vox does, but that’s not meant as a criticism. I simply don’t accept the assumptions behind the whole thing; I won’t surrender the field to those who demand answers on their own terms. Sorry, but God is not confined to your Hellenistic cultural bias. Here we go:
1. So-called “biblical ethics” — There is such a thing, but the position taken assumes far too much which I don’t grant. We are not at all required to put up an objective standard, since God Almighty is Himself Truth. Not simply “Truth Personified,” but the very living source of Truth. You may blanch at the idea of truth which is not concrete and unchanging, but that assumes too much, as well. Truth does not exist apart from the Person of God. The biblical position is God remains actively involved in the ethical conduct of those who have His Spirit, and context is everything. What He does and what He decides is justice every time, in all cases, etc. Questions of slavery, etc., are really petty attempts at begging the question.
2. If God is in control, why are there so many dangers in nature? — This is an attempt to use Occam’s Razor to shoot down the claim God orders all Creation. It assumes God cannot hold a purpose contrary to what atheists like. Silly argument. God owns it all, but asserts we have ruined it. By our sinful choice we have demanded evil, and God is granting that.
3. Where was God during Hurricane Katrina? — He was there comforting His people even as He rode the storm ashore. This assumes life itself is a particular good when the Bible clearly states God’s people would much rather be with Him. They wait on His hand to bring them home in His way, His time. Katrina is just more of the judgment of God on sin, and if His people sleep in the path of the storm, they might die with everyone else. Could He not have told them? Sure, but maybe it was their time to come home. He owns it all, and what He does is right, by definition.
4. Cannot God answer prayers to regenerate amputated limbs? — It’s false to assume He does not do so while rejecting claims it has been done. The reason we don’t see it “scientifically verified” today is because no amount of hard proof will accomplish anything in fallen minds. These exercises in debate won’t help atheists believe except where God does a miracle to their minds and helps them see. Belief is a gift from above, and is eminently unreasonable on human terms.
5. If abortion is a sin, why does God cause miscarriages? — Abortion is a sin if you aren’t God. It’s His law for us, and a double standard is not inherently wrong when it concerns Him. He made us; we are accountable to Him, not Him to us. Miscarriages are one more sad result from the Fall.
I am constantly amazed at the childish demands from these “new atheists.” It all has to be their way, and what they don’t accept doesn’t exist. I’m not the least bit discomfited by their unbelief, except I know they are going to spend eternity in Hell, and that’s not at all amusing. “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”
