by Chris Reeves
Synopsis: Chris draws lessons from recent current events, including an astonishing statement by Richard Dawkins, and an unexpected slip-up by Chick-fil-A.
I was dumbfounded to recently hear that Richard Dawkins, the great atheist of our time, admitted that eliminating God from one's life would pose problems. Dawkins said that if people got rid of the idea of God in their life, they would lose their sense of morality. Wow! We're making progress in "the God debate!" The British paper, The Times, reported that Dawkins said that without the presence of a higher being in their lives, "People may feel free to do bad things because they feel God is no longer watching them." Dawkins went on to say that people who stop believing in God would no longer need to obey "a divine spy camera in the sky reading their every thought." He concluded by saying, "Whether irrational or not, it does, unfortunately, seem plausible that, if somebody sincerely believes God is watching his every move, he might be more likely to be good… I must say I hate that idea, I want to believe that humans are better than that. I'd like to believe I'm honest whether anyone is watching or not."
Dawkins actually makes a valid point and candid admission here concerning the connection between the existence of God and our morality. Our inner sense of morality and desire not to offend God is a strong argument for the existence of God. Naturalistic evolution cannot reasonably explain the existence of mankind's morality and sense of "right" and "wrong." It cannot adequately explain the existence of non-naturalistic emotions, feelings, senses of "ought," conscience, etc. To put it plainly, physical materials do not give rise to spiritual morals. Rocks don't give rise to rights or wrongs. Goo (primordial slime) doesn't give rise to good and evolution doesn't give rise to evil. Our inner moral self was created in the image of a moral God.
Long before Dawkins graced us with his latest epiphany of wisdom, the apostle Paul brought attention to the problems that will be in a person's life when one does not have God in his life. He wrote: "Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful" (Rom. 1:28-31). I anxiously await the day when Dawkins will dumbfound me again by admitting that God actually does exist.
It happens to the best of us. No matter how hard we try, from time to time we make mistakes. Take, for example, the recent slip-up by Chick-fil-A. The marketing staff of this great sandwich company wanted to encourage their customers to come in and get a Chick-fil-A sandwich on National Sandwich Day, November 3, 2019. They sent out an email blast encouraging patrons to come to their nearest location on this date and place their order. There was only one problem: November 3 fell on a Sunday and Chick-fil-A, of course, is closed on Sunday. Everyone knows that Chick-fil-A is "closed on Sunday," including rap artist Kanye West, and it has been that way since 1946. However, the company got ahead of itself and forgot to check the date first. Oops! They later apologized for the confusion in a follow-up email inviting their customers to stop by Monday through Saturday.
This all makes me wonder: How many people (religious or not) slip-up and forget to keep their busy lives "closed on Sunday" for the Lord? How many, including some brethren, forsake the assembling together (Heb. 10:25) so that they can go out and do what they want? Sunday, the first day of the week as a day for worship to God, should be so ingrained in our minds and the minds of our children that we would never think of abandoning our duties and privileges of worship on the Lord's day. Let us never forget to put God first in worship on Sunday. Friend, is the first day of the week a "first" priority with you (Matt. 6:33)? Are you "closed on Sunday" and open to God?
Maule, Will. "Atheist Richard Dawkins: Getting Rid of God Would Make World Less Moral." Faithwire. October 29, 2019. https://www.faithwire.com/2019/10/29/atheist-richard-dawkins-getting-rid-of-god-would-make-world-less-moral/.
Goins-Philips, Tré. "Even Chick-fil-A Forgot for a Moment Its Closed on Sundays." Faithwire. November 1, 2019. https://www.faithwire.com/2019/11/01/even-chick-fil-a-forgot-for-a-moment-its-closed-on-sundays/.
Author Bio: Chris preaches for the Warfield Blvd. Church of Christ in Clarksville, TN. His Bible study website is thegoodteacher.com. He can be reached at chrisreevesmail@gmail.com.
