October: Tanner’s Trails

by Pastor John Tanner

“No Proof of God” read last Saturday’s lead article in the Chieftain’s Faith & Religion section. The story detailed a lecture presented at the Unitarian Universalist Church in East Pueblo.

Victor Stenger (76) atheist and professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado presented his argument against the Judeo-Christian-Islamic god and highlighted the detrimental effect he believes religion has on science and the progress of humanity.

Much of his diatribe centered on the questioning of issues most Christians have already dealt with successfully, such as, “proving God scientifically”, “unanswered prayers”, “creation or science”, and “the silence of God”.

His most gleaning false accusations dealt with Christianity’s science. He says they are incompatible. Any fair-minded observer would agree that science formed its origin in western culture where Christians predominated. The Bible takes a positive approach toward creation as the marvelous handiwork of God. The Eastern cultures deny the importance of this world and science, preferring to escape into other-worldly more spiritual concerns.

Christians believe that accurate science and accurate Bible interpretation harmonize. If God is the source of both, there can be no conflict when rightly understood. Only poor scientists and poor Bible interpreters find conflict between the two.

“What science does show is quite humbling in the grand scheme of things”, Stenger explained. Oddly, similar comments were roundly accepted as last week’s PWBC Wednesday Evening Bible Study of Ps. 19:1. The exploration of nature’s mysteries enhances our awareness of God, rather than demanding atheistic explanations. Stenger ‘s best guess at the worlds origin was a “big bang” or eternity, a mind-boggling faith that the cosmos had no beginning or designer.

Also, he describes some Christians who deny global warming by casually accepting that the world is self-regulating and self-correcting. Meanwhile, he blindly accepts that the universe automatically fine-tunes itself using “mathematical equations”.

Regarding values and morals, Stenger commits his most serious error of logic. He attacks the Christian concept of heaven and hell as counter productive. That is, he assumes that believers who anticipate rewards and punishments in the afterlife get lazy and apathetic about the world’s needs. On the contrary, the atheists of this world are those who are insensitive and fatalistic regarding humanity, morals, and charity, whereas Christians, Jews, and other godly people who in fact champion the cause of human need.

Scripture says, “the fool has said in his heart there is no God.” (Ps. 14:1) Unfortunately, such foolishness is still proclaimed as newsworthy in the 21^st century.

See you Sunday, 
Pastor John Tanner