INTRODUCTION

1. How do you argue with an atheist?

   1. To do so is to argue with a fool, for the Scriptures say, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Ps. 14:1).

   2. It is also to argue with an arrogant and wicked person, for Psalm 10:4 says, "The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, 'There is no God.'"

   3. Arguing with arrogant, wicked fools is tricky business and should be handled carefully.  Some good advice for this task is found in Proverbs 26:4-5:

      ⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him.  ⁵Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes.

      1. We must be careful not to be drawn in the atheist's folly, which may consist of unfounded speculations, logical fallacies, and ridiculous hypothetical situations.  This kind of approach does not lead to knowledge, but rather it leads to false justification and arrogance.

      2. Instead, we should "answer a fool as his folly deserves."  Sometimes this means giving no answer at all, but most of the time it means "always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1Pet. 3:15).

2. There are powerful arguments in favor of the existence of God that atheists simply cannot answer.

   1. These arguments are made on the basis of simple logic. This logic leads to proof of God.

   2. These arguments can be made even without use of the Scriptures, but this is not advisable.

      1. Christians should not be compelled to abandon the Bible when arguing with an atheist simply because the atheist does not accept it.

      2. Be assured that the atheist will not surrender his weapons for this battle, so neither should the Christian lay down his "sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17).

      3. The Scriptures support the arguments we will briefly consider here, and we should feel free to use the Bible even with atheists.

          

THE ARGUMENTS

1. One argument the atheist cannot answer concerns the origin of the world or universe (the cosmological argument).

   1. It is evident that the world did not cause its own existence, for nothing cannot create something.  There must have been an original cause, and that cause is Almighty God.

      1. In Hebrews 3:4, God's word says, "For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God."  Just as the existence of a house is evidence that there was a capable builder, so also the existence of the world is evidence that is a capable builder, and He can be only God.

      2. This progression of thought is logical and faithful, for "by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible" (Heb. 11:3).

   2. Atheists may attempt to answer this argument in terms of the Big Bang and Darwinian evolution, but their theories do not give satisfactory answers for origins.

      1. These theories cannot logically assume that something (in fact, everything) can come from nothing. Such an event cannot happen.

      2. Atheists may contend that matter is eternal, but material evidence and the second law of thermodynamics prove that there was a beginning to the world and that the world is "winding down" and becoming less organized.  The idea of eternal matter is not an acceptable and reasonable answer.

      3. Atheists may also contend that the answers about origins simply have not been discovered yet.  For this reason, they propose to comb the universe in search of the answers they assume exist somewhere.  However, "not yet" is not a satisfactory answer.

   3. Thus, Christians know that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1), but atheists have no good answer.

      1. Christians confidently know the origin of all things.  The Bible gives us the answers.

      2. Atheists will never know the answers because they reject the only source of the answers.

2. Another argument concerns the evidence of intelligent design in the world (the teleological argument).

   1. It is evident that the systems in the universe from the astronomic to the microscopic function with purpose.

      1. The heavenly bodies do not demonstrate randomness and chaos, but rather they show order and precision.  Their existence sends a message according to Psalm 19:1-2:

         ¹The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.  ²Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

      2. Likewise, even the least cells, atoms, and particles show amazing function, order, and information. These cannot be the results of random, natural processes, but rather they are evidence of a great designer.

   2. There are only two possibilities for the origins of these purposes -- mind or matter.  Because matter is incapable of conceiving, designing, and creating systems with purpose, there must be a mind behind the origin of the material world.  That mind is Almighty God.

   3. Atheists attempt to ascribe intelligent design to matter by saying that time and chance can account for all things, but that contention is illogical and baseless.  In Romans 1:18-20, the Scriptures describe such atheists,

      ¹⁸who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

3. A third powerful argument pertains to the existence of morality (the moral argument).

   1. It is evident that there is real, objective moral value, and therefore there must be a real, objective moral standard.  The source of this moral standard is Almighty God.

   2. Atheists claim that morality is simply a product of an evolved society that has determined by experience what is best for members of that society.

      1. If that is true, then morality is not objective, but rather it is a matter of opinion or consensus. This is a dangerous proposition, for it can lead to situations such as that which happened in Nazi Germany, when the majority consented to the murders of six million Jews.

      2. Sometimes atheists will say that there is no real, objective moral value, but they will then contradict themselves by speaking of right, wrong, crime, law, evil, etc. They will condemn the Nazis for their atrocities but then deny the moral standard of God's word that defines what atrocities are.

   3. Thus, we see that atheists have no good answer for morality but give evidence for God in themselves, "in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them" (Rom. 2:15).

       

CONCLUSION

1. Of course, there are other arguments in favor of God's existence, but only a few are really needed.

   1. The Bible itself is a powerful piece of evidence for God (the Biblical argument), for such a unified volume of accurate history, science, and geography with fulfilled prophecy could not be produced by forty or more men writing over a period of more than 1,500 years without the inspiration of God (2Tim. 3:16).

   2. This argument, along with the cosmological, teleological, and moral arguments, provides a sound defense for the existence of God that the atheist cannot answer.

2. Use these powerful arguments with confidence, and you may make a believer out of an atheist some day.