Displaying items by tag: Atheism

As a mischievous fourth-grader, Jennifer Fulwiler moved all the Bibles in her school library to the fiction section. Raised on science and Carl Sagan, atheism was her belief system. However, everything changed when she had a baby. Holding her newborn, she realised profound flaws in atheism and felt a transcendent love that contradicted her materialist worldview. The atheist worldview, she found, could justify immoral behaviour from a survival perspective. When she questioned this, fellow atheists dismissed her concerns. After marrying and having a baby, she marvelled at the miracle of life, sensing that her love for her child was more than just a chemical reaction. This realisation eroded her atheism. Seven months later, drawn to a book in a store, she discovered Lee Strobel's 'The Case for Christ'. Expecting to refute it, she was instead convinced by his arguments. Jennifer accepted Jesus and now plants seeds for the Gospel as a Catholic comedian, transformed by her journey from atheism to faith.

In 2009, the UK's atheist bus ad campaign aimed to diminish the relevance of God but inadvertently spurred more spiritual dialogue. This misstep highlighted a broader decline in atheism and a resurgence in Christian movements, particularly Spirit-led churches, which are flourishing globally amidst a growing disenchantment with secularism. Despite the decline in mainstream church attendance and an increase in religiously unaffiliated individuals, vibrant new church plants are thriving, driven by a deep desire for authentic spiritual experiences. This growth is notable in Pentecostal congregations across South America, Africa, Asia, and even the UK, as observed by historian Tom Holland. The intellectual landscape is also shifting, with former critics of Christianity, like Peter Boghossian, moving away from aggressive atheism. Instead, they are now addressing the rise of 'woke' ideologies within academia. As atheism struggles to provide a fulfilling narrative, Christianity is attracting both intellectuals and the general populace by offering robust moral and existential answers. This renewed interest in the Christian faith is evident in various public expressions and increasing church involvement, signalling a significant cultural and spiritual shift.

Atheism assumes various disguises, including wokeism – politically correct views on gender, race, sexuality etc. It comes in the wake of secular humanism and challenges Judeo-Christian principles in our culture. An example of wokery is Church of England’s Jayne Ozanne calling for a ban on ‘hate prayer’, asking the government to ban consensual prayer that helps same-sex people abstain from sex. It’s a reminder of Jesus’ warning that there will come a time when believers will betray one another (Matthew 10:21). See Meanwhile 1,700 church leaders and pastoral workers warned the Government over the conversion therapy ban and say they will continue to proclaim Jesus Christ’s lordship even if it means going to prison TalkRadio discussions on 'conversion therapy' turned into a rant about Christianity - a sad reminder of how far this culture is from discovering Jesus and his pattern for our lives. The Government’s consultation on conversion therapy ends on 4 February.

Ten years ago the notorious atheist bus campaign marked a high point for militant atheism. But now there's a new and more serious challenge to the Church. It is ‘identity politics’. Although it highlights oppression or injustice in a way that the Church can support, at its worst it pits different social groups against one another, black vs white, female vs male, transgender vs feminist, rich vs poor. It encourages judgement and prejudice against those who are allegedly powerful - a white, straight man is deemed ‘privileged’ though he may have experienced many power-limiting experiences in his life. It provokes its followers to see antagonism within every social interaction. Identity politics has taken over much of the media, academia and political discourse. Google employee James Damore lost his job for asserting that the gender gap in the tech industry is due to biological differences.

Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook, has announced he is no longer an atheist, but in fact sees religion as ‘very important’. Zuckerberg posted a ‘Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah’ message from his family to his followers on Facebook. After he posted the comment, a user asked, ‘But aren't you an atheist?’ In response, the 32-year-old billionaire replied, ‘No. I was raised Jewish and went through a period of questioning things, but now I believe religion is very important.’ When another user asked, ‘But why doesn’t Facebook notify us that it is Jesus’ birthday today?’, Zuckerberg joked, ‘You're not friends with Jesus on Facebook?’ adding a smiling emoji with a halo. Earlier in 2016, he and his wife met Pope Francis to discuss ways in which technology could help the poor.