Proverbs 1: 7 says,
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Paul, said to the Corinthians,
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1: 18-25)
Here are five quotes by well known atheists/agnostics that exhibit their lack of Godly discernment and wisdom!
1) If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul. – Isaac Asimov
It is true that many television evangelists set God up to be mocked. However, Asimov’s ignorance of the word of God is evident here, since Jesus said, in Matthew 7,
{“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ }
Also, Asimov couldn’t, being an atheist, discern that there is no righteousness apart from Christ, as Paul points out to the Galatians:
{“…nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified (made “righteous”).“}
God, wouldn’t be any more appreciative of an atheist who was “honest and righteous” than He would be of an hypocritical TV preacher! God, loves both, as He does all of His creation, but both are outside of His will.
Mr. Asimov, should have known that if you’re going to slam another person’s beliefs, then perhaps, you should take the time to study and know what they are!
2) Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination. – Edward Abbey
This is a very hypocritical and ignorant statement, since it is through the right side of our brain (imagination, emoting, creativity) that we discern the spiritual.
If Abbey is correct, then naturalists are definitely lacking in imagination, since they are just chock full of fairy tales about the “cosmos!”
3) What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof. – Christopher Hitchens
This is probably the most hypocritical and asinine statement, by an atheistic naturalist, that I’ve ever read. There is no proof for the “Big Bang,” evolution, “multi-verses” or “dark energy,” and yet this man is ready to throw bricks at God and His believers while he sits in his naturalistic, atheistic glass-house!
{“The fool, in his heart, says there is no God.” Psalm 14: 1}
4) With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. – Steven Weinberg
Wrong again! “Only God is good,” and evil is merely the absence of good, just as darkness is merely the absence of light. So, if goodness and love can only come through God, then there would be nothing left without God but the absence of goodness, or evil!
{“As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10: 17-18}
{“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4: 7-8}
5) I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. – Susan B. Anthony
She makes a good point here, and as believers, we should be able to hear God’s rebuke in this quote! As I’ve said before, there are many charlatans (supposed believers) among us whose desires are contrary to God’s leading and will!
However, Ms. Anthony is (as Mr. Asimov was) tossing a brick here while at the same time living in a glass house! It isn’t just believers in God and religious people who are guilty of this. People, in general, will try to validate what they’re doing so as to get what they want. It’s part of the “fallen” nature of humanity, which, without Christ, is devoid of God!
Jesus, was aware of this human condition when He spoke these words:
{“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23: 5-8}
Ah yes! As Paul asked, “Where is the wise man…” in this world?
Tags: atheism, creation, God, naturalism