This piece was taken from Russell Moore's publication. Subscribe right here.
Onot one of the most well-known atheists had a “come to Jesus” second. He additionally lastly found out a strategy to undermine the Christian faith he hates. And in contrast to his earlier efforts, this one would possibly really work.
Richard Dawkins, creator God's delusion, was among the many most distinguished proponents of the New Atheism, a motion to disclaim the existence of God that had its heyday 15 or 20 years in the past. The truth is, he was one of many “4 Horsemen” of the motion, together with Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett.
What was “new” in all this had been hardly the arguments that normally attracted Bertrand Russell. It was the preventing spirit of all of it. The viewers might really feel a vicarious feeling of “aren't we naughty? of counterculturalism once they heard Hitchens mock not simply televangelists or abusive clergymen, however Mom Teresa as a fraud. This theatrics ultimately wore skinny till even fellow atheists appeared ashamed of it.
However now Dawkins is reappearing, this time indoors viral video arguing for Christianity…kind of. He notes the decline in church attendance and Christian identification in his nation, the UK, and says that on the one hand he's glad to see it. However, Dawkins continues, he’s “a bit horrified” to see the promotion of Ramadan within the UK. In any case, he’s a Christian in a Christian nation.
Lest anybody be confused, Dawkins has made it clear that he’s a “cultural Christian, … not a believer.” He loves hymns and Christmas carols and cathedrals—every part about Christianity besides, nicely, Christ. “I like residing in a culturally Christian nation,” mentioned Dawkins, “though I don't imagine a phrase of the Christian religion.
On this case, cultural Christian has a special that means for Dawkins, that means “non-Muslim”. It’s a method of defining who we and they they’re based mostly on nationwide customs, not on any concern about who (or whether or not) God is.
I instantly considered a component from a TV collection Framework, through which the principle character, performed by Ramy Youssef, talks to a Jewish businessman concerning the similarities between the American Jewish and American Muslim experiences. One of many major similarities, says Rama's character, is “Christmasless”.
I can't consider a single Jewish or Muslim good friend or acquaintance of mine who defines being Jewish or Muslim that method (and I'm positive Youssef wouldn't say that's all). However I think that there are folks for whom this sense is a main a part of their identification in America, for whom the query isn’t whether or not God was actually at Sinai or Mecca, however slightly who’s a part of our and who’s them. The form of “Christianity” that Dawkins proposes merely substitutes “Christmasless” for “Christmas”, “Orientalism” or, extra exactly, “Ramadanless”.
About fifteen years in the past a few of my Christian associates had been afraid of the brand new atheism. They took the language of the “4 horsemen” as a sign of some disaster, of which these atheists had been the vanguard. Nevertheless, the venture didn’t work. Sure, sure components of the western world have continued to secularize, however there are arguments for all causes for dropping religion God's delusion most likely not amongst them.
If I had been Screwtape, a literal satan's advocate, advising atheists on how greatest to truly destroy the church, Dawkins's form of expressly disillusioned cultural Christianity isn’t what I might recommend. Open atheism gained't work, not less than not at first. Persons are drawn to belonging and they’re drawn to worship. Nevertheless, I might recommend the fundamental thrust of what Dawkins mentioned, albeit laced with rhetoric that also sounds spiritual. Attacking Christianity hardly ever works; co-opting typically does.
The compulsion to make faith a strategy to assert one's cultural identification in opposition to “foreigners” all the time finds an keen viewers. For individuals who worship their our bodies—outlined by race, area, class, political identification, no matter—having a mascot they’ll name “God” will all the time be useful. Projecting every part they love about their very own folks, nation and self onto an unquestionable and unquestionable mascot can construct cohesion. They could even name this mascot “Jesus.”
This sort of “Christianity” destroys the Christian faith far more successfully than direct makes an attempt to persuade people who God is a delusion. It defeats Christianity by changing the residing God with a God that’s really a delusion.
It really works to suppress the conscience that claims within the deepest night time: The God you worship is a projection of your group; the group you worship is a projection of your self. He eliminates the Christian religion, which doesn’t require exterior adaptation, however a brand new beginning, a renewal of the thoughts, a union with the residing Christ. It then inhabits the shell of that faith and persecutes it till the shell will be thrown away.
The final change gained't take lengthy. And these religions of blood and soil won’t ever be happy with the valorization of their very own blood and their very own soil. Ultimately they transfer on to spilling different folks's blood, stealing different folks's land.
So the issue with Dawkins' “cultural Christianity” isn’t that he says it out loud; it's simply that many individuals maintain the identical opinion and gained't say it…but. Christianity isn’t about nationwide anthems and village chapels and singing carols by candlelight. It’s definitely not about utilizing the levers of tradition or the state to pressure different folks to faux they’re Christians when they aren’t.
If the gospel isn’t actualthe gospel doesn’t work. True paganism will all the time overcome pretended Christianity.
The apostle Paul warned that within the final days, false academics will use all of the issues folks want—pleasure, energy, belonging, self—to introduce a form of faith “having a type of godliness, however denying its energy” (2 Tim 3:5). The satan is sensible sufficient to make use of hole, cultural Christianity to make us long-term atheists, to comprehend that one of the simplest ways to take down the cross is to switch it with a tradition, a crown, or a cathedral—or a Christmas tree. .
However keep in mind: Jesus is alive and acutely aware, and he’s additionally a rider.
Russell Moore is the editor-in-chief of Christianity At the moment and leads its public theology venture.