{"id":90053,"date":"2021-01-28T19:15:18","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T02:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=90053"},"modified":"2021-01-28T19:41:22","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T02:41:22","slug":"the-saving-power-of-atheism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2021\/01\/the-saving-power-of-atheism.html","title":{"rendered":"The Saving Power of Atheism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
California\u2019s second temple sits in the hills overlooking downtown Oakland and the San Francisco Bay
(Photo from LDS.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

With all my heart, I beg those who are heading down this path to consider very seriously where it is that they want to end up:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHeartland research director: \u201cThe Church is off course\u201d\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most likely reflecting the polar opposite ideological side from the item directly above:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMan Desperately Searches Bible For That Verse Where Jesus Commands Christians To Be On The Right Side Of History\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another item from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial \u201cHow Religion Poisons Everything\u201d File<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLatter-day Saint Charities Provides 40,000 pounds of Food to St. Louis Area Families: Event commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr.\u2019s legacy\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And, while I\u2019m at it, I think that I\u2019ll add this additional example of the comprehensive toxicity of religious belief, from an Evangelical Protestant book \u2014 Nathan Busenitz,\u00a0Reasons We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence That Confirm the Christian Faith<\/em>\u00a0(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 102-103, :<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The story is told of pastor and theologian Harry Ironside, who was publicly preaching the gospel in San Francisco when an antagonist in the crowd shouted \u201cAtheism has done more for the world than Christianity!\u201d\u00a0 W. A. Criswell recounts the event, noting that the atheist further challenged Ironside to a debate:<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Ironside, God\u2019s wonderful preacher, said, \u201cI would be happy to debate with you.\u00a0 This time.\u00a0 This hour.\u00a0 This place.\u00a0 I will meet with you.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d said the infidel, \u201cI\u2019ll debate with you.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And Ironside said, \u201cI just have one thing that I want us to do.\u00a0 Tomorrow, this very hour, I am going to bring with me 100 men and women who have been saved out of the gutter and out of the darkness and despair of life, who have been lifted up into the brightness of God.\u00a0 I am going to bring 100 of them.\u00a0 And they will be here, standing beside me tomorrow \u2014 this place, this time.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you, you bring 100 men and women who have been saved out of the gutter and the darkness of life, by the gospel of infidelity.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Needless to say, the debate never happened.\u00a0 When asked to produce those whose lives had been radically improved by atheism, the antagonist knew he could not do so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Busenitz says that he is citing W. A. Criswell, \u201cThe Truth of the Faith,\u201d sermon on John\u00a06:66-69, preached 26 July 1987,\u00a0 However, the version of that sermon that I have found differs just a bit in its wording, though not in its substance:\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/wacriswell.com\/sermons\/1978\/the-truth-of-the-faith-2\/<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 With all my heart, I beg those who are heading down this path to consider very seriously where it is that they want to end up: \u00a0 \u201cHeartland research director: \u201cThe Church is off course\u201d\u201d \u00a0 *** \u00a0 Most likely reflecting the polar opposite ideological side from the item directly above: \u00a0 \u201cMan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1014,3799,2845,21227,743,1576,21225,14719,15760],"class_list":["post-90053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-atheism","tag-atheist","tag-irreligion","tag-irreligious","tag-religion","tag-secular","tag-secularist","tag-unbelief","tag-unbeliever"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Saving Power of Atheism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    With all my heart, I beg those who are 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