September 22, 2009

For thousands of years, philosophers and other great thinkers have grappled with the most elemental question of existence. Today, it's the hottest topic in contemporary cosmology:

Did the universe have a beginning? Or does it have an infinite past?

In ancient Greece, the philosophers Plato and Aristotle believed matter was uncreated and therefore eternal. They thought a supreme intelligence introduced order into the cosmos, but hadn't created the universe itself. In the ensuing centuries, many philosophers followed a similar line of thought, maintaining the universe has always existed.

But the ancient Hebrews held a profoundly different view, believing God created the universe out of nothing at some point in the finite past. The first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," states this.

"Now ancient Hebrew, which the book of Genesis was written in, had no word for the universe," Christian apologist William Lane Craig told thousands of people gathered recently at Saddleback Church. "When an ancient Hebrew speaker wanted to refer to the universe, he would use the expression, 'the heavens and the earth.' So Genesis 1:1 states, in effect, that in the beginning, God created the universe. It therefore implies that God created everything that exists without any pre-existing materials."

As part of a series of lectures at the 22,000-member church in Lake Forest, California, Pastor Rick Warren invited the "most respected authorities" to speak Sept. 5-6 on some of the most difficult topics in science, faith and reason.

Craig, a research professor of philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, spoke on the topic, "How Did the Universe Begin?"

In his message, Craig argued the universe must have a beginning because nothing begins to exist without a cause, and therefore, there must be a transcendent creator of the universe. In one of the most startling developments of modern science, Craig says scientific evidence shows the universe did have a beginning. The evidence of astronomy reveals the universe is expanding and the distances between galaxies is growing greater.

"This has the startling implication that as you trace it back in time the universe gets denser and denser and denser until it finally collapses down to a point before which the universe literally did not exist," Craig says. "And that initial event has come to be known as the Big Bang. What makes the Big Bang so startling is it represents the origin of the universe from literally nothing."

This has backed atheists into the corner, having to affirm that "for no reason whatsoever the universe just popped into being uncaused out of absolutely nothing, which is absurd," Craig says.

If the universe had a beginning then its cause must be a "personal being who has freedom of the will," Craig says.

"And thus we are brought not merely to a transcendent cause of the universe, but to its personal creator," Craig says.

In his message, New York Times bestselling author Dinesh D'Souza, author of "What's So Great About Christianity," spoke on the topic, "How Do I Know God Exists?"

In recent years, new atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens - more militant, suave and effective than predecessors such as Madalyn Murray O'Hair – have sought to make Christians feel like "total idiots" for believing in Christianity, D'Souza says.

Influentially ensconced in the media and the educational systems, those who share these beliefs have lambasted faith, arguing most conflicts in the world are fueled by religious beliefs and any rational person should conclude "God is a menace to the world." The new atheists say science offers a better way to understand the universe, which is leading to a more peaceful and decent society. In bolstering their paradigm, new atheists often claim Christians have been proven wrong repeatedly over the centuries, citing such things as the belief in a flat earth.

But D'Souza says these examples are "largely bogus" - noting Aristotle and educated people at the time of Christ knew the earth was round.

"The point I'm making is the flat-earth story is a complete legend," D'Souza says. "Interestingly, the science of the last 150 years, far from undermining Christianity, supports it in important and interesting ways."

For instance, science has discovered that space and time are properties of the universe.

"Outside our universe, there is no space and no time," D'Souza says. "Now the reason this is very interesting is that for 2,000 years Christians have been saying two things: No. 1, God is eternal – eternal not meaning living forever …, but eternal in the sense outside of time. This concept of eternity as seen from a scientific point of view now makes complete sense if God is outside the universe and outside of time."

Secondly, the ancient Hebrews claimed God told them He created the universe out of nothing.

"And 2,000 years later, what I'm saying is the description of what they said happened is pretty much right," D'Souza says.

Furthermore, scientists have discovered the universe operates according to a series of constants and forces with precise numerical values. If these laws were changed even slightly, the universe and life would not exist, D'Souza says.

"The whole idea is the entire universe appears to be a gigantic plot to make possible, well...us," D'Souza says. "This idea, which is sometimes called the anthropic principle, or the fine-tuned universe, has put atheism totally on the defensive."

Another "magic bullet in the holsters" of the new atheists is the claim that religious belief poses a threat to humanity's future. While the argument contains a grain of truth – Islamic radicals are attempting to obtain weapons of mass destruction and threatening to use them – D'Souza asked, "Where are the Buddhist suicide bombers? Where is the Christian bin Ladin?"

"What the atheists are trying to do is take Islamic radicalism and use that to smear God and all the other religions," D'Souza says.

And while the Crusades, Salem witch trials and the Spanish Inquisition claimed the lives of thousands of people over the last 1,000 years, D'Souza says atheistic regimes in just the last century managed to kill about 100 million people.

"Karl Marx said religion is the opiate of the people – it's like a drug – that blinds you to social injustice and you need to get rid of it before you can create the new man and the new utopia free from the shackles of God and religion," D'Souza says. "So my conclusion is that atheism, and not religion, is responsible for the mass murders of history."

Finally, Greg Koukl, founder and president of Stand to Reason, which trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, yet gracious defense of classical Christianity, ended the conference with a talk on, "How Can I Defend My Faith without Sounding Defensive?"

Explaining how to discuss Christian convictions without beating people over the head, Koukl offered a "game plan" from his new book, "Tactics." In the past, Christians were told how to present the Gospel and "close the deal" in five minutes. "But there are so many obstacles now," Koukl says. "There are so many distortions about Christianity that you can give them the simple Gospel but you are speaking Greek to them."

Instead, Christians need to do more "pre-evangelism" and – like the apostle Paul – take any opportunity to reach the lost, building relationships and laying a foundation the Lord can use to draw people.

One tactic, which Koukl named after "Lt. Columbo," involves asking questions like the famous detective on the television show played by Peter Falk. In the show, Columbo often showed up at a crime scene in a wrinkled trench coat and muttering to himself – a character who appeared "stupid, but stupid like a fox," Koukl says.

"You see him put his hands to his head, kind of wrinkle his brow a little bit and then say something like, 'I don't know. There is something about this thing that bothers me. Do you mind if I ask you a question?'" Koukl says. "He gets the answer. 'Oh, you are very intelligent. One more thing.'"

And then he asks question after question. Used in an inoffensive manner, the method allows Christians to advance a conversation, prompting people to think more deeply about beliefs that may just be a product of socialization. One of Koukl's key questions is: What do you mean by that?

It's a question that can be asked when someone says there are no absolutes – a "radically vague concept" - or that they believe Christians are intolerant. Despite the use of this type of name-calling, Koukl says many people "don't know what they mean by the slogans they often use."

"We are socialized by slogans," Koukl says.

By asking these and similar questions, Koukl says people often notice the flaws and become more open to the Gospel.

"You don't have to hit a home run," Koukl says. "You just have to get up to bat. And this game plan will help you do that. It will help you engage in conversations with confidence, no matter how impressive, educated or articulate the other person is."

Responses to With Friends Like These...:

What a wonderful article! I enjoyed every minute while reading it. Can I now plead that Dr. Wiker and To the Source follow this brilliant logic to its conclusion and fully reject Darwinism in favour of a sophisticated version of creationism that is true both to science and to the Bible? Such a thing exists but I wonder if you are acquainted with it. Keep up your excellent work! - Sylvia Baker

Dear Mr. D'Souza, Thank you so much for your wonderful book, What's So Great About Christianity! I had considered myself too smart, rational and self-sufficient to need God, let alone Jesus Christ, in my life. But when I read that an intellectually gifted man like yourself was a Christian, I began to reconsider my assumptions. Ultimately, I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and am now attending church regularly. I credit you with opening my mind and heart and I am grateful for your courage and defense of Christianity. Please write more books about your Christianity, as your words are such a blessing to me and millions of others! God bless you! - T. M.

Home run Dinesh...not sure if you'll see this...but wanted to say...well done at saddleback. - T.R.

Hello Dinesh, I’m a believer but one who had recently struggled with that belief until I read your book “What’s So Great . . . “. A book that the Holy Spirit put in my hands and used at the right time, at the right place, to give answers to all of my questions and take away doubts in a way that nothing else I have read, or sermon that I have heard – has ever done. For that . . . there are no words to express my thanks to you. - J.H.