“Only two things are certain: the Universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the Universe”-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955).

I’m certain about the stupidity of man because the Bible tells us we are all under sin, Furthermore the Bible teaches there are fools- when a person has said in his heart there is no God (cited twice Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1). That’s God’s position on the so called intellectuals of scientism. Einstein is considered one of the smartest humans to have lived- he believed there is something beyond us, that we would call God, he didn’t accept a personal god but one more in line with theosophy.

Sin not only affects our moral aptitude of our mind and reasoning, we are unable to think correctly and make accurate judgments until we have the mind of Christ. No matter how intellectually smart one can only consider his works and not the one behind His works. for that they need revelation, input beyond a human source.

“I see a pattern, but my imagination cannot picture the maker of that pattern. I see a clock, but I cannot envision the clockmaker. The human mind is unable to conceive of the four dimensions, so how can it conceive of a God, before whom a thousand years and a thousand dimensions are as one? (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 2000 p. 208)

We know nothing about [God, the world] at all. All our knowledge is but the knowledge of schoolchildren. Possibly we shall know a little more than we do now. but the real nature of things, that we shall never know, never. (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, p. 208)

If he had read his own Hebrew Bible he may have started on a journey that was not limited to science but reached his heart, the spirit within man that would have given him an understanding of man and his purpose. But Einstein recognized God in Judaism as a religion concerned with life having no need of “faith,” Einstein was a humanist at heart.

Humanist Manifesto H affirms: "We can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species. ... No deity will save us; we must save ourselves." ('Humanist Manifiestos I and II, Paul Kurtz, ed., (Prometheus Books, 1973, p. 16.)

So humanists consider themselves masters of their own destiny who have no purpose from a creator so they create there own.

In our day, Atheism also known as secular Humanism has become an aggressive challenge to the church. The success of the New Atheists influence reflects something significant – that the church has done a poor job in defending truth publicly and there is a void which they have rushed to fill.

An atheist is one that is sure in an absolute sense that no God exists. They do not arrive at their conclusion from evidence (which is not on their side) but from a hope. Which often relates to not wanting to be responsible to a greater authority because they do not like what the authority has to say about them and how they need to live. An agnostic is one who accepts the fact that he has not (yet) found proof of God. A dishonest agnostic says, "I don't know and I don't want to know." An honest agnostic says, "I don't know but I want to know." One cannot be an “atheist” if they are being honest with their pursuit of the facts and science.

Atheists do not use the mind or logic to arrive at their conclusion, they use didactic reasoning that eliminates certain facts and evidence to stack the deck in their favor to satisfy their own ego’s pride of being right?

What they do is like someone building a two story house and after the first story they stop building to state there is no second story. They purposely forfeit there pursuit of where facts lead because it will change their conclusion. They are willing to believe the record of history in nearly everything else except when it supports the Bible; then they ignore it, unwilling to continue their pursuit of knowledge of the “Holy One.” Again this proves the sinful condition of man and his severed relationship to his maker.

God began to solve the human dilemma by a baby. The atheists are threatened by him today as much as Herod was back when He was born. On Fox News Dec.8, 2008 an atheists statement was played- “this time of year is the winter solstice it is a natural season the Christians basically stole this season from us human beings by using the hate speech of the nativity scene which, which damns all of us to hell if we don’t bow down before that little baby that became the dictator. What a horrible insult to what it means to be a human being.”

Are Christians – non human beings! Have the atheists made a new category for those who believe in God?

This is what is called bigotry. This would fall in the category of religious hate speech but because it is about Christianity it will be ignored --The little baby that became a dictator? Is Jesus Mussolini, or Mao? Jesus has not forced anyone to bow before him to serve. One day they will bow and admit the gospel was true, that he is indeed Lord as they are face to face with him, but in the meantime they have the choice to reject him. They are what the book of Romans states “haters of God, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, … without understanding, … who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:28-32). The book of Galatians calls this the work of the flesh, fallen man at his worst. How can they hate God so much? “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom 1:25)

I have underlined the applicable descriptions. 2 Timothy 3:1-4: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, … unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, .. brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”

This brings us to the most prominent argument of the atheists--portraying religion as unreasonable, a "blind faith," that leads to fanaticism and even violence. They claim that religion particularly Christianity) has killed more people than any other thing on this planet. Their old argument that there are more killed by religion than anything else is completely false, and without merit.

They use the Catholic crusades, the Salem Witch trials or in some (rare) instances the Islamists jihad as proof of what religion does to people.

The Salem Witch Trials killed eighteen, not thousands. Can atheists claim the same from Stalin, Mao, Mussolini, Pol Pot,.. The majority of dictators were atheists, (excluding Hitler who believed in a very different god). So their arguments of this type become moot  when the facts are known.

The answer to their incendiary accusations are the facts: It is Atheism, not religion, that is responsible for the majority of mass murders. In the twentieth century alone, as a result of Communist ideology, more people were killed than in all wars in the previous nineteen centuries put together. Far more than killing in the name of any religion, were those killed in the name of government and an ideology.

They use doublespeak- when religious people do evil things, they are acting on their beliefs, but when atheists do the same it has noth­ing to do with their atheism. Under Stalin much of the Orthodox priesthood was exterminated solely for being religious leaders, as were the clergy of other religions, hundreds of thou­sands of Baptists. One cannot claim that Stalin's atheism had nothing to do with his extermination. Altogether the numbers range from 120 million upwards to 200 million slaughtered. These do not come close to anything the Catholic church did in the crusades or throughout its history.

The crusades were actually a retaliation against the Islamic Jihad that took Europe. The religious wars were not done by obedient Christians but Roman Catholics fighting to recover the "Holy Land for the church.” A church that blended religion with a state government. The crusaders were not following the commands of the Bible or Jesus. No Bible passage was used to promote this, but a churches mandate- they took orders from the Pope. They could not validate their actions from the Bible or by the teachings of Jesus or the apostles.

Not all religions are equal. To say Christians use violence just like Muslims is Sophistry. Jihad is the normal state of relationship between the non-Muslim and the Muslim. It is a perpetual conflict. The concept of Jihad preceded the Crusades by five centuries.

The Christian Crusades were an abnormality in Christian history based upon Catholic teaching not the bible. In contrast, the intolerance and violence that have characterized Islam throughout its history are firmly rooted in the Koran. Not all religions are equal.

Muslims have a record of killing innocent civilians for centuries before the crusades ever took place, and long after they stopped they continue this today. Christianity teaches to love your enemies to care for your fellowman, love your neighbor as yourself.

Islam that practices terrorism finds its instructions in their Koran. The fact is the true Church started by Jesus was martyred throughout the centuries by Islam and even by some who called themselves the Church.

The Muhammad cannot be compared to the words of love Jesus told his followers known as Christians:

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

However you want people to treat you, so treat them” (Matthew 7:12).

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

“This is my commandment that you love one another” (John 15:12, 17).

You cannot find anything of equal value in Islam or any philosophy on earth. In fact as Muhammad was dying, he asked Allah, to curse the Jews and Christians (Bukhari, Vol. 1, #427)

Many atheists were brought up in Christian homes and went to church. They asked questions that were not adequately answered or were dissatisfied with what they saw and it repelled them. Some claim that they did research and found none of the story or history to be true, as in the case of a now famous atheist Dan Barker who was a minister and now has the Freedom from Religion Foundation. He has written a book called “Godless” about him being an evangelical preacher that turned to one of Americas leading atheists. Barker claims that Christians took secular songs and melodies and made them into religious songs so he has returned the favor and has taken little town of Bethlehem and set it to words for a celebration of the winter solstice (which is really a pagan celebration). (audio posted on our website www.letusreason.org/Apolo30.htm)

Take note Pastors/teachers/evangelists, it is so important to respond correctly to a youth’s questions on the Bibles accuracy. Don’t take it for granted that all will be well with them, their beliefs are continually under attack in the schools; from grade school all the way up to college. If you do not have a sufficient answers for their questions they will find someone who does, even if it is untrue. And unfortunately there are more untrue answers offered than there are true ones from our secular educators.

If we compare the Old Testament manuscripts to that of ancient Rome or Greek history the evidence for its accuracy is incomparable. If the Bible is rejected for its inaccuracy in recording history than all ancient history is suspect.

Homer's “Iliad” written in 900 BC has 643 copies; the first copy was found 500 years later (400 BC). Caesar's “Gallic Wars” written in 65 BC has 10 copies; the first copy found 835 years later (900 AD).

Plato's “Tetralogies” written in 400 BC has 7 copies; the first copy found 1,300 years later (900 AD). The volcanic eruption of Pompeii is accepted as history but it has only one manuscript.

When we look at the New Testament manuscripts there are nearly 25,000 partial and complete manuscript copies of the New Testament. The New Testament fragments are within one generation from the original, we have whole books within about 100 years from the time of the autograph. We have the entire New Testament within 250 years from the date of its completion. No other ancient piece of literature comes close to the Bibles substantiation for its accuracy.

There are 86,000 quotations from the early church fathers (up to the 4th century) found in several thousand Lectionaries (sermons). All but 11 verses are found of the New Testament, proving the Bible we have today is the same as what was written then. We have whole copies of the Old Testament from 900 AD. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found they put the imprimatur on it accuracy, preceding the Old Testament text from 900 Ad by 1,000 years, it was nearly word for word.

If the Bible is to be rejected for its inaccuracy in recording history and events, than all ancient history is suspect. Bible history is not found only in the Bible, secular Historians like Josephus, the Roman Tacitus, the Roman Suetonius, the Roman Governor Pliny the Younger, confirm the people and their customs, the many places and events that are recorded in the New Testament.

Archaeology affirms the reliability of the Bible with over 2,500 sites discovered.  Each time a dig is found it brings more confirmation to the Bibles record as being accurate. William F. Albright was a man very well respected in his field. He published over 800 books and articles. He was known as America’s foremost Orientalist, a leader in biblical archaeology, a linguist and an expert on ceramics (pottery artifacts), was able to endorse many archeological sites as contained in the Bible record (he dated the dead sea scrolls). The skeptic, much less the atheist must ignore the evidence to come to their conclusions. Many an atheist have taken up the challenge to look at the evidence of the Bible and disprove it. Sir William Ramsey, set out to disprove the gospel of Luke and Acts, but through his investigative archaeological trips, he became converted. Dr. Simon Greenleaf, one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School, set out to disprove the Bibles testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ and ended up converted from the EVIDENCE. His book, The Testimony of the Evangelists attests in detail to the accuracy of the witnesses from a lawyers perspective. In our modern time Josh McDowell did the same and ended up becoming a believer and writing the book “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” which every skeptic, critic or atheist should take time to read

This is why those who follow the Bible are the target of ridicule.

Atheists acknowledge the theory of evolution strips Christianity of any meaning. Atheist G. Richard Bozarth sums up their position by writing: “Christianity has fought, still fights and will fight science to the desperate end over evolution, because evolution destroys utterly and finally the very reason Jesus’ earthly life was supposedly made necessary. Destroy Adam and Eve and the original sin, and in the rubble you will find the sorry remains of the son of god . . . If Jesus is not the redeemer who died for our sins, and this is what evolution means, then Christianity is nothing” (G. Richard Bozarth, "The Meaning of Evolution," The American Atheist, Vol. 20, No. 2, February, 1978, p. 30).

Some of the more famous atheists believe there is more evidence that aliens visited earth to begin mankind (panspermea) than a God who created us.

What do you think is the most important question you can ask in life. Not who am I or what is my purpose, but is there a God and who is He? What am I and what is my purpose means little is the more important question is not answered.

Often one will hear the words “there isn't enough evidence to believe in God.” An theist would be hardpressed to believe in any modern day achievements man has done applying this same attitude they have toward the Bible. Can they actually prove man went to the moon or do they have to take others testimonies by “faith.” Can they prove that invisible particles are what everything we see is made of?

Proving there is no god is upon the atheists shoulders. It is only fair that if a theist has to give evidence, so do atheists.

This new atheism can be called scientism for it exalts science as the epitome of knowledge. The atheists claim you can’t prove god[s] exists- they can’t prove evolution and their theory of the beginning of the universe are correct. But this does not stop them from their scientific fantasy that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

What we agree with an atheist is that the universe had a beginning, everything after this ensue the debate. And each of us go to the opposite end, as dark and light. After the beginning we have to answer the how questions.

The beginning was either: caused or uncaused. If the universe had a cause, the cause was either:

1) By a personal being or 2) not a personal being.

Life was either directly created by a living being or spontaneously arose from a nonliving material.

The fact is- Science has proven the universe is neither eternal, uncaused, indestructible or incorruptible. Logic and common sense has to be the first plank to discovering what took place.

At least five books by the New Atheists have made the bestseller lists for the past two years. Sam Harris's The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation, Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell, Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion and now Christopher Hitchens's God Is Not Great.

The God Delusion was #8 on the New York Times bestseller list, #10 on Publishers Weekly, and #2 on the Amazon best-seller rankings in November 2006.

"The God Who Wasn't There" DVD asks the youth to take the blasphemy challenge. They offer a free DVD of a movie called "The God Who Wasn't There." All you need to do is send a video of yourself blaspheming the Holy Spirit. http://www.blasphemychallenge.com/ Brian Flemming shows his unparalleled ignorance on the subject unable to distinguish between the teachings of the Bible and the many cult and aberrant groups who have used Christ’s name to promote their own flawed views.

In June 2005, Brian Flemming released a documentary DVD on the Jesus Myth. http://www.thegodmovie.com/

The atheists established internet discussion forums--Internet Infidels,”The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold”. [unless one is grounded in what they believe I do not recommend visiting these sites].

Then there is “The God Who Wasn't There,” a DVD that asks the youth to take the blasphemy challenge offering the a free DVD of “The God Who Wasn't There,” to any who will send a video of yourself blaspheming the Holy Spirit (http://www.blasphemychallenge.com/). Stating “You may damn yourself to Hell however you would like, but somewhere in your video you must say this phrase: “I deny the Holy Spirit.”

Why? Because, according to Mark 3:29 in the Holy Bible, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” Jesus will forgive you for just about anything, but he won't forgive you for denying the existence of the Holy Spirit. Ever. This is a one-way road you're taking here.”

It was reported that even John Gibson of FOX News joined in support of the Blasphemy Challenge.

They are ignorant. As much as they would like to, they are not really participating in the unforgivable sin, they have misread and misunderstood what Jesus said, so they are doubly ignorant (this is not the unforgiveable sin.)

There is also the “rational response squad” that wants people to “declare your independence of religion”- specifically Christianity. Despite this nationwide campaign run by antagonists bitter toward Christ and his followers, there is a growing movement of teenagers responding on the web to them, which we stand behind in their efforts.

There are atheists who want to see the use of the term “God” erased out of public life (off our currency). It is immoral to make a law for it to be illegal to worship God or practice ones religion. Just as it would be immoral to force people to worship God when they do not want to.

The Harris polled 2,010 adults Oct. 4, 2006 on is there a God?

42% say they are not absolutely certain

15% somewhat certain

11% probably no God

16% not sure

Whatever surveys are worth in their great fluxuations, (one can always find a group agreeing with them to a certain extent.)

The majority of Americans are not atheist or agnostic. A recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life poll from earlier this year found 92 percent of Americans believe in God. According to the American Religious Identification Survey, which interviewed more than 50,000 people (not just 2,000), more than 29 million adults--one in seven Americans--declare themselves to be without religion. Which does not necessarily mean they are atheists but only not affiliated with any specific religious persuasion. However, it does not matter if 99.9% of the world are atheists, THEY ARE STILL WRONG (they were in Noah’s day and we are told it will be like that at the end of the age). A majority may carry weight in elections but it is not the final answer on matters of truth in religion.

1994 there were an estimated 240 million atheists around the world comprising slightly more than 4 percent of the world’s population, including those who profess atheism, skepticism, disbelief, or irreligion. The estimate of nonbelievers increases significantly, to about 21 percent of the world’s population, if negative atheists are included. (Encarta Encyclopedia )

Apart from Muslim countries where nearly everyone believes in the God Allah.

Countries like Vietnam and Japan lead.

Vietnam 66,978,900 out of a population of 82,690,000; 81%.

Japan 81,493,120 - 82,766,450 out of a population of 127,333,000; 64 - 65%

The numbers may be larger but not proportionate to the population, USA 8,790,840 - 26,822,520 out of a population of 293,028,000; 3- 9%.

Russia 34,507,680 - 69,015,360 out of a population of 143,782,000; 24 - 48%.

China 103,907,840 - 181,838,720 out of a population of 103,907,840 - 181,838,720; 8 - 14%

Denmark and Norway are high as well.

top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)

Highest Proportion of Atheists (Greeley/Jagodzinski, 1991)

East Germany 88.20% Slovenia 29.80 Russia 27.30 Israel 25.60 Netherlands 24.10 Hungary 23.30 Norway 14.90 Britain 14.00 West Germany 12.10 New Zealand 11.50

The New atheist movement presents themselves as vocally “hostile to ALL religions,” but it is always Christianity that is the focus of their attacks; some calling Christianity the most “dangerous thing in the world.”

Oxford scientist, evolutionist and atheist Richard Dawkins says: “I am utterly fed up with the respect we have been brainwashed into bestowing on religion.” It is “absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid, or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that). Richard Dawkins insists that Christians have no right to indoctrinate their children in religious “nonsense.” He believes children being brought up in Christian homes are being exposed to an “infection.” Dawkins is not just angry, he is engaged in the public arena to change people’s minds.

On the Answers in Genesis website they reported- Richard Dawkins’ spoke to a packed church (the First Parish church in Cambridge, Massachusetts)! A news reported: “At first his [Dawkins] words are greeted with laughter, and then with resounding applause … ” The words he preached were from his book:

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

 If they had their way this would be their dictionary definition of Christianity. As stated in Proverbs 10:11: “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.”

There are also those in Hollywood that are not into new age spirituality but Angered agnostics. Bill Mahr, is an equal mocker of all religions, (and other things) though his favorite is Christianity. His religious slasher movie “Religulous” was classified as a documentary, a category that elicits more laughs than he does on a funny day. While some things are funny because they are not true Mahr makes no distinction and says it is all not true. Mahr is one of those antagonistic agnostics that want to get even with those who believe in God because he is angry at people saying they know when he does not. But at the same time he is saying he does know because to him- everyone is wrong. Statements like these gems seem to usher easily from his mouth.

“I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.”

Plato in his Laws X (c. 352-350 B.C.) defined two basic kinds of atheists: those who are sincerely convinced God (or gods) do not exist; and those who assert that there is no place for God (or gods) in this world. The first kind of atheist is considered moral and upright while the second kind is seen as an anarchistic (without law) threat to society. (Handbook on World Religions)

Pt.2 WHY