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Good vs. Evil — So Are Atheists Evil?

My short response would be, “No. . . .and yes.” However, I would offer the same answer if you asked “Are Christians evil?” My answer applies to all people. In the sense that both atheists and Christians generally can live good lives (i.e. they become useful members of society, care for their children, etc.), my answer would be “no.” However, when we consider inherent human tendencies toward selfish behavior, sometimes at the expense of others, I know of no one who is completely free from such evil.

Many Christian theists have concluded that the existence of evil can provide good evidence for the existence of God. Consider the argument put forth by Ravi Zacharias in his book A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism.59 In the appendix he writes:
Yes, there is evil in this world.
If there is evil, there must be good (a problem the atheist has to explain).
If there is good and evil, there must be a moral law on which to judge between good and evil.
If there is a moral law, there must be a moral law giver.
For the theist, this points to God.
An atheist might respond60 that proposition number three lacks merit since the only requirement is a moral system, not necessarily a moral law. A moral system may just as easily arise via memetic61 evolutionary mechanisms as by an omniscient lawgiver. While the existence of memes remains highly speculative, I would grant such a possibility exists.

However, this fails to account for the sort of evil that defies cultural explanation. In most of the section that follows this question in your book, you cite examples such as Adolf Hitler, Kim Il Sung, and Josef Stalin. Humanity world-wide would decry many of the horrors perpetrated by Josef Mengele under the Nazi regime. Mengele injected chemicals into the eyes of infants in an attempt to change their eye color. This experimentation caused severe pain and often permanent blindness. The Third Reich apparently sanctioned such cruelty. It would seem that what one culture considered acceptable would be considered evil in most other cultures. While atheists have done little to stem the tide of cultural evil, Christian missionaries brave the front lines. The Maori of New Zealand practiced cannibalism until 1840, an evil renounced by the Maori in large part due to the evangelistic efforts of Christian missionaries.
Missionaries, however, from various Christian churches came to evangelize the heathen. They made a direct attack against the Maori form of theology. The golden rule of brotherly love was preached, and war and cannibalism were condemned. The new religion was accepted by the chiefs, and their tribes followed. It was some time, however, before the various tribes would give up the satisfaction of using their newly acquired firearms against their hereditary enemies. Old scores had to be settled as a point of tribal honour. Finally, the new teaching prevailed and inter-tribal wars ended. With the cessation of wars, the supply of slain enemies ended and cannibalism ceased.62
We need to recognize that there actually are evils in the world that every sane person would abhor. We don’t pass laws that specifically say not to put needles into the eyes of little babies. There are evils that we all know, deep down, are truly evil, regardless of one’s cultural setting. Yet from where does this knowledge arise? Memetic evolution cannot account for it. This innate level of discernment between good and evil Christians would render as necessarily from God.

Both you and Richard Dawkins seem to believe that evangelical Christianity represents one of the world’s worst inherent evils. Dawkins asks, “How much do we regard children as being the property of their parents? Its one thing to say people should be free to believe whatever they like, but should they be free to impose their beliefs on their children? Is there something to be said for society stepping in? What about bringing up children to believe manifest falsehoods?”63 Yet absolutely no evidence exists to support the claim that Christianity is a manifest falsehood. In fact, Dawkins theory of the existence of memes has as much, if not more, potential for being a manifest falsehood as does the God hypothesis.
Good vs. Evil – Upright Behavior

In the final analysis, Christian theism, based on the morality of Jesus Christ, provides the most foundationally coherent grounding for morally upright behavior. Such behavior is completely consistent with the teachings of Jesus. Muslim theism offers no such grounding. The teachings of the Koran encourage fighting and violence, as I have shown and as you so often point out. The atheist also has no grounding for morally upright behavior, since evolution alone cannot account for an innate human awareness of right and wrong. Does this mean that atheists and Muslims cannot live moral lives? Absolutely not. Only that their worldviews offer no intrinsic warrant for such behavior.

To be fingered or not… That is the question?
Both men and women on this please

Angels: What are they?
Angels are everywhere in today’s society. They are depicted frequently in television shows, movies and books. They are pinned to our lapels and hang from our rear-view mirrors. They are traditionally viewed as “guardians” that protect our homes and children. But what is myth and what is reality? Where do angels come from?

Angels: Servants of God
Angels are servants of God that help carry out His commands. Angels are real spiritual beings that are documented throughout the Bible. They are documented in both the Old and New Testaments. While God’s angels carry out His commands, the Bible also tells us that there is a supreme, fallen angel who is against God (Matthew 25:41) and other angels that are evil and face God’s punishment (Jude 1:6). Angels are also messengers of God. For example, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb, “the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified'” (Matthew 28:5). The physical descriptions of angels have also been documented in the Bible and history: “His appearance was like lightening, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matthew 28:3). “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like Chrysolite, his face like lightening, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of multitude” (Daniel 10:5,6). The Bible also describes angels with wings that can fly. “Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two wings they covered their feet and with two they were flying” (Isaiah 6:2).

Angels: Do they really exist?
Actual accounts of angels have been witnessed and recorded by many people throughout the Bible. Beginning in Genesis 16:7, “The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert…and he said; ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?'” Again, in Genesis 22:11, an angel communicates with Abraham, “But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham!” Angels continue to appear throughout the entire Bible, ending with the last book, Revelation. “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb!’ and he added, ‘These are the true words of God'” (Revelation19:9).

Angels: What are their Powers and Authority?
Angels communicate messages of God to His people. Angels also have powers to perform works for God that are beyond the ability of humans. “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out” (Acts 5:19). “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it” (Matthew 28:2). Angels have the power to minister to God’s people. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). As we can observe, the powers of angels are to minister and serve God. Angels, like people, are to worship God, not replace Him. “And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory'” (Isaiah 6:3). In addition, God calls on the angels to worship His Son, Jesus. “…Let all God’s angels worship Him” (Hebrews 1:6). The Bible tells us specifically to worship God and not angels. “At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!'” Revelation 19:10

Angels: A Blessing From God
Angels are depicted in many ways throughout popular culture. They are identified as chubby babies with little wings, beautiful women with feathered wings, and men of military strength with flowing robes of white. We have just seen that the reality of angels is grounded in the Bible. Although angels take on different visual representations, missions and powers, the one constant is that angels are a blessing from God that He uses to communicate, protect and minister to you with His power.