Self-deception is a human problem that explains the intellectual side of a person who rebels against the ways of God. The problem in the heart is man's pride. This flows over into a person's mind and finally expresses itself through a person's actions. I want to explore this phenomena of self-deception in the context of apologetics. From my own experience, it is very saddening to see a person reject evidence of God's existence that appears obvious to Christians. Just take a search around the internet and you will find more blogs that are hosted by atheists/agnostics than Christians. On these sites, the bloggers go through painful efforts to try and refute the common arguments for God's existence, or for the reliability of the Bible. I will go through some examples of how atheists will answer apologetical arguments for God's existence using methods and reasoning that they would never use for any other intellectual pursuit or topic. Then I want to comment on what the Bible says is the real problem with humanity regarding self deception, and point to the consequence of a culture that exchanges truths for lies. I want to see if ours is in danger of becoming such a culture.
Trying Really Hard To Deny The Obvious
We will explore many arguments for God's existence. as well as the reality of Christianity. I want to tell you that objectively, God's existence is not hard to "prove". In my last blog post I briefly laid out an argument that could be summed up as saying: "You can prove that God exists because without him you cannot prove anything," or "God exists because of the impossibility of the contrary." I will explore some objections to this argument and answer them in another post, but will also explore one here, to show what I believe to be an example of self deception. I explained that the transcendental quality of the laws of logic do not make sense in an atheistic world view. In a materialistic world view, universal, abstract entities cannot be justified, because all there would be is matter. To escape this dilemma, a person must somehow bring the laws of logic (or any laws, life morality, or the uniformity of nature) down from the transcendent and make them a product of the mind of man. They will say that the laws of logic are sociological and are conventional (man made). As we saw in the last post this is irrational. If they are in the mind of man then they are not laws because what happens in your mind is not what happens in my mind. We would therefore be able to make up our own laws of logic, which is nonsense. The atheist knows that the laws of logic must be universal, absolute, and unchanging because he uses them, and assumes their law-like, transcendent character, whenever he says that belief in God is irrational. Given the atheist world view, what if I said to him, "Well you may believe that belief in God is irrational according to your laws of logic, but my laws of logic say that belief in God is rational. Therefore we are both right at the same time. Is it both rational and irrational to believe in God?" I imagine they would not take me seriously. Yet what I said would be justifiable if the laws of logic were not universal laws that transcend nature. I would contend that the atheist knows this and purposely denies it to maintain his world view. No atheist operates with the assumption that the laws of logic are man made. Many atheists are brilliant scientists, medical doctors, archaeologists, engineers, etc. Most even love to engage in discussions about politics, ethics, and philosophy. All of these actions assume that there is a God because they assume laws that only make sense, and which can only be justified, if there is a God.
Another example of self deception involves an atheist's objections to the cosmological argument. The cosmological argument (which we will cover in more detail) basically says this:
Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
The universe began to exist.
Therefore the universe has a cause (this is the kalam version of the cosmological argument put for by William Lane Craig).
Without delving into this argument, it proves its premises by showing that there cannot be an infinite regress of past events. In other words, the universe and its movement of events cannot be traced back into infinity, but must've had a beginning. The Big Bang Theory actually scientifically supports this theory, because it shows by scientific observation, that the expansion of our solar system can best be explained by a singular starting point of our universe. Stephen Hawking (who happens to be an atheist) is a big proponent of this theory. Most scientists believe the big bang is most likely the first event for our universe. Basically, they believe that the universe began to exist. That premise is actually a tough one to prove. The first premise, that everything that begins to exist has a cause, is the easy premise. It is logically self evident. However, atheists who believe the big bang theory, like Quentin Smith, basically say that the universe came from nothing, by nothing, and for nothing. Now, they do not really believe this in their personal lives. Say an atheist (who claims the universe began to exist without cause, came from nothing, or just popped into existence) owns a china shop. When this atheist closes down his china shop and goes home, he does not lie awake at night worried that a bull is going to just pop into existence out of nothing. I call this "the bull in a china shop delusion." These are the kinds of responses you will hear when an unbeliever gets intellectually backed into a corner.
There is no other way to explain this type of thinking than to call it self-deception.
The Bible's Warning To Those Who Suppress The Truth
Paul tells us in the Book of Romans:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made, so they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
(Romans 1:18-32 ESV)
Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome who are surrounded by a pagan culture, whose gods are man made and many. In the Book of Romans, Paul shows where the Gentiles have fit into God's plan of salvation. We must understand that, for the most part, the Old Covenant dealt with the tribes of Israel in view of the coming of Jesus. When one thinks about what the Gentile tribes and cultures were doing during the Old Testament times, we would be mistaken in thinking that God was ignoring them while he dealt with the Israelites. Paul tells us that the Gentiles (in fact every person) knew God, but because of unrighteousness, they suppressed that knowledge. This knowledge is clearly perceived in his created, natural order (which is why we can reason from cosmological arguments and design arguments to the existence of God).
The reason they began to deny God was not because they were ignorant. It was because their hearts were darkened. This is the atheist's main problem. Let me be clear. I do believe that there are honest atheists who cannot intellectually admit that there is a God, but who are honestly seeking truth. However, I believe that God draws near to them and looks at their heart. By his grace, if they are willing, they will receive the life that only Christ can give. But even for the honest unbeliever, the problem is in the heart. Apologetics is good to break down mental defenses and to point out that, even in their reasoning, they are without excuse not to believe in God. Yet until they realize the problem of their hearts and commit to change their lives, their minds will continue to actively deny the obvious truth of the reality of God.
What are the consequences of a person or culture whose thinking remains futile? We often think that God's wrath is always pestilence, storms, economic depressions, etc. I do believe God uses disasters to punish people or societies. Paul, on the other hand, shows another way that God reveals his wrath. Notice that the consequences for humanity's foolishness was that God gives them what they want. Three times Paul says, "God gave them up." What humanity in sin really wants is to rebel against God, and God eventually gives them what they want; this is worse than any natural disaster. This consequence is hell. If a person ends up in hell, it is what they wanted, and it's disastrous. Paul tells us that even when God gives them what they want, that they still know that their actions are sinful. They not only know their actions are sinful, but approve of others committing sinful acts. This is morality turned upside down (which reminds me of the abortions issue). Read these verses again and you will see a reflection of the culture we live in. This is why it is always important when talking to an unbeliever to have both the reasons for your beliefs and the love of Christ shining through you. Remember what Christ said in John 13:35: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (ESV). This love is different than anything this world has to offer. It is our job to try and show an unbeliever that although they suppress the truth and want unrighteousness, they really have a desire deep down for God, and nothing else will ever satisfy that desire.
This post seems negative, but we have to know that bad news before the good news makes sense. The power of God is greater than any earthly power; he can soften the hardest hearts and enlighten the darkest minds. Remember what God says to all who are in sin: "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:32 ESV)
Feel free to comment.
Jason Anderson
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