Yes, of course. But can you explain what morality is and where it
comes from without God? That's the key problem for an atheist
worldview. Craig Hazen explains in this Biola Magazine article. Here's the conclusion:
The primary technique the new atheists
have adopted for dealing with the issue of the origin or grounding of
the moral law is obfuscation. The new atheists are very fond of saying,
“We don’t need God to be good.” Indeed, they often say that atheists,
agnostics and skeptics often lead more wholesome lives than lifelong
professing Christians. Now, theists should not be fooled by this. Our
response should be, “Of course you don’t need God to be good — we’ve
never claimed that you do.” You see, it is not knowledge (epistemology)
of the moral law that is a problem — after all, the Bible teaches that
this law is written on every human heart. Rather, the daunting problem
for the new atheist is the nature and source (ontology) of the moral
law. Here are some questions you can ask Richard Dawkins the next time
you sit next to him on a bus:
• If everything ultimately must be explained by the laws of physics and chemistry, help me understand what a moral value is (does it have mass, occupy space, hold a charge, have wavelength)?
• How did matter, energy, time and chance result in a set of objective moral values? Did the big bang really spew forth “love your enemy?” If so, you have to help me understand that.
• What makes your moral standard more than a subjective opinion or personal preference? What makes it truly binding or obligatory? Why can’t I just ignore it? Won’t our end be the same (death and the grave) either way?
The old atheists did not want to have to face questions like these, so they simply denied the reality of objective moral values. The new atheists have thrown the door open. Let’s not make it easy for them. Let’s ask the hard questions in a winsome and engaging way.
• If everything ultimately must be explained by the laws of physics and chemistry, help me understand what a moral value is (does it have mass, occupy space, hold a charge, have wavelength)?
• How did matter, energy, time and chance result in a set of objective moral values? Did the big bang really spew forth “love your enemy?” If so, you have to help me understand that.
• What makes your moral standard more than a subjective opinion or personal preference? What makes it truly binding or obligatory? Why can’t I just ignore it? Won’t our end be the same (death and the grave) either way?
The old atheists did not want to have to face questions like these, so they simply denied the reality of objective moral values. The new atheists have thrown the door open. Let’s not make it easy for them. Let’s ask the hard questions in a winsome and engaging way.
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