http://www.westerfunk.net/archives/chri … e%20World/

I have archived the debate above from ChristianityToday.com that is quite interesting so far. I’ve only read the first two parts at this point and found something fascinating. The debate starts out with Christopher Hitchens accusations about how Christianity is utter non-sense (without going into all his arguments). Then Wilson responds. Of course, the Christian is the one that is supposed to be on the defensive, at least in Hitchens understanding. “You give me a good defense of why I should believe this,” is the thought indicated by Hitchens at the end of his email when he says, “Perhaps your response will make me reconsider?” Yet Wilson goes on the offensive, hitting at some of the Hitchens deeply ingrained presuppositions on the nature of reality and epistemology, as a good apologist is supposed to (while defending the faith at the same time) and asks Hitchens some questions like these:

Which way do you want to argue this? Do all human societies have a grasp of basic morality, which is the theme of your first point, or has religion poisoned everything, which is the thesis of your book?

You then go on to say that we who teach such stories to children have been “damned by history.” But why should this “damnation by history” matter to any of us reading Bible stories to kids, or, for that matter, to any of the people who did any of these atrocious things, on your principles? These people are all dead now, and we who read the stories are all going to be dead. Why should any of us care about the effeminate judgments of history? Should the propagators of these “horrors” have cared? There is no God, right? Because there is no God, this means that—you know—genocides just happen, like earthquakes and eclipses. It is all matter in motion, and these things happen.

But if there is no God, this disapproval will certainly not disturb my oblivion. On with the rapine and slaughter!” On your principles, why should he care?

Does Hitchens respond to any of these questions? Not one. Instead, he just ramps up the arrogance and impassioned hostility toward Christianity. Quite interesting to see that when you start hitting at the fact that within an atheistic worldview, there can be no objective morality because everything is just chemical impulses in our brains, that Hitchens would simply come back with more attacks instead of actual answers to the questions. I think that answers his questions though: no one is an atheist according to Romans 1, and this proves it. He knows there is a God and that there are moral absolutes governing the universe, and it demonstrates that the unrestrained heart of man will pursue radical rebellion against the rights of his Creator.

Anyway, as Wilson says in the debate, in an atheistic worldview, why care at all about insane, horrific atrocities, including genocide? It’s just a group of people that came and went. No significance, no meaning, total oblivion; they were here, some others did not like them who were stronger, and now they are gone. Answer the question Christopher Hitchens: what does it matter to you if genocide does or doesn’t happen if all is utterly meaningless and there is no God, no objective, definitive morality outside of ourselves, in the likeness of natural laws that govern the physical universe?

In order for Hitchens to argue for the gross absolute immorality of genocides committed in the past, he must borrow fundamental moral presuppositions from a Biblical worldview in order to make his case, though he does not realize it and would never admit it. As James White says, Hitchens is a perfect fulfillment of Romans 1 by suppressing the righteousness of God. It is angering and yet very sad all at the same time to see this kind of hatred against Christ, yet we should expect it. And leading up the end before Christ returns, it will just get worse. Yet, we are to stand firm and defend Christ and the Gospel in order that those who adhere to the thinking of Hitchens (and others in his likeness) would be cut to the heart by the Holy Spirit and be saved through faith in Christ imparted by God; it is their only hope.

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. (Romans 1:18-23)