No one can truly live with an atheistic worldview; it would be intolerable. Consider well known and often quoted contemporary atheist Richard Dawkins. Several years ago, he was in Washington, D.C., promoting one of his books. After making a presentation, he took questions from the audience. A young man asked him:
“If humans are machines, and it is inappropriate to blame or praise them for their actions, then should we be giving you credit for the book you are promoting?”
Dawkins clearly was taken aback and responded: “I can’t bring myself to do that—I actually do respond in an emotional way and I blame people; I give people credit.”
The young man responded: “But don’t you see that as an inconsistency in your views?”
Dawkins’ response was stunning: “I sort of do, yes. But it is an inconsistency that we sort of have to live with—otherwise life would be intolerable.”
On another occasion, back when Bill Clinton was in trouble for various sexual escapades, people were offering evolutionary explanations for his behavior. At the time, Dawkins agreed by explaining that our ancestors (the animal kingdom) were clearly not monogamous but instead harem builders. Our male ancestors, according to Dawkins, monopolized power and wealth and would sexually monopolize females in order to ensure the survival of their genes. So, in Dawkins’ view, President Clinton should get a pass because his behavior is simply a reflection of his genetic past.
However, Dawkins began to get nervous for offering a genetic excuse for immorality, and he obviously did not want to give men an excuse for being philanderers. It was also at a time when he was married. So, he confided to several people that he’d made an “un-Darwinian personal decision to be deliberately monogamous.”
However, Dawkins believes that we are programmed by our genes through natural selection. So, how in the world does someone make an “un-Darwinian decision?”
How does an atheist make any kind of a moral decision?
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
"He traps the wise
in the snare of their own cleverness" (1 Cor. 3:19).
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