Is Atheism OK with God? With Scriptures on the Subject by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 Is Atheism OK with God? No, it is not. Atheists say that there is no God. God says that there is. Now someone is lying, and I know it's not God. The very first verse in God's book, the Bible, says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." So right away, Atheists are at cross purposes with God. It is not a good plan to be in opposition to God. Someone might say, “Well, this is the U.S.A., and we have freedom of religion.” That's right, and I support your Constitutional right to Freedom of Religion. And I believe that includes the legal right to choose to be an Atheist. But it's not a good choice. And Atheists will pay a heavy price for their bad choice. Of course, it's possible that some Atheists might convert to Christianity, and go to heaven. And I expect that some of them have. My Dad was an Atheist. He said there is no God. I'm not sure he believed that one hundred percent, but that's what he said. Dad grew up a poor kid, and lived in an orphanage. Later on, he had a bad experience with an employer who was Jewish. So, apparently, my Dad came to the conclusion that all Jews are bad. But that's a wrong conclusion. It's like every other culture and race, there are some good and some bad. My Mother was a Christian. Christians are followers of Jesus, whose genealogy traces back to King David of Israel. One time, my Dad said to Mother, “You worship a Jew?,” (scornfully.) But it's not entirely accurate to say Jesus was a Jew. Mary, the mother of Jesus was a descendant of David. Her husband, Joseph, had a similar genealogy, but you see, Joseph had nothing to do with Jesus, biologically, because Jesus' father was God. The spirit of God made Mary pregnant with Jesus. That's why we refer to the virgin birth of Jesus. Furthermore, have you noticed that most mothers are generally older than their children? But in the case of Mary and Jesus, the child was older than the mother. Jesus, you see, was present at the creation of the world, long before Mary, and before the first woman, Eve. Someone might say, “But how can a little baby be older than its mother?” The little baby was only the earthly body that Jesus took on when he came down from heaven. Then Jesus' body grew into a man's body. If you look at Jesus back at the time of the creation, was Jesus a Jew? No. There were no Jews back then. The Jews started with Abraham, God's covenant friend. The Bible talks about "Abraham, the Hebrew." Is God a Jew? No. Some men are Jews, but not God. But when Jesus came to earth, he was born into a Jewish family because of God's covenant with Abraham. So, my Dad was a little off in his Theology. We need to be careful about our Theology. Bad Theology can send people to hell. To get good Theology, study the Bible. The Bible says, “The fool has said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1) Atheists say there's no God. So then, God sees Atheists as fools. Another scripture says, “God has no pleasure in fools.” (Eccl 5:4) Look at Psalm 19-- ___Psalm 19 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. 2 Day to day yields speech, and night to night shows knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his room, and rejoices like a strong man to run a race. 6 His going out is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit to the ends of it, and there is nothing hidden from the heat of it. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making the simple wise. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure, illuminating the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous completely. 10 They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb... The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Look up at the stars in the sky at night. What keeps all those stars from crashing into each other? God put those stars in their orbits. The Bible says God calls the stars by name, and that is a great many names for a great many stars, that for practical purposes are uncountable. Now, Darwin came along and said we just evolved. No, we didn't. God created us. I saw a bumper sticker one time that said, “If apes changed into man, how come we still have apes?” Well, you see, man didn't come from apes. God created the apes, and God created Adam, the first man. Later, God made a wife for Adam, Eve. Chapter 2 Do cars get better with age? No. If that were true, you'd only have to buy one car, and it would just keep getting better. Cars wear out, and just about everything wears out. I have sox that were good when I bought them, but now some of them are about ready to be replaced. And it's like that for pants, and shirts, and shoes. Do you still have the first computer you bought, and it just keeps getting better and better? No, computers get old, and wear out, and become obsolete. I've heard people talk about the evolution of the airplane. I know what they mean. They mean that the first airplanes were very primitive. And then advances came along. But that is not evolution. Evolution means that things become more sophisticated on their own, without outside intervention. Those improvements to the airplanes came because Engineers found better ways to do things. So, that's outside intervention, and not evolution. I guess Anthropologists have found bones of small horses. So then, some say, “You see, the horse evolved from a small critter to a large one.” No, we can get small horses just by selective breeding. Horses have been bred small enough to have them as house pets, like dogs, and cats. But Evolution does seem to be convenient for Atheists because it explains how we got here without the need for a God. The main problem with that, however, is that evolution is a lie. Are you going to build your house on lies? That's not going to work out. A while back, people thought that the earth was flat, but they were wrong. A while back, people thought that the Sun revolved around the earth, but it doesn't. A while back, people thought that the smallest amount of matter was the atom, but then the atom was split into smaller things like protons, neutrons, electrons. In electronics, we have silicon diodes. A diode passes current in only one direction. But if you try to put current through the diode in the other direction, current flow is blocked. A circuit symbol for diodes was developed to be used on schematic diagrams. It's an arrowhead whose point meets in the middle of a vertical line. So, you might think that the arrowhead points in the direction that current will flow, but no, just the opposite. When current flows in a diode, it flows against the direction of the arrow, because in the early days, it was thought that current flowed out the positive terminal of the direct current power source, through the external circuit, and then back into the negative terminal of the power source. But then, someone figured out that no, current flow is just the opposite. So we're stuck with a circuit symbol for the diode that is very unintuitive in that current only flows in the direction opposite to the arrow. Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us-- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't lean to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he'll direct your paths.” Someone was leaning to their own understanding when they got the symbol for the diode wrong. Lives simply do not turn out well for people who try to leave God out of their lives. In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus said, 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock, 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house, and it didn't fall, because it was founded on a rock. 26 And everyone that hears these sayings of mine, and doesn't do them, is like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand, 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house, and it fell, and it was a big disaster." If you build your house on the sayings of Jesus, you'll come through life's storms O.K. But if you disregard the sayings of Jesus, you're the person that built their house on the sand, and you'll crash. My Dad was one of those who built his house on the sand. And then he died and went to hell. And at the end, he was a cranky, nasty old man, who had very few friends, and that people didn't want to be around. But Fred, how do you know he went to hell? Jesus taught us that everyone goes either to heaven or hell. And hell is the default destination. You have to do something to stay out of hell. That thing you have to do is get born again (John chapter 3). To get born again, you obey Romans 10:9,10-- “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation.” But my Dad didn't do that, so he went to hell. Most people, in fact, go to hell, says Jesus in Matt 7:13,14. You can choose to be an Atheist, or some false religion. But there's no benefit to believing those lies. It's kind of like the man in the little story who jumped out the window on the hundredth floor of the building, and as he passed the fiftieth floor, was supposed to have said, “So far, so good.” Yes, but a couple of seconds later, he had a big crash, like those who build their houses on the said, because of disregarding Jesus and his teachings. ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.