Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church
A Review Of 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins

1. Dawkins makes an irrational assumption throughout about human reason

He assumes that human reason is reliable, indeed ultimate, without rational grounds for doing so. He simply asserts what man is and is not.

He assumes that man is not a prejudiced sinner who hates God. He assumes man is not dependent upon God for revelation. The supremacy of human reason cannot be maintained without reasonable proof. Such proof is impossible since it would involve the use of that very reason whose supremacy is in question.

He wants to make these assumptions because he is a sinner. He does not 'like to retain God in his knowledge' (Rom 1:28 - see verses 19-28 as a whole).

2. Dawkins' professed objectivity is a pretence

He begins his second chapter, before he has tried to prove anything, with a most unscientific tirade against God. He only becomes a scientist after he has made his mind up. He flatters those who agree with him and constantly insults those who do not. He regards atheists as persecuted and ignores the many Christians, and others, who have been slaughtered by atheistic dictators. He treats all theists as one group, but differentiates between atheists. He pretends that Stalin's mass murders were unconnected with his atheism - he was just the wrong kind of atheist!

3. Dawkins does not understand biblical Christianity

He hardly ever interacts with Biblical Christianity known as Calvinism. Most examples used are from Roman Catholicism, Islam or Prosperity Gospel charlatans. He shadow boxes and does not face up to God as revealed in the Bible.

4. Dawkins continues to use terms that his atheistic presuppositions have rendered meaningless

He uses terms like 'beauty' or 'happiness' as if they still have meaning. Above all, he pretends that his thought allows real meaning to the idea of 'good' and 'evil'. On his view, Hitler should be seen as just having more active natural selection instincts than most, but he regards him as evil - rightly so, but this only has meaning if we acknowledge God as universal law-giver (James 4:12, 1 John 3:4).

5. Dawkins' pretence that something can come from nothing is dishonest

He assumes evolution though he has publicly admitted he cannot prove its truth. The origin of the universe is unknowable by investigation since no man was there to observe. Divine revelation is needed (Job 38:1-4). Evolution is the unbeliever's preferred guess and no more. But essential to atheistic evolution is the belief that initially something came from nothing without an existing eternal and infinite Creator as the cause. The scientific evidence for such an event is nil.

6. Dawkins is an atheist because he wants to be one

He has nothing to offer anyone except the idea that their life is a meaningless interruption of non-existence. Genesis 3 fully accounts for people like Richard Dawkins. It shows the desire to be independent of God, especially in the pursuit of knowledge (v.5) and the desire of sinners to evade God (vs. 8-10). Christians believe God, not Dawkins.

This article is a summary of an address given at Loughbrickland on 31st December 2006. Click here to go to the address at sermonaudio.com.

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