Sound Theology from a Devout Atheist

As I was browsing through the blogosphere this morning I ran across an interesting snippet(source, The Berean Call). Christopher Hitchens is an outspoken, devout atheist who authored the 2007 book, "God is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything." The mere title of his book should make clear Hitchens views of Christianity and really all organized religion. Since his book was published Hitchens has been touring the country promoting his beliefs and also engaging in debates about religion, including several with some well respected Christian leaders.

At a stop earlier this year in Portland, Oregon, Hitchens was questioned on a radio show hosted by a Unitarian minister named Marilyn Sewell. Part of the interview went like this:

Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I'm a liberal Christian, and don't take the stories from scripture literally. I don't believe in the doctrine of atonement, that Jesus died for our sins, for example. Do you make any distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Hitchens: I would say that if you don't believe Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you're really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

Wow! Now let me remind you of the biblical definition of an atheist. Psalm 14:1 says, "It is the fool who says in his heart, that their is no God..." So, from the mouth of an ardent atheist, one the bible calls a fool, comes a total rebukement of liberal Christianity. Hitchens clearly states that if you do not believe in the Jesus of the bible, you really have no claim on the name Christian. Sewell's response to Hitchens rebuke of her entire belief system was, "Let me go someplace else." Where else is there to go? An atheist has just stated that their is no base in Christianity for what you believe. That you are not a Christian. That you are in fact, antichrist. By anti meaning against Christ.

The sad thing here is that an atheist, a fool, can clearly see the foundational truths as presented by the bible, a book he clearly despises, does not believe in, and tries to undermine every chance he gets. The person here who claims to be a Christian minister cannot. I have never seen a more clear distinction made between what real Christianity and liberal Christianity are.

I write this because there is a clear liberal theology that is being recognized under the mantle of Christianity today. Their are churches, denominations and movements that preach "another Jesus," a Jesus not of the bible, that call themselves Christians. And the people who attend these churches, are members of these denominations, and follow these movements are so biblically illiterate or blinded by Satan that they cannot discern between what is clear biblical teaching and the "doctrine of demons." If someone as alienated from the true Christian faith as Christopher Hitchens, who clearly has no leading by the Holy Spirit, but who has studied the bible and knows what it clearly says and claims, can make the distinction, why can't so-called Christians? And even more so, why can't so-called Christian ministers?

Friends, the bible teaches repeatedly about an apostasy that will envelop the church as the return of Christ approaches. The fundamental tenet of apostasy is a falling away from biblical truth. We are seeing this apostasy accelerate before our very eyes, and unless we as the true church of Christ are willing to stand against these false teaching and heresies instead of going along to get along for the sake of ecumenical peace, the church of the traditional and biblical Christian faith will surely disappear. We live in a time in need of prophets to proclaim, "Thus saith the Lord!" We live in a time when the gift of discernment is desperately needed. We live in a time when revival and a movement of God through His Holy Spirit is all that can save us. When atheists, when fools, see things more clearly than many so-called Christians, how can we say anything but that the body of Christ is on life support, and that our hands through our ambivalence and refusal to disown any who teach "another Jesus" are in the process of pulling the plug.