I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO FURTHER ADDRESS the matter of origins, the evolution of all things versus the existence of the biblical Creator, and how belief in one world view or another has a direct impact on how we live in this life, for ourselves or for God.

If we truly live in a godless society, then man is ultimately a god unto himself. He is not judged by others and lives to freely express himself, defining what is appropriate and inappropriate, in thought, word and deed.

Man will, therefore, live independently of heavenly accountability in this life, and not fear any sovereign judgment from above in death.

On the other hand, if there is a God responsible for the creation of the universe, a God who governs all the affairs of every man, woman and child, then man is accountable for what he believes and how he lives in this life.

Consequently, voluntarily submission to or the willful rejection of God will determine where a man spends his eternity. And this is the heart of the matter.

The discussion between “there isn’t” and “there is” usually results in fruitless circular reasoning. Skeptics and Christians alike squander precious time in needless arguments of science and faith. No one wants to lose a debate.

No child enters the world accepting or denying their Creator. As boys and girls, serious contemplation of anything related to origins rarely crosses our minds.

The reality is that every one of us has been influenced by differing opinions of family, educators, the church and the media. Naturally, most come to conclusions based on those influences, whether humanist or spiritual, resulting in our differences — naturalism or God.

The fact is that neither the advocates of Darwinism nor the followers of Jesus were eyewitnesses to evolution or the creation of the cosmos. Darwin wasn’t there. Dawkins wasn’t there. Morris and Ham were not there.

The simple truth is that fossils, matter and DNA cannot scientifically prove or disprove the existence of the Biblical God.

So rather than engage, I believe it would be more productive to get to the heart of the matter. There is one word in the Bible to describe the Gospel (from an atheist perspective) and skepticism (from God’s perspective): Mōria — Greek for foolishness.

Although the apostle Paul was unashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16) he proclaimed to the skeptical contemporaries of his day, his preaching of Jesus was met with much opposition.

The Roman Empire was much like our world today, a society of philosophers and narcissists. The Christian Gospel, which includes a bloody cross, implies that mankind is sinful and offensive to God (Romans, Chapters 1-8). Jesus therefore took on humanity, came to the world He created (John 1), and willingly died in the place of all those who would believe in Him (Isaiah 53).

The Lamb of God endured betrayal, mock trials, scorn, hostilities, the thrashing of His flesh and crucifixion, all for the sake of reconciling sinners to God. And Christ’s sacrificial and substitutionary death satisfied God’s justice (hell) and secured heaven for his followers.

But this good news, Paul wrote, is utter stupidity to the secular world. He stated, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing …” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Many outspoken skeptics have broadcast their opinion that Christians are unable to think for themselves — endorsing the notion that Christ’s followers are unable to cope in life, so crutches (God and religion) were fabricated to prop up a weak and ignorant people.

To atheists, God is a pathetic invention for a people oblivious to reality.

On the other hand, the Bible sheds light on the foolishness of skepticism. Speaking of those who reject the Creator God, Paul stated, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools …,” and, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God (the scriptures), for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 2).

The Bible further explains why skeptics cannot make sense of the Gospel, nor rightly interpret the scriptures, both resulting in false accusations regarding the authority, infallibility and inerrancy of God’s Word.

Paul states that “they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart” (Ephesians 4:18).

So, from a biblical perspective, atheists had to invent a system that would pronounce God dead and discredit the Bible while explaining the existence of the cosmos, all for the sake of enjoying sin without eternal consequence.

In the end, both the cross of Christ and evolution are foolishness, depending on one’s perspective. But this foolish Gospel, Paul states, “Is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16).

Atheists throwing down their weapons and becoming worshippers of Jesus, the very God they once ignored and dismissed: The beautiful side of foolishness is the conversion of a skeptic.

Robert Michaels is a long-time Benicia resident. He can be reached at robert.eagleswings@yahoo.com.