ATHEISTS

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

—II Peter 3:4

322 Soviet Astronaut Denies God

The Russian astronaut Gherman Titoy said after his return from space:

“Some people say there is a God out there. … but in my travels around the earth all day long, I looked around and didn’t see Him. … I saw no God nor angels. The rocket was made by our own people. I don’t believe in God. I believe in man, his strength, his possibilities, his reason.”

323 University Of Atheism

In Ashkabad, the capital of Turkmenistan, near the USSR-Iranian border, is a newly opened University of Atheism. It is offering a six-month course to further the spread of scientific-atheistic knowledge. Graduates are expected to continue “the struggle against religion.”

324 No God In UN Charter

The most significant day in the history of the United Nations came in 1945 when, to appease atheistic Communists, UN leaders decided to omit mention of God in the charter. That action signaled the death knell of the UN in settling the awesome problems of the world.

325 U. S. Atheists Association

When the American Atheists organization held its first convention in Austin, Texas, five years ago, only a dozen persons attended—and two of them dove under the table when the press was admitted and stayed there until the reporters left.

In their annual convention in 1975, however, about 960 registered in the open. Mrs. Madalyn Murray O Hair, its organizer, said her organization has a mailing list of 60,000.

The convention’s “Atheist of the Year” award went to Lloyd Thoren of Peterburg, Indiana, who operated a Dial-an-Atheist” service.

326 Atheist Sues President

Madalyn (Murray) O’Hair, the atheist who brought about the Supreme Court decision on school prayer, filed suit in Federal Court against President Nixon, the treasurer of the U. S., the Senate and House chaplains and other Congressional officials for allowing services in the White House and Capitol.

Mrs. O’Hair, who acted as her own attorney, accused Mr. Nixon of being the “central figure” in an effort to “make Christianity the official ’civil religion’ of the United States.” She specifically charged the President with holding religious services in the White House in violation of the first amendment.

In her suit, she asked the court to enjoin Mr. Nixon from allowing such services and to declare unconstitutional the practice of “devoting the property and premises of the Executive Mansion” to such religious services.

—Pastor’s Manual

327 Thank You Prayer Is Illegal

The Supreme Court in 1963 banned prayers in public schools. The following prayer by kindergarten children was declared illegal:

“We thank you for the flowers so sweet;

We thank you for the food we eat;

We thank you for the birds that sing;

We thank you God for everything.”

George Washington’s final remarks to the nation in 1796 should be widely publicized. He said, “Of all the habits that lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would men claim the tributes of patriotism who would work to destroy these great pillars of human happiness.”

328 Prayer Ban In Outer Space

The woman who was instrumental in getting prayer removed from public schools wanted it banned also from outer space.

Mrs. Madalyn Murray O’Hair, after hearing words of prayer radioed by the three astronauts as they circled the moon, said, “I think that they were not only ill-advised but that it was a tragic situation. … ”

The noted atheist said she would register a protest with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which, she declared, had prompted the three test pilots in scheduling the prayer.

—Gospel Herald

329 “No Bibles This Year”

The University of North Carolina broke a 130-year tradition on graduation day in 1972 by not handing out Bibles to graduating seniors along with their diplomas. The institution’s trustees’ executive committee voted to abolish the practice, which had been questioned on constitutional grounds. The Bibles had been handed out with the diplomas at Chapel Hill since 1842 and had been purchased through student fees.

330 See You In Prison

It is illegal to read the Bible in the public schools of Illinois, but a law requires the state to provide a Bible for every convict! Don’t worry, kids, if you can’t read the Bible in school, you’ll be able to when you get to prison!

—Baptist Beacon

331 A Town Called “Liberal”

Few years ago, a group of people in Missouri founded a town and named it Liberal. They were so extremely ’liberal’ that churches were not to be allowed. In their boom literature they boasted that it was ’the only town of its size in the United States without a priest, a preacher, church, God, Jesus, hell or devil. ’

But Elder Clark Braden wrote up an account for the Post Dispatch showing that there was little else than hell and devil there, that it was a den of iniquity, that its hotels were brothels and virtue almost unknown. The account was so terrible that they had Braden arrested for criminal libel, and sued him and the Post Dispatch for $25,000 damages.

After the prosecution had presented all of its evidence, the case was submitted to the jury without rebutting evidence by the defendant and he was acquitted by the jury. The civil suit for damages was dismissed by demand of the plaintiffs, who paid all the costs.

Liberal was a failure, and even lifelong unbelievers, who had moved there for its advantages, left in disgust. One of them struck the keynote when he said: “An infidel surrounded by Christians may spout his infidelity and the community may be able to stand it but it will never do to establish a society with infidelity as its basis.”

—Ministers’ Research Service

332 Lesson From Reign Of Terror

During the Reign of Terror, France was declared to be a nation of atheists by the National Assembly. But a brief experience convinced them that a nation of atheists could not long exist.

Robespierre then proclaimed in the Convention that belief in the existence of God was necessary to the principles of virtue and morality on which the Republic was founded. And on the 7th of May, the national representatives voted by acclamation that “the French people acknowledged the existence of the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul.”

—Little’s Historical Lights

ATHEISM IS ANSWERED

333 No Witnesses For Atheism

Charles Bradlaugh was the outstanding atheist in England. Down in one of the slums of London was a minister by the name of Hugh Price Hughes. All London was aware of miracles of grace accomplished at his mission.

Charles Bradlaugh challenged Mr. Hughes to debate with him the validity of the claims of Christianity. London was greatly interested. What would Mr. Hughes do? He immediately accepted the challenge and in doing so added one of his own.

Hughes said, “I propose to you that we each bring some concrete evidences of the validity of our beliefs in the form of men and women who have been redeemed from the lives of sin and shame by the influence of our teaching. I will bring 100 such men and women, and I challenge you to do the same.

“If you cannot bring 100, Mr. Bradlaugh, to match my 100, I will be satisfied if you will bring 50 men and women who will stand and testify that they have been lifted up from lives of shame by the influence of your teachings. If you cannot bring 50, then bring 20 people who will say, as my 100 will, that they have a great joy in a life of self-respect as a result of your atheistic teachings. If you cannot bring 20, I will be satisfied if you bring 10.

“Nay, Mr. Bradlaugh, I challenge you to bring one, just one man or woman who will make such a testimony regarding the uplifting of your atheistic teachings.”

Again London was stirred. What would Mr. Bradlaugh do? In answer, Charles Bradlaugh, with great discomfiture and chagrin, publicly withdrew his challenge for the debate.

—Morning Glory

334 Ingersoll Gives God Five Minutes

Robert Ingersoll, after delivering one of his addresses, pulled his watch from his pocket and said, “According to the Bible, God has struck men to death for blasphemy. I will blaspheme Him and give Him five minutes to strike me dead and damn my soul.”

There was a period of perfect silence while one minute went by; two minutes passed, and people began to get nervous; three minutes, and a woman fainted; four minutes, and Ingersoll curled his lip.

At five minutes, he snapped shut his watch, put it in his pocket, and said: “You see, there is no God, or He would have taken me at my word.”

The story was told later to Joseph Parker, who said, “And did the American gentleman think he could exhaust the patience of God in five minutes?”

—H. A. Ironside

335 Atheism And Descendants

An atheist wrote a book pouring contempt on the Christian Religion. None of his descendants are normal. His children were either born with crippled legs or were crippled later in life through illness. Some of the children are also mentally retarded, and some of the grandchildren have suffered in the same way. Besides this, all his descendants are moody, they suffer from depressions and are all confessed atheists.

This story was told to me by one of the granddaughters living in Switzerland. Unbelief and superstition invariably mean that the person concerned hands himself over to powers opposed to God, and these powers then use the person’s life as a stage for their own revelations.

—Kurt Koch

336 Atheist’s Daring Challenge Came True

Gerald B. Winrod, who was editor of The Defender, related a remarkable story about an atheist who had been very bold, blatant and outspoken against God and the Bible. He had defied God by saying, “If there is a God, my grave will be infested with snakes.”

At the funeral it was necessary to remove a snake from the grave before the coffin could be lowered. The sexton said that he had killed four big snakes at one time, yet never saw a snake at any other grave.

Mr. Winrod’s informant said he would ask a gentleman in Ohio to give him more details, and in due course he received a further word, together with a picture of the bronze monument of the atheist, Chester Beddell, who had died in 1908 at the age of 82.

The letter said, “Mr. Beddell said while living there was no God, and he never did believe in one. He did not hesitate to speak of these things. … He built the monument years before his death. His statue is of bronze, and in his uplifted right hand there is a scroll with this inscription, ’Universal Mental Liberty’. Under his left foot is a scroll representing the Bible, with the inscription, ’Superstition’. Before his death he made this remark: ’If there is a God, or any truth in the Bible, let my body be infested with snakes. ’

“Since his burial the family lot has been full of snake holes around the curbing. Snakes can be seen any day you visit the graveyard. Last year twenty of us went out on the 30th October, and saw three snakes. The neighbours there say the more they kill, the thicker they seem to be.”

Later the opportunity came to Mr. Winrod to make an observation of his own. While attending a conference in Youngstown, he was taken by car to North Benton. He asked an old man if he could tell him where the Beddell grave was. “Sure, everybody around here knows where Chet Beddell was buried,” said the old-timer. “You can’t miss it—big monument in the graveyard. Looking for snakes?” Later, another man said, “Well, if Beddell did ask for snakes, he sure got ’em.”

He and his companions came to the place in question where they saw the monument, the uplifted scroll, the other scroll under his foot, the stern bronze countenance. They approached the grave, camera in hand. Was it a hoax, or was it true? One of his companions was the first to see a snake. “Look there,” he shouted. Yes! there it was. They walked round the grave and counted six snakes. His companion killed one. He photographed one. They also took other photographs. The sexton told them that he killed four that morning—he had killed as many as twenty snakes in a single day. Finally he said. “I don’t know, maybe the Lord did have something to do with it.”

—A. Naismith

337 Wishing It Was Not Written

Thomas Paine, an immigrant to America in 1787, had leaped from obscurity to fame after writing some brilliant pamphlets on freedom. But then he made a fatal mistake. He began to write his “masterpiece” called The Age of Reason which scoffed at Christianity.

“This will destroy the Bible,” he predicted. “Within 100 years, Bibles will be found only in museums or in musty corners of second-hand bookstores.” His book was published in London in 1794. But it brought him so much misery and loneliness that he once said: “I would give worlds, if I had them, had The Age of Reason never been written.”

Paine became a bedridden invalid until his death, friendless and alone, in 1809. The Bible remained a best-seller.

338 Voltaire’s Vain Boast

Voltaire, the noted 18th century French philosopher, said that it took centuries to built up Christianity, but “I’ll show how just one Frenchman can destroy it within 50 years.” Taking his pen, he dipped it into the ink of unbelief and wrote against God.

Twenty years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society purchased his house for printing the Bible. And it later became the Paris headquarters for the British and Foreign Bible Society. The Bible is still a best-seller; an entire 6-volume set of Voltaire’s works was once sold for 90¢.

Just before his death, the noted atheist swore: “I wish I had never been BORN!”

339 Epigram On Atheism (Answered)

•     I am an atheist, thank God!—Anonymous

•     Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist that there is no God.

—Heywood Brown

•     To swear effectively men must make reference to God. Imagine, an atheistic evolutionist trying for a blood-curdling oath by swearing in the name of natural selection, or by the slimy, primeval amoeba.

—Christianity Today

•     Calvin Coolidge once said: “It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Doubters do not achieve. Skeptics do not contribute. Cynics do not create.”

•     G. K. Chesterton once said it is often supposed that when people stop believing in God, they believe in nothing. Alas, it is worse than that. When they stop believing in God, they believe in anything.

•     Dostoyevski remarked that “If God does not exist, everything is permissible.”

•     Napoleon said, “A man is not a man without God. I saw men without God in the reign of terror in 1793. One does not govern such men; he shoots them down.

•     Atheism never composed a symphony. Never painted a masterpiece. Never dispelled a fear. Never healed a disease. Never gave peace of mind. Never dried a tear. Never established a phi lanthropy. Never gave an intelligent answer to the vast mystery of the universe. Never give meaning to man’s life on earth. Never built a just and peaceful world. Never built a great and enduring civilization.

—Charles M. Houser

See also: Deaths, Atheists ; Evolutionists ; Scoffers ; Ps. 14:1; II Thess. 1:8.