RICHARD DAWKINS AND THE PRODIGAL SON

Richard Dawkins has made his living and his reputation as one of today’s best known atheists for decades by mocking belief in God and ridiculing Christianity every chance he gets, especially wherever he can get a speaker’s fee. Recently he referred to himself as a “cultural Christian.”  He explained that he loves the culture, institutions, the prosperity, the law and order, etc. that has been built upon the ethos (guiding beliefs) of Christianity, and that if he had to choose between living in a world either predominantly under the influence of Islam or Christianity, he’d “choose Christianity every single time.” He said, “I would not be happy if we lost all our cathedrals and beautiful parish churches,” but made it clear that he is happy that the number of believing Christians is shrinking. “I like to live in a culturally Christian country,” he said, “although I do not believe a single word of the Christian faith.” This is, of course, is the easily recognized blathering gibberish of a person who, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, defines what it means to be a fool (Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:22).

Mr. Dawkins is like the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable who wanted everything his father could give him, while at the same time, he didn’t want anything to do with his father (Luke 15:11-24). It wasn’t long until he found himself in a hog pen (into which he had already taken a deep dive spiritually and mentally). Richard Dawkins hates the Christian faith and hopes that belief in it will disappear, but at the same time loves the culture that Christianity has produced, and wants it preserved. News flash, Richard! You can’t have it both ways!

There are millions of little “Dawkinsites” all over America now who, like him, are “sociocultural free riders.” They’re like hitch hikers who enjoy a ride inn your car on their way to protest fossil fuels; like hogs who love to eat acorns that have fallen into their paths, but never look up to acknowledge or appreciate the trees from which the acorns fell. “Dawkinsites” want to cancel out Christianity, but keep on enjoying Christian-based culture. News flash, folks! You can’t have it both ways!

America, in every way the best nation to ever exist, has had and has its imperfections. Christianity, the most perfect and beautiful belief system in the world, due to the imperfections of the human element in it, has had and has its imperfections. There are no absolute solutions to problems of imperfection; there are, as Thomas Sowell says, “only trade-offs.” The question is, what is our Christian faith and heritage being traded off for? The answer can be seen now in the culture on display in Washington D. C., in Hollywood, in Silicon Valley, and in the LGBTQ, BLM and WOKE movements. This is the “trade-off” people get who want the good things that God the Father has given to America, but want nothing to do with God the Father.