Letters From Grandpa #162

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 162

Dearest grandchild,

Yesterday I watched a debate between a believer and an atheist. One of the many embarrassing problems faced by atheism involves morality. If there is no God, and man is merely the result of blind chance, why not kill and steal? How does morality appear in the spiritual vacuum of godless evolution? In the last century, as you know, over 100 million people were killed by atheistic governments in Russia, China, and Cambodia. If there is no God, however, what difference does it make? If there is no God what is wrong with killing millions of people? If there is no moral Law Giver then where does moral law come from? How can a law exist without a Law Giver?

The atheist explained his “rationale” for morality by “reasoning” that it is to the advantage of society not to kill. He “reasoned” that societies that do not kill one another have a better chance of survival than those who do. Has he never heard of abortion? Is he ignorant that China has a one child per family policy for the precise purpose of saving society? Has he forgotten that Chairman Mao murdered over 60 million of his own people? If we are dancing to our own DNA with no supervision from God, how can we even “know” that our thoughts are rational? How can we depend upon our own conclusions if they result from millions of accidents? Evolution cannot explain how irrational molecules become rational. The Bible, however, begins with Rationality. “In the beginning God . . . “ Fortunately the distinguishing feature of God is love. Further, the Bible also informs us that we were created in God’s image. In other words, we too are capable of love. Atheism has no explanation for love.

The Bible teaches: “Let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 Jn. 4:7) Yes! God could have created men as robots incapable of making mistakes. Robots, however, cannot love. The man who “marries” a robot is to be pitied. A robot may be programed to clean the house and prepare a meal, but this superficial service cannot be compared with the love of a wife and mother. A mother will lay down her “life” for her children, but the robot doesn’t have a choice or a real life to lay down.

One excuse given by many for not believing in God involves suffering. All thinking people struggle with this problem. Blaming Satan rings hollow, however, to those in the midst of suffering. Those who believe in God, however, at least have hope. Believers who suffer can rejoice in tribulations because of hope (Rom. 5:3 - 5). Unfortunately, atheists have no hope!

Remember Ernest Hemingway. He was once a very famous man who bragged that all thinking men are atheists. In spite of his fame and success, however, he died by suicide. He constantly worried and had no hope! In addition to his physical and mental problems he was said to be paranoid that the FBI was monitoring his activities. In desperation he entered the Mayo Clinic under an assumed name. While an aura of secrecy surrounded his treatment he was said to have received electroconvulsive therapy as many as 15 times in Dec. 1960. He was released in ruins from Mayo’s in Jan. 1961. Not long afterward, on July 2, 1961, he blew out his brains with his favorite double-barreled shotgun. Sadly, his father also committed suicide as did his sister Ursula and his

brother Leicester. If you are an atheist, does this give you hope? If you think that Hemingway was truly a “thinking man” do you want to think like he thought?

Angola Prison is the largest maximum security prison in the U.S. While the prison population varies, Wikipedia says 6,300 prisoners. Some 90% are lifers and dozens are on death row. Once noted for bloodshed and desperation, the prison was transformed by a Bible believing warden named Burl Cain. Illustrative of how teaching the Bible provides hope to the hopeless, Ravi Zacharias states that there are two paintings in the death room. One is of Daniel in the lion’s den. This offers the hope that the condemned man might miraculously survive like Daniel. The second painting is of Elijah going up into heaven in a chariot of fire. Either way the prisoner has hope!

There is a God! He knows your name and He loves you. Please don’t let the devil lie to you and take away your hope!

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce