Lennox delivers call to use minds to engage culture, shows compatibility between science and faith

by Lauren Crane

The distance between science and faith is not as great as some atheists would have people believe, according to mathematician and philosopher John Lennox.

Speaking on the topic of “the new atheism,” Lennox, who is a world-renowned mathematician, scientist and philosopher, delivered an argument for compatibility between the existence of God, faith and science during Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Carver-Barnes Lecture Series, sponsored by the school’s L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture.

His addresses on the topics of science, philosophy and religion were held on March 11 and 12.

The so-called “new atheism,” Lennox said, is virtually the same as the old in content, albeit with a different tone and aggressiveness. The change in tone has come about recently, he said, in response to the events of September 11, 2001.

“9-11 was caused by extremist religion,” Lennox said. Paraphrasing the thought processes of the new atheists, he said, “‘That is enough. We’ve had enough. We need to get rid of extremist religion. How are we going to do it? The best way to do it is to use the culture and the authority of science.’”

Lennox said the problem arises, however, when one recognizes the debate is not just a question of science versus religion, but rather a division between opposing worldviews. New atheists try to teach that the worldview of materialism is the “default position,” Lennox said. Materialism, which says this world is all there is and nothing exists beyond it, is in contradiction to the theist worldview, which recognizes that there is more beyond this present world.

“It is not science versus God,” Lennox said. “It’s a clash of two worldviews, and that means we must delve deeper.”

In “delving deeper,” Lennox said it is evident that all scientists have the fundamental belief that the universe is rational and at least party understandable by humans.

“How is it that the world is understandable at all? It is not that science explains it. It must be understandable at first…Blind faith is not Christian faith. Faith is a commitment based on evidence.”

The evidences for Christian faith in the study of science can be found back as far as scientific study goes, Lennox said. He added that history gives evidence of Christianity “cradling science.”

“Men became scientific because they expected law in nature. They expected law in nature because they believed in a law-giver,” Lennox said. The presence of a mechanism used to describe nature is not an argument for the lack of existence of an agent who designed it, he said. To not make that distinction is to make a “mistake in fundamental logic.”

Lennox said the new atheism relies on the elementary logic of, “Religion is dangerous, so we must eliminate religion - not only radical religion, but moderate religion, because it leads to radical religion.”

However, this is a fatal mistake, Lennox said. He maintained that it was unwise to “lump together the Amish with extreme Islamic fundamentalism.” Admitting that Christianity may not have the best “track record,” because of events such as the Crusades and the in-fighting in Northern Ireland, Lennox said it is now a priority for modern believers to give the current culture the capacity to again hear the true Gospel message.

“Christ forbade the use of weapons to protect him and his message,” Lennox said, referencing the rebuking of Peter as he cut off the arresting soldier’s ear. “You cannot impose truth by violence. You cannot get people to love you by violence. By using violence, you contradict the message (of Christ).”

“The presence of counterfeit money doesn’t negate the presence of the real thing,” Lennox said. “It only makes it harder to find.”

However, Lennox said, God can be found in the moral compass that is inside of each person. Lennox said all creatures (created in the image of a good and loving God) have in them an innate sense of morals and ethics that science cannot explain.

He added that the popular atheistic argument that morality and ethics can be found in nature, genetics and society is flawed because atheists are trying to find rational explanations from the irrational.

“The point of all of this is that the pathway from science to morality is impossible,” Lennox said.

“The danger lies in undermining the grounds for morality…It would be impossible to imagine the kind of world new atheists are leading us into,” Lennox said. He added that without a belief in morality, the new atheists have done away with a belief in justice. “Atheists say there is no judgment. What does atheism have to say to Stalin, Hitler and terrorists? The doctrine of judgment is vital. The ultimate solution to the atheistic view of judgment is the cross of Jesus Christ.”

“Atheism is a hopeless philosophy,” Lennox said. “God does not remain distant from the problem of pain and suffering. He gets involved in it.”