Guidelines For Living

Voiceover (Male): Take a break from your busy schedule and join Harold Sala for Guidelines for Living.

Harold Sala: A friend of mine purchased a book which, based on German liberalism of the past century, attacks the integrity of the Bible. "Would you be interested in reading it?" he asked, adding, "You know, it shows both sides of the issue." If I read it, I explained, I would do so only to refute the logic, because there are not two sides when it comes to truth. Truth is truth, no matter how it is assailed, and its opposite will always be false. When the premise is wrong, the conclusion has to be wrong as well.

That’s another reason that I am not an atheist. No, I cannot explain everything, nor do I find completely satisfying answers to the complex issues of life through faith. But the reality of God’s existence and the vast evidence for His interaction with humankind, from the days of our first parents, Adam and Eve, to the present, form a background of logic which makes far more sense to believe than to disbelieve.

I am not an atheist because atheism shows me nothing that really satisfies. It has given to our world no art galleries filled with paintings inspired by atheists. No great universities, no hospitals, no hospices where the dying can find comfort and compassion. No orphanages, no retirement facilities for the elderly. Atheism hasn’t given the world the equivalent of Moses, the lawgiver who carried the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai, moral directives which have become the basis of civilized jurisprudence.

A David who left behind Psalm 23, or a Paul who penned First Corinthians 13. Nor has it given to us a Jesus Christ who touched the needs of suffering humanity and taught us how to live and die and rise again from the dead. Atheism doesn’t generate compassion, kindness, responsibility for humankind, care for babies and the unborn, laws which make it safe for a child to play in the streets, and hope for tomorrow.

A belief in God has given the world the Bible and the Quran, yet atheism has given us nothing of moral excellence which speaks to the dying, gives direction for living, and assures you that you will live forever. I charge that atheism is long on negative rhetoric, but short on positive action which has made a real difference in the world.

The Great Ideas Syntopicon is a study guide for the Great Book series, a remarkable collection of wisdom in the Western world from the time of Thales to the present. In this book, psychologist and educator Mortimer Adler says, "With the exception of certain mathematicians and physicists, all authors of the Great Books are represented in the chapter on God."

Dr. D. James Kennedy explains the reason is obvious. More consequences for thought and action follow the affirmation or denial of God than the answering of any other basic question. No, I cannot prove God’s existence, nor can you disprove it. But from the beginning of written history to the present time, the impact of ordinary men and women, driven by the desire to serve this great and awesome God, have left behind the legacy of cathedrals, churches, hospitals, orphanages, and compassion unrivaled by atheists.

No, I cannot explain everything, nor do I find completely satisfying answers to the complex issues of life through faith. But centuries ago David wrote, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." There are no two sides to some issues, which is why I choose not to be an atheist.

Voiceover (Male): You’ve just heard Guidelines for Living. For more practical and inspirational messages, visit guidelines.org. If you find our devotionals helpful and would like to share them with others, consider supporting our ministry with a donation. Again, that’s guidelines.org. Thanks for listening to Guidelines for Living.