Worst Best Sellers

Worst Best Sellers

Following a debate with a couple of atheists one evening, I found myself surrounded by a crowd of unbelievers from the audience. Many of them made comments, asked questions and generally tried to push their points of view. Some made no effort to hide their disdain for the faith I represented. Bottom line: they just didn’t seem like happy people.
If you hang out with a crowd of atheists, one thing becomes apparent—especially if you’re used to hanging around with Christians—atheists are not only generally gloomy, but they are angry about something. I’m convinced that if you were to probe deeply into the psyche of your average, avowed non-believer, without exception you would find not disbelief in God, but a profound disappointment related to God. Their embracing of a life of disbelief is not based on rationale, but on rebellion.
When I have asked people who reject God about what led to their skepticism, they usually point to a person, people or incident(s) that triggered a disdain for the Divine. For one person it was the cold, irrelevant religiosity of the church of his or her youth. For another it was the hypocrisy—and even abuse—coming from parents professing to be believers. Still others were abused or let down by the clergy. A significant percentage of those rejecting God will point to a painful, life-altering incident such as the death of a friend or loved one. A much smaller percentage has simply adopted the atheism of their parents.
I haven’t met, nor can I imagine, an atheist that was raised in a loving Christian home, was taught sound biblical truth, and had good Christian role models along with a healthy, evangelical church experience. Most atheists are annoyed with something concerning God and religion, or something unrelated, which they then blame on God.
Nowhere is the annoyance of the atheist more apparent than in the authors of several anti-God bestselling books to hit the market in recent months. Their smiling publicity photos on the book jackets belie the antagonism that fueled the success of their chartbusters.
Richard Dawkins has been at it for a while. His Darwinian evolutionary writings have long served as a comfort to the doubter. But his opposition to the Creator goes far beyond any scientific beef he may have with the Bible. His latest books make it clear that for him, this is personal. He so obviously hates the God in whom he says he doesn’t believe that the pages of his recent work, The God Delusion reek with revulsion toward his Maker. Here’s a partial example of his no-doubt measured and thoughtful, scientific estimation of the Almighty:
“a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist,…capriciously malevolent bully.”
(Richard Dawkins, quoted in WORLD Magazine, June 30, 2007)
Calling God names is hardly an argument against His existence. But evidently, the way such books are selling, many, many people today are seeking emotional (albeit, irrational) support for their unbelief. Sadly, authors like Dawkins (and Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, & etc.) are raking in the cash by raking God and Christianity over the coals.
Sadder still is the realization that there is a significant, growing audience here in our country for this stuff. Fewer and fewer people can say that they were raised in the afore-mentioned loving Christian home, taught sound biblical truth and had good Christian role models along with a healthy, evangelical church experience. So, an increasing number of Americans are developing atheistic anger and buying the books.
More than ever, we—the church—have our work cut out for us. We’re the literary agents (representing the Author) for the bestselling Book in history. And most importantly, in contrast to the angry ramblings of the atheists, our Book is true. Is there anything in your life that might keep someone who’s observing you from “buying” the real, best Bestseller?

“And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true” ─2 Samuel 7:28 nkjv