Reviewing a faith-building book.
For those who consider themselves atheists or agnostics, “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist” by Norman L Geisler and Frank Turek, ©2004 unsettles comfortable dogma and cracks open the possibility that what you have argued against might be possible after all. For those who are believers, this is a very affirming book, yet at the same time it is a demanding book as it requires thinking deeper than, “Scripture says it, I believe it.” It forces us to learn why we believe it and how to defend it in discussions with those who do not believe or accept Scripture as a starting point. If that’s where you want to go, then this is the best book I have read to take you there. I am thankful to Michael Collins for gifting it to me and encouraging me to read it.
Why the title?
The authors point out that “every religious worldview requires faith-even the worldview that says there is no God” (p.25). They then lead us repeatedly in each section of the book to the discovery that “Once one looks at the evidence, it takes more faith to be a non-Christian than it does to be a Christian” (p. 24). Since they are writing both for atheists and Christians, they do not start with Scripture, but with scientific facts and logic. They only argue from Scripture after they have built a case for its validity. As Christians, this methodology should not disturb us since both King David (Ps. 19:1-4) and Paul (Rom. 1:19-21) argued that much could be known about God from nature itself.
You can know there is a God by observing the world.
Chapters three through seven cover four logical arguments for the existence of God based on the observation of the universe and the nature of human life. The cosmological argument which is explained thoroughly goes like this.
- Everything that had a beginning had a cause.
- The universe had a beginning.
- Therefore, the universe had a cause. (p.75)
Chapter three goes on to prove the second premise repeatedly using the acronym SURGE.
- S- The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that entropy increases. But if disorder increases over time, then looking back in time, we see order increasing toward unity.
- U- Scientific observation tells us that the Universe is expanding. Then, if we look back in this time sequence, we again eventually come to unity.
- R- In 1965, two scientists discovered Radiation by accident which was identified as the afterglow of the big bang itself. By this Nobel-winning discovery, Penzias and Wilson also established another argument for the universe having a beginning.
- G- After discovering the radiation from the big bang, scientists believed that there would be ripples in that radiation which would allow for the formation of Galaxies. In 1989 NASA launched the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite. By 1992, it had not only proven the existence of the ripples but measured them as well.
- E- Einstein’s theory of General Relativity had shown the interrelation of time and matter suggesting that if matter had a beginning, time may have also.
This is a well argued and convincing chapter that is encouraging to read. The only part of it that I did not follow was the small and somewhat incidental discussion of the Kalam Cosmological argument (p. 90,91) which despite my strong background in university math, I found confusing. I recommend the discussion by Dr. William Lane Craig at https://youtu.be/VeKavDdRVIg instead for that subpoint.
When you observe design, you look for the designer.
The Teleological argument, also known as the Design argument, which is covered in chapter four, goes like this.
- Every design had a designer.
- The universe has a highly complex design.
- Therefore, the universe had a Designer. (p. 95
The more we discover how exactly the solar system and our amazing planet are tuned so that life here is possible, the more amazed we are, and the more convinced we become that so many variables all in such intricate balance could not have happened by chance. Using the near disaster on Apollo 13 as an illustration, Geisler and Turek explain how several anthropic constants of our earth are precisely tuned to allow life to exist. These include the percentage of oxygen in the air, the atmospheric transparency, the moon-earth gravitational interaction, the carbon dioxide level, and the earth’s gravity itself. Of course, this is only a partial list, and the authors point out that the probability of all of them happening by accident is infinitesimal. It makes more sense to believe in a Designer.
What about evolution?
Chapters five and six tackle the issue of how life originated. Was it created or did it evolve? Without trying to cover it all, I found one quote that focuses the argument succinctly.
There is a message resident in life, technically called specified complexity, that cannot be explained materially. This message cannot be explained by non-intelligent natural laws any more than the message in this book can be explained by the non-intelligent laws of ink and paper. (page 128)
The book points out that Darwinism has a logical weakness that requires that changes be able to occur by “successive slight modifications” (Darwin’s words). Darwin himself admitted that if organisms could be shown to be irreducibly complex, his theory would fail (p. 144). And we now know that organisms are irreducibly complex.
People often object that belief in intelligent design is religiously motivated. Our authors counter,
A scientist’s motivation or bias doesn’t necessarily mean he’s wrong. He could have a bias and still be right. Bias or motivation isn’t the main issue – truth is… Intelligent design beliefs may be consistent with the Bible, but they are not based on the Bible. (p. 159)
I wrote at the top of chapter six, “fantastic chapter.”
Our moral sense points toward a moral Creator
The fourth logical argument is explained in chapter seven. Since we as humans have a moral sense, we are compelled to ask where that came from. This chapter points us back to the Creator.
Chapter eight is crucial in the book’s logic as it moves the argument from the existent of a First Cause and Designer who is moral to a theistic God who is at work in the world today. And it concludes that because He is the Creator, His work can include miracles.
Why we believe in Jesus including his resurrection.
Chapter nine through fourteen are an apologetic for why we believe in Jesus. If you have made it this far, the rest is not quite as logically intense but every bit as valuable. Chapters nine and ten marshal evidence that we have, both in the New Testament and in extra-Biblical sources, genuine, reliable and early testimony about Jesus. Chapter eleven details the reasons why we can trust the New Testament authors.
Building on that, and drawing from other historical evidence as well, chapter twelve shows why we can confidently believe in the resurrection of Jesus. This is a foundational subject with which every Christian should be familiar.
I highly recommend this book.
At every stage of its logic, it answers the questions people ask today and answers them thoroughly and well. Even though it is a more intense read than some books, it will reward you by greatly strengthening your own faith. And it will enable you to help others who are struggling to find assurance as well. Mastery of it will help you to hold your own and be an influencer for God in discussions with those who do not have faith also.
This Concludes my Series on Five Excellent Books
This Lenten season I am striving to scroll less and read more. If you are with me in this endeavor, I hope these reviews have been helpful as you choose reading material. Here are my five current recommendations listed once more for your convenience.
Geisler, Norman L., and Frank Turek. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Crossway, 2004.
Maxwell, John C. The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential. Center Street, 2012.
Weissenbacher, Alan. The Brain Change Program: 6 Steps to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life. Broad Street, 2024.
Groeschel, Craig. Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life. Zondervan, 2017.
Caine, Christine. You Are Not Finished Yet: Discovering Your Purpose in the Midst of Life’s Interruptions. Thomas Nelson, 2023.
