The Malignancy of Atheism
According to the 2000 census there were 779 people living in Liberal, Missouri. While there are still street signs that remind visitors of the history of this small town, few other reminders remain. Founded in the 1800s by atheist George H. Walser, the town of Liberal was an “experiment in infidelity.” Walser’s premise was simple—he wanted to develop a town that excluded any form of religion. In fact, the town vigorously shunned religious people. Instead of church buildings, the community supported the construction of saloons and taverns. In this failed experiment, it soon became apparent what happens when religion is excluded. Crime and immorality became so rampant that eventually residents found themselves welcoming religious individuals. The citizens of Liberal recognized that without a basis for morality, anything goes. Today several denominations have established congregations in Liberal, and it is no longer known as a bastion for atheists. [More information on Liberal, Missouri can be found in three books: The Strange Town of Liberal Missouri; The Story of Liberal Missouri by O.E. Harmon; and George H. Walser and Liberal Missouri by Boyce Houton.]
Atheist dogma is much like socialism. It ultimately is a failure.
Unfortunately, the lesson learned from Liberal, Missouri was not passed on to future generations. Like a deadly malignant cancer, the desire to abandon godly principles has silently spread throughout this country, quietly choking off the spirit this country was founded on. Atheists have teamed up with the mainstream media in order to promote their godless agenda and create a new godless society. Textbooks have helped indoctrinate an entire generation of students into this mindset. And thus, the experiment into infidelity continues on even today.
With leaders such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens, the atheistic movement has waged war on Christianity. In his book God is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens declared: “Religion spoke its last intelligible or noble or inspiring words a long time ago,” and he concludes “religion poisons everything.” Likewise, Richard Dawkins, in his book The God Delusion, affirmed: “I am attacking God, all gods, anything and everything supernatural, wherever and whenever they have been or will be invented.” In his book Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Daniel Dennett addressed parents who would teach their children something other than organic evolution: “Those of us who have freedom of speech will feel free to describe your teachings as the spreading of falsehoods, and will attempt to demonstrate this to your children at our earliest opportunity.” The pressure to abandon God has not slowed down—and if outward appearances are any indicator, things are likely to get worse before they get better.
The example of what occurred in Liberal, Missouri is far from the only example on record of what happens when nations abandon God and pursue their own pleasures. Consider the numerous biblical examples of the Israelites turning their back on God or worshipping idols. In Deuteronomy we read: “For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them” (32:28). These were individuals who were “blessed,” and yet they turned their back on their Creator. As such, God continued to lay forth His reasoning as to why Israel should not be spared:
For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall. Their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of cobras. ‘Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures? Vengeance is Mine, and recompense. Their foot shall slip in due time, for the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them’ (Deuteronomy 32:32-35).
God had warned this special group of people in Deuteronomy 18 to avoid wicked customs. In Leviticus 18 we also find Jehovah warning the Israelites against strange customs. God concludes by saying, “Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God’” (Leviticus 18:30). Yet, the Israelites continued to forge a pathway to destruction.
A review of God’s Word quickly reveals the specifics of these abominable customs. Listed among these “customs” were practices like idolatry, adultery, killing children, and sexual immorality. In addition, they were warned against using mediums and bad judges. When one turns the mirror of God’s Word back upon the U.S., it becomes obvious that many individuals are following a similar pattern and committing some of these same abominable customs.
When one inspects the fruits of atheism vs. the fruits of Christianity, it becomes crystal clear what our country must embrace. Crime rates soar when we turn our backs on the moral code provided by God. Sexually transmitted diseases reach epidemic proportions when we disregard His Word. The fruits of atheism are poisonous and deadly. Yet, consider how many universities, hospitals, and benevolent centers have been established by religious people. Clearly, the time has come for us to rid our country of the malignancy of atheism and return to a nation who is busy planting the seeds of Christianity.