Is This The Best The Athiests Can Do?

Over the past year or two, a slew of books promoting atheism have been published and are selling like hotcakes. Perhaps the cream of the crop is Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." I checked it out of the library recently to see what all the fuss is about.

One of the first things you notice about the book is how angry the author is. The book would have been much more effective if it had attempted to maintain some level of objectivity. It's obvious by the author's tone, that he has a major beef with anyone who believes in God.

One particular observation I would make has to do with Dawkins' criticism of the morality of the Old Testament. He makes reference to the story of Jephthah's daughter in Judges 11. Jephthah makes a rash vow where he pledges to offer as a sacrifice whatever comes through his door when he comes home from a battle, provided God grants him victory in battle. Tragically, Jephthah's daughter is the first one to great him, and she is sacrificed by her father as an offering to God.

Dawkins points to this as an example of the twisted morality of the bible: How can one use the bible as a source of morals when this is the kind of story you find in the bible? Dawkins seems to miss the whole point of Judges, which is to remind Israel how far they've fallen from God by adopting the practices of their pagan neighbors (who did practice child sacrifice as part of their religious worship.) Dawkins doesn't seem to grasp the point that the bible honestly records actions that are contrary to the will of God. It shows the human race in all its evil and sin to help drive us to the mercy of God in the gospel.

I find it interesting that Dawkins is outraged by the story of Jephthah's daughter, yet he doesn't allow God to be outraged by it. Instead he criticizes God for punishing sin and calling his people to be loyal to him. Dawkins wants to judge Jephthah, but God isn't allowed to judge or else he is being vindictive and jealous.

To round out the story, it's vital to grasp that God doesn't ask for Jephthah's vow. Jephthah makes the vow of his own accord, which reveals how much he is in step with the Canaanite culture that surrounds him. God has nothing to do with it. It's an example of Israel's evil, which results in her continued judgment, which is proper for God to exercise if there is any hope for justice in the world.

If you're reading the book, be sure to also look at the response by Alister McGrath in his book "The Dawkins Delusion?".