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Richard Dawkins, the London-based professor, scientist and world-famous atheist, told a London radio show that while he thinks following Jesus Christ is a scam, he wants Christian ideals and values to be foundational elements of government.

Dawkins, 83, went as far as to refer to himself as a “cultural Christian” despite a career of mocking Christianity, especially its supernatural beliefs. He went on to state that if choosing between governance with Christian values and governance by Islam, there’s no comparison.

Dawkins told LBC Radio he was “horrified to hear that Ramadan is being promoted” in the U.K.

“I love hymns and Christmas carols, and I sort of feel at home in the Christian ethos. I feel that we are a Christian country in that sense. It’s true that statistically the number of people who actually believe in Christianity is going down, and I-I'm happy with that, but I would not be happy if for example, we lost all our cathedrals and our beautiful parish churches. So, I count myself a cultural Christian. I think it would matter certainly if we substituted any alternative religion, that would be truly dreadful,” Dawkins said.

Dawkins, who wrote The God Delusion, made sure his interviewer understood he does not “believe a single word of the Christian faith,” while embracing the values that he believes advance community, security and prosperity for all people.

“If I had to choose between Christianity and Islam, I choose Christianity every single time. It seems to me to be a fundamentally decent religion in a way that I think Islam is not,” he said.

“I’m not a believer, but there’s a distinction between being a believing Christian and a cultural Christian. I find that I like living in a culturally Christian country.”

Even cultural Christianity appears to be on borrowed time in the U.K., where the majority of people in both England and Wales do not identify as Christian for the first time since the seventh century, according to most recent census data.

https://afn.net/culture/2024/04/02/world-famous-atheist-loves-attributes-of-christian-faith-he-loves-to-mock/

When Richard Dawkins speaks, the world listens. He’s the expert, the one-time Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. We are charging Dawkins with betraying that trust by giving the public misinformation about science. He does so in a number of books, speeches, and debates, a fact that we will continue to document in the following pages. He is the de facto leader of the New Atheists, who gave themselves this name to call attention to the fact that the “old atheism,” once headed by Madalyn Murray O’Hair, was far too mild. As we’ve already mentioned, the New Atheists call themselves “the brights,” and the implication is that anyone stupid enough to believe in God is a dimwit.

No wonder Dawkins seems to run around in circles when it comes to “design.” Does he believe that the human brain was designed, or doesn’t he? And how could evolution itself create two contradictory effects at the same time: the illusion of design and also program into the brain a rejection of it? Those “selfish genes” are so devilishly clever at cover-up that they’ve even confused their patron, Richard Dawkins.

Hitchens would have us believe that science can supposedly fill in all of the gaps in human knowledge. How long must we wait for that to happen? And why wait, when all of the evidence points so clearly to an infinite Creator, One who is available to all who truly call upon Him? Hundreds, if not thousands, or legitimate scientists and philosophers would rise up in protest against this reckless boast.

Why is it that not only multitudes of ordinary Americans reject evolution, but it runs into so much opposition among scientists as well? Dawkins is the man to tell us, and the revelation is rather astonishing: “It is almost as if the human brain were specifically designed to misunderstand Darwinism, and to find it hard to believe.”

Is climate change a question of science or religion? The answer is yes. Science can look back over history and see how climate has changed. There have been warmer periods and colder periods. As it happens, we are at the end of an ice age, and the planet is warming slightly. Do humans control the warming and cooling trends? In other words, are humans the planetary thermostat? The answer to that is no. According to Genesis one, God assigned humans the role of stewards or caretakers of creation, and as such, we should do our best not to pollute the water, air, and other earth resources, but we are not the planet's thermostat. A new religious view, a cult of earth worship really, has arisen asserting that humans are the cause of climate change and that if we do not decrease CO2 levels, all life will become extinct. Their religious fervor informs and drives evangelism and demands control of corporations, governments, and individuals to submit to their beliefs or be punished. 

But are their beliefs and claims true? Like so many other religious cults, they are false and harmful, perhaps deadly. Our friend at the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation have a new book out, Climate and Energy: The Case for Realism. In the description they point out:

"The attempted cures for climate change are generally worse than the disease—especially for the poor. In this groundbreaking volume, experts in all the fields related to climate change explain for laymen what we know about climate change and evaluate from a Christian perspective the proposed responses.

"Demands to transform the global energy infrastructure to depend heavily on wind, solar, and other renewables are harmful to people in America and the world–especially to the poor. Meanwhile, continued large-scale use of traditional energy sources like nuclear, hydro, and fossil fuels would reduce poverty while doing less harm to the environment.

"Climate and Energy combines outstanding climate science, physics, economics, environmental science, political science, ethics, and theology to present a well-reasoned understanding of human-induced climate change and how to respond to it.”

Another excellent resource, a documentary titled, Climate the Movie was just released a week ago and can be viewed at Climate the Movie or on Youtube. It is very well done and demonstrates that higher levels of CO2 provide slightly longer growing seasons with more and better food production. Joy and I watched it and have recommended it to many. A word of caution: those interviewed are not necessarily Christians or prone to a recent creation view; however, the science and information on climate are helpful. 

https://mailchi.mp/68f4fae5c9e4/resurrection-truth?e=169825fd77

[TBC: The Religious app “Hallow” is another Catholic production that is becoming one of the largest selling apps to be found. Consequently, it is another diversion from Scripture that evangelicals are starting to invest time in. It received lots of attention when actor Mark Wahlberg and Chosen actor Jonathan Roumie appeared in a Super Bowl commercial this year. Yet, even Catholics are not satisfied with this app.]

I recently came across an ad for an app called 'Hallow,' which offers a paid service providing prayers and spiritual content tailored to the Catholic community. While the intentions behind such an app seem noble and well-intended, I couldn't help but feel a certain discomfort with the way the ads utilize religious elements to sell its services. It seems to walk a fine line between genuine spiritual guidance and commercial exploitation of faith.

Certainly, the idea of having a readily accessible repository of prayers and spiritual resources is appealing, especially for individuals seeking to deepen their faith journey. However, the use of religious symbolism and emotional triggers in marketing campaigns often tends to blur the lines between genuine spiritual guidance and commercial ventures. It can inadvertently lead to a perception that faith is being commodified.

While it's important to acknowledge the efforts of the developers to cater to the spiritual needs of the community, there should be a clear demarcation between serving the faithful and capitalizing on their beliefs.

I want to acknowledge that my concerns might come across as a rant, and for that, I apologize. 

Note: It's not about the app charging for its services, but more about the way they seem to use certain marketing tactics that might feel disingenuous. I recall seeing an ad that highlighted "influential Catholics," and I had the expectation that it would feature renowned saints or figures deeply rooted in Catholic history. No, they included Mark Wahlberg. While acknowledging his faith journey, it might appear somewhat far-fetched in the context of significant Catholic influencers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/17em0jo/a_critical_look_at_the_hallow_app/

On our website: https://www.thebereancall.org/content/question-are-old-testament-saints-part-rapture
More question and answer: https://www.thebereancall.org/questionanswer

Question: We have a rare difference of opinion concerning your assertion that Old Testament saints are a part of the Church resurrected at the time of the Rapture. Certainly, they are saved by faith alone in the shed blood of Christ…. However, they are, as John the Baptist described himself, “friends of the Bridegroom” (John:3:29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
See All...). The Church, Christ’s bride, was born on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). At the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, He will have many “friends” in attendance.

Response: I appreciate your position, but there are serious problems with it. Old Testament saints could only be resurrected at the Rapture:

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