Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 3
October 11, 1951
NUMBER 23, PAGE 1,5b

"The Fool Hath Said . . . "

J. Early Arceneaux, Sabinal, Texas

There is nothing unreasonable in the Bible proposition that God created the heavens and the earth. Intelligence, plan, and power were behind all creation. Reason supports that; there's nothing in any way unreasonable about it. It is related that the great and noted governor of Tennessee, Bob Taylor, once went to hear another "Bob" (Ingersoll) make a speech. Afterwards, somebody asked Taylor what he had thought of the discourse. Taylor replied, "I saw a man, made in the image of God, stand up and say 'There is no God'." That was Taylor's only comment, but it was enough. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."

It is related that Benjamin Franklin, while sojourning in Paris, one day became engaged in argument with a famous French atheist. They agreed that on a certain day the atheist should come to Franklin's study and they'd discuss their differences until one or the other of them was convinced. Before the time set, Franklin got ready for him. He had a little mechanical contraption built that would actually work. It was a very crude, elementary, miniature planetarium. It showed in the most primitive and rudimentary fashion how the planets revolve around the sun, and their relations to one another. When the Frenchman knocked on the door, Franklin opened and admitted him to the room where his "contraption" was. "What on earth is that machine, and who made it?" asked the atheist. "That contraption is a crude planetarium, and nobody made it," replied Franklin. "It just happened."

"Do you think I'm a fool?" asked the atheist.

"Well," Franklin said, "You have told me over and over that the solar system had no Creator; that it just 'happened.' This machine is a most crude and primitive contrivance, attempting to duplicate on a small scale some of the bodies of that system and their movements. Do you think I'm a fool to say that the mighty solar system had no maker?"

The conference was soon ended, and the Frenchman was ready to take his leave. One simple demonstration had shown the utter absurdity of the whole atheistic contention.

Absurdities Of Evolution

There are three great absurdities on which the evolutionary theory or hypothesis has always broken down. Advocates of the theory have never been able to meet the arguments growing out of these three things. These three insurmountable obstacles are:

1. A missing link between lifeless matter and living matter. No evolutionist has ever bridged that chasm; no scientist has ever crossed that gulf. On the contrary, endless experiments of every kind and character have shown conclusively that "life comes only from life;" living matter can never come from non-living, inorganic material.

2. A missing link between vegetable life and animal life. Here again the evolutionists have failed utterly to find one single instance in all nature in which a vegetable changed over into an animal. Until somebody can bridge that chasm, cross that gulf, the theory falls of its own absurdities.

3. A missing link between the lower animals and man. It is in this field that the evolutionists have been most industrious. They have come up with innumerable bones, teeth, and suppositions—but not one shred of respectable evidence. The chasm has not been bridged; the gulf has not been crossed. Until it is, evolution can never be sustained.

The Scientific (?) Attitude

Once I was in Austin, Texas, in the company of a group of gospel preachers, when one of the brethren got into a discussion with a bright young man who was a student in the University of Texas, there. The old preacher had spoken a few verses of scripture, to which the bright young man had replied with some condescension, "We don't accept the Bible down at the University. It is a valuable source book for studying primitive religions and customs; but we know it to be filled with error."

That's where I got into the discussion. "You think scientifically down at the University, don't you?" I asked.

"Oh, yes; yes, indeed." replied the student.

"What is science?" I asked.

"It is a collection of facts, all the facts available, on any given subject." was his response.

"How many books on Christian Evidence have you read?" I asked. I knew that would be a center shot; for I have never yet found a full-fledged atheist who had read even one good book on Christian evidences. The young man hung his head, and said, "I'll have to confess I've never read one."

"You have scientifically disposed of Christianity then, and never read even one book in its defense!" I said. This young man was assuming that all the thousands and thousands of brilliant and scholarly men who have lived, preached, taught, and believed in the religion of Jesus Christ were simply fools! He had never taken time to investigate the evidence on which their faith rested, had never even looked at it; but had dismissed all the evidence with an airy wave of the hand. And that is "scientific" thinking!

An Atheist Looks At Death

Robert Ingersoll stood beside the coffin of his own brother, trying to make a funeral oration. He was unable to finish his speech, but did manage to give us this fine and beautiful picture of dark despair: "Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud; but the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead, there comes no word. Yet in the hour of death, hope sees a star; and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing."

Think of it! The atheist has no hope, no expectation, nothing but dark and awful despair. In his desperation he goes over into the Christian's vocabulary and steals the "Hope" that makes death bearable. There are no "rustle of wings" for the atheist; there is no star of hope for him. The stars have all gone out, and midnight darkness reigns from now to eternity. But with the believer in God, with the faithful, humble follower of Christ, there is hope that mounts up to certainty. There is a calm and glorious peace in full assurance of faith. For the Christian knows that death is not the end. It is but the beginning. And so his faith sustains him through the dark hour of death; and in the morning of the resurrection, he shall stand with the redeemed.

—O—

W. Earl Mansur, 241 East Arlight, Monterey, California, Sept. 24: "The church in Montebello continues to grow. We are purchasing an excellent building site and hope to start construction in a few days. We will probably be in our own building by the first of the year. At present we are meeting in the Women's Clubhouse, 6168 Northside Drive. Worship with us when in this area."