I was watching a video today of an interview between Richard Dawkins, a well-known athiest, and Alister McGrath, a Christian scientist and writer, in which they discuss many questions that Dawkins has about Christianity. One question that Dawkins asks in particular caught my attention. He describes the situation in which militant Islamists, girded by an extreme faith in the Muslism teachings, choose to strap a bomb on themselves and use it as a method for advancing their cause. To this, Dawkins asks, “Faith, as it is taught to children, something that they are taught to believe because they believe because they believe, isn’t that a dangerous thing to teach children?” My surprising answer to Dawkins is “yes.” Yes, this is dangerous, but not in the way Dawkins desires.
It is Dawkins desire to show that faith is a dangerous thing to have and that it is thus better for all of mankind to live as he does, i.e. as an athiest whom believes in no god. However, the actual, Biblical reason for why this is dangerous rests simply upon the fact that faith is not something just to be taught.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” – Romans 12:3
Thus, we see that faith is a gift from God, something which he has allotted for us, and not a “good principle” about religion which we are taught as children. Yes, we are taught about faith, and as it says in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing…”, but this is not the hearing which we do as a child, growing up listening to Sunday School messages. This is the hearing, as Romans 10:17 continues, “… and hearing through the word of Christ.” This is the gearing of the “good news”, the hearing of the gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected so that we may be free from sins.
It is not just that we can hear about faith and what a good thing it is and then we have it. No! It is that we hear the good news, realizes that we are sinners, realize that we can do nothing outside of God (Ephesians 2:1-3), and fall on our knees, proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). That is faith.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” – Romans 8:29-30
So, in conclusion, yes, it is dangerous to have faith that is just something we learn and that we “believe because we believe.” But on the other hand, to have a faith which is a gift from God, allotted to us, so that we may be justified, glorified, and live for all eternity with our heavenly Father, now that is a most wonderful thing!
Posted by Todd Burus 
