We have had numerous articles in this journal concerning the aggressive attacks on belief in God and specifically on Christianity. These attacks have centered around Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and other authors who have written books and who have academic credentials that have made them attractive to some in the academic community. This has happened in spite of their incredibly poor understanding of what God is and what Jesus taught. (See our book review of Alister McGrath's book The Dawkins Delusion, November/December 2007.)

While the books and rebuttals continue to be cranked out and distributed among the adult population, atheists have mounted an aggressive campaign directed at young people. The number of atheists Web sites that have been added to the Web in the past year is staggering. Most of these sites have consisted of materials being copied from some other atheist sites, but the increase in the number of sites with numerous sites being on local college and university locations means that even the most inaccurate and uninformed materials get widespread distribution.

The other activity that is appearing with increased frequency on the Web is the attempt to recruit and organize atheists. One of these is the Rational Response Squad, which urges their followers to take the "blasphemy challenge which involves making a public denial of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Their stated goal is "beyond just 'curing theism'"... but to bring about "the end of Christianity."

As is true of most extreme positions like this one, the Rationalist Response Squad has gotten a great deal of media response. They have been on Nightline and have a weekly Webcast. Because the material targets young people and little to no response is being made by believers, it is having a considerable amount of success. We are pleased that some of the young people who have seen this material are writing us, but there are many young people who assume that no one can make a response to these challenges. Saying "there is no God," for example, is an incredibly ignorant statement, but if no one is providing evidence it will be accepted by people who are ignorant of what is available.

We urge teachers of all kinds from Bible school to public school teachers to encourage young people to look at both sides and consider all the evidence. The free correspondence course on our Web site (doesgodexist.org) is a good place to start. Other Web sites associated with the Does God Exist? ministry include: dandydesigns.org, whypain.org, and doesgodexist.tv.

--Source: An open letter from Hugh Ross, "Reasons to Believe," March 2007.

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