When Psalm 14:1 Says Atheists Are "Fools" This Can Be Easily Refuted.
Psalm 14:1 says: "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good."
My claim is that once we correctly understand this verse we can easily refute it.
Taking his cue from John Calvin, Jim West (i.e. Where's Waldo?) ignorantly set off a Blog war among Bibliobloggers by claiming this verse means that:
The first person to weigh in on this matter is Christian scholar Matt Flanagan who said:
In that link Matt says:
As to the immoral charge this is not true of atheists. You see, this is not about having a basis for morality. It’s a charge against the behavior of people who do not believe in God. The passage claims that we are in fact immoral and even wicked people--that we do not live according to moral “wisdom.” This is about our behavior not our beliefs, for it's speaking about the behavioral consequences of our not believing.
I would think this discussion alone should end any pretensions about an inerrant Bible. One lone ethical atheist destroys such a notion, for what he believes is not the issue, his behavior is. Even if the atheist is inconsistent in his behavior, as Christians might want to claim, that too is irrelevant. It's about his behavior. And Psalm 14:1 says we behave immorally (characteristics like murderer, rapist, someone who defrauds others, violent, lawless, etc).
One lone ethical atheist destroys such a notion. And although I'm not claiming to be something I'm not, I'll put my behavior up against most Christian's behavior.
In any case, all it takes is one lone ethical atheist to refute this passage in the Bible. That being said, good behaving atheists number in the millions.
My claim is that once we correctly understand this verse we can easily refute it.
Taking his cue from John Calvin, Jim West (i.e. Where's Waldo?) ignorantly set off a Blog war among Bibliobloggers by claiming this verse means that:
Atheism is insanity. Hence, there’s no more point in arguing with (or even discussing things with) an atheist than there is in walking into an insane asylum and attempting to carry on a lucid conversation with persons utterly devoid of the gift of lucidity. LinkI claim Psalm 14:1 is about morality, that it says an atheist is an immoral person, not an insane one. And I reject that was well. I also argue this correct interpretation is easily proven false.
The first person to weigh in on this matter is Christian scholar Matt Flanagan who said:
John I have studied the word fool, here in fact, and you are quite right, fool has a moral and not an intellectual sense.Okay so far?
In that link Matt says:
A fool here is not someone who is imprudent but someone who is positively wicked. The text speaks of those who commit “abominable deeds;” the idea is that such a person is morally corrupt, someone who rejects doing good, someone who is committed to evil.Soooo, then Dr. Flannagan, we’re agreed. Jim West is ignorant, and so was Calvin!
As to the immoral charge this is not true of atheists. You see, this is not about having a basis for morality. It’s a charge against the behavior of people who do not believe in God. The passage claims that we are in fact immoral and even wicked people--that we do not live according to moral “wisdom.” This is about our behavior not our beliefs, for it's speaking about the behavioral consequences of our not believing.
I would think this discussion alone should end any pretensions about an inerrant Bible. One lone ethical atheist destroys such a notion, for what he believes is not the issue, his behavior is. Even if the atheist is inconsistent in his behavior, as Christians might want to claim, that too is irrelevant. It's about his behavior. And Psalm 14:1 says we behave immorally (characteristics like murderer, rapist, someone who defrauds others, violent, lawless, etc).
One lone ethical atheist destroys such a notion. And although I'm not claiming to be something I'm not, I'll put my behavior up against most Christian's behavior.
In any case, all it takes is one lone ethical atheist to refute this passage in the Bible. That being said, good behaving atheists number in the millions.