Brian Cox is an outstanding actor. He’s also a weak thinker, and egregiously disrespectful. His words in the May 1st, NY Post article are bigoted, intolerant, and hateful.

The Post records Cox making the following asinine statements:

“The Bible is one of the worst books ever, for me, from my point of view. Because it starts with the idea that out of Adam’s rib, this woman was created, and [people will] believe it cause they’re stupid enough.”

First of all, can you imagine Cox calling the Quran “one of the worst books ever,” and Muslims “stupid”? Me neither. But, it seems to always be “open season” on Christianity.

That said, Cox is no different than people in the first century who mocked Jesus, laughed at him, accused him of being demon-possessed and insane, ultimately murdering him.

I’m often sitting in coffee shops with my Bible open, studying. Should someone be curious, I’m always glad, with gentleness and respect, to “give a logical defense” for my faith.

In response to Cox, if he was open to engaging in civil and respectful dialogue, this is how I would begin our conversation:

1. Tell me about yourself. Help me get to know you.
2. What, exactly, is your worldview (we all have one whether we admit it or not). Where does your standard of “right and wrong” come from? Through what “filter” do you decide your political views, your philosophy, your ethics? How did you arrive at your worldview? On what do you base it?

***At the root of Christian apologetics (offering a logical defense of the Christian faith) is not winning an argument, but winning a friend.

Then, I would ask if he’s open to listen to why I hold to a biblical worldview. Let’s say he is. Here are the “nuts & bolts” components I would mention and, hopefully, be able to expound upon:

1. Science has proven (and logic dictates) it is impossible for something to come from nothing.  As such, scientists virtually unanimously agree that the universe had a beginning. Further, science (and logic) states that anything that began to exist must have a cause for its existence. As early as the 5th century B.C., Plato admitted, “What comes into being…must do so owing to some cause.” More recently, the 18th century philosopher and skeptic, David Hume, confessed, “I never asserted so absurd a proposition as that anything might arise without a cause.” Logic dictates that that “something” had to have been transcendent, existed outside of time and space, intelligent, and unimaginably powerful. It is worth noting that it was the universe that led the former champion of atheism, Antony Flew, to arrive at the conclusion that God must exist.
2. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics dictates that an explosion leaves chaos in its wake. Yet, the “explosion” of that moment of singularity – astronomer, Fred Hoyle’s, “big bang” – led not to a chaotic universe floating around like strewn shrapnel, but one that is curiously ordered and fine-tuned as on a razor’s edge. Neil DeGrasse Tyson said, unbelievably, if we could travel to the other side of the universe, the exact same principles of physics would apply there as they do here. Brian, you can believe what you want, but No’s 3 & 4 sound a whole lot like the God described in Genesis 1.
3. There is more evidence for the historical reliability of the New Testament than for any other ancient literature. And it’s not even close. Coming in a distant second are the Homeric epics. Sure, Brian, you regard the Bible as “one of the worst books ever” since it’s an anthology of ancient law, history, correspondence, poetry, and biography written over a 1500 year span by 40 authors from all walks of life, on three continents, in two languages (Hebrew & Greek with a little bit of Aramaic included.) Yet, incredulously, it basically says the same thing throughout, telling a love story on a grand scale – a meta-narrative of a God who, despite our rejection of him, relentlessly pursues us because of his love for us. Regardless of what you choose to believe, the Bible deserves serious and honest consideration regarding its historical reliability and veracity.
4. Every worldview (atheism, agnosticism, naturalism, etc.) is a “faith worldview.” Andy Bannister rightly observed, “The claim ‘only science can discover truth’ is self-refuting, as the statement itself cannot be verified using science.” Just as God cannot be “proven” by science, he can neither be “disproven” by science. Any scientist asserting that science disproves God has moved from the arena of science to the arena of philosophy i.e. they’re simply sharing their opinion. Certainly, I am exercising faith in holding to a biblical worldview. But, you my friend, are exercising a level of faith I don’t dare embrace. Former atheist, Lee Strobel, said it best: “To continue in atheism, I’d need to believe nothing produces everything, non-life produces life, randomness produces fine-tuning, chaos produces information, unconsciousness produces consciousness, and non-reason produces reason. I just didn’t have that much faith.”
5. I leave you with this – Blaise Pascal was a 17th century mathematician, physicist, and philosopher. He is known, among other things, for his famous “wager.” It goes like this: If you’re right – that there is no God – when we die, you lose nothing, and I lose nothing. But if the Bible’s right, I gain everything, and you lose everything. Given the overwhelming evidence for the existence of God, are you willing to make that bet? Based on the overwhelming evidence for the existence of God, are you willing to wager there’s no hell? That there is no judgment? Hebrews 9:27 is haunting: “…people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

Even the French atheist philosopher, Albert Camus (ca-MOO) confessed,

“I would rather live as though God does exist and die to find out he doesn’t, than live as though he doesn’t exist and die to find out he does.”

I would humbly invite you to set aside presuppositions and honestly investigate the claims of Christ. Place him under the proverbial microscope. Then, make your own decision. Jesus has never imposed himself on a single person. He loves you. But, he leaves the choice to trust him up to you.

The Christian faith is an intelligent faith. This is precisely why Jesus said,

“Love the Lord your God will all your…mind.” (Matt 22:37)

There’s a reason why people like MIT’s professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Ian Hutchinson, Oxford’s Alister McGrath who holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics, and Lee Strobel, a graduate of Yale Law School, have all placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

nw

***You can read the entire NTP article referenced above here.