Professor Richard Dawkins, English ethologist, evolutionary biologist, author, emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, continued his filmed interview with Dr. Cristie Jo Johnston, Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist Univesity. She asked a daring question, “The Bible says that anyone that says in their heart there is no God they are a fool.  What do you think about that?” Realizing @CristieJoJohnston was speaking to the world’s most well-known atheist, I froze in the corner of the room as we filmed @UniofOxford. First, I admired my wife for asking a reasonable question sourced in the provocative exclamation of David in the Psalms, “The fool has said in his heart,‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1). I know Cristie sincerely wanted Richard’s opinion on this volatile Bible text.

And, in that moment, I realized the atheist, who often decries God and the Christian faith would obviously have an answer ready for such a question. There was a long pause and Richard Dawkins responded as he and Cristie Jo stared into each other’s eyes, “That’s ridiculous obviously.  I mean you’ve taken a verse from the Bible, the fool has said in his heart there is no God.  What am I supposed to say?  This is a random text written by some random scribe at some point, a few centuries ago.  So what?”

It was a thought provoking moment bravely asked by my girl who I have come to know for nearly four decades and who would never intentionally try to hurt anyone’s feelings, and, yet, has a knack for ‘getting down to business’ when we are discussing important issues. This is the tantamount argument university students face from scores of professors worldwide – “there is no god – get smart and get rid of your superstition.” There is only one problem with that scenario. There are equally brilliant men and women distinguished in their academic careers who do believe in God. The media does not equally promote or review their books as they are not provocative and “newsworthy.”

The recent Gallup Poll disagrees with Richard Dawkins and stated that 89% of Americans believe in God – a startling 9 out of every 10 Americans (June 29, 2016). I still make the argument to atheists:  why all the hoopla disproving a God you don’t believe in anyway. It doesn’t make sense to me. And, let me add one notable postscript to the burgeoning category of “nones” who have religiously disaffiliated – only a small percentage of “nones” claim to be atheists. Nones, in the vast majority still believe in some form of spirituality and many in God or a Higher Being.

We knew our investigative journey had to include some of the finest philosophers of the world. At one time “philosophy” in the universities omitted “theology,” let alone Christianity philosophy. Not anymore! Some of the finest, most brilliant philosophers in the world are Christians in many of the world’s finest universities. So we journeyed from our interview with Richard Dawkins to the highly respected, 50-year @UniofOxford Christian philosopher, Richard Swinburne, author of  “The Existence of God”. He doesn’t take Richard Dawkins too seriously. You will be keenly interested in his remarks coming your way very soon.

Researchers, Drs. Jerry and Cristie Jo Johnston, are Executive Producing a quick-paced film via transcontinental, staccato interviews documenting the shocking rise of the non-religious.