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As Thomas Paine lay dying, some of his infi-del friends came to visit and in a loud, heartlessmanner said, “Tom Paine, it is said you are turn-ing Christian, but we hope you will die as youhave lived.” They then went away. Turning tohis attendant, Miss Roscoe, Paine said, “You seewhat miserable comforters they are.” Once heasked her if she had read any of his writings. Shetold him that she had begun The Age of Reason,but it had made her so mad she had thrown itinto the fire. “I wish all had done as you,” he said,“for if the Devil ever had any agency in anywork, he had it in my writing that book.” Whentaking him refreshment, she repeatedly heardhim uttering, “Lord! Lord God!” or, “Lord Jesus,have mercy on me!” It was observed that hewrote a great deal during his illness. As nothingwas ever heard of these writings, it was pre-sumed that his infidel associates had destroyedthem, finding them not in keeping with his formerviews.1

In this lesson we will focus upon a soberingfact—the death of our mortal bodies. Those whoreject God are especially affected by death. Wil-liam Shakespeare’s Hamlet offers a good illustra-tion of this dilemma. In mulling over the ques-tion “To be or not to be?” Hamlet contemplateddeath: “For in that sleep of death what dreams

may come. . . . must give us pause.” Indeed, thisis true, for if there is consciousness (dreams)after death, there is the sobering issue of immor-tality to answer. Even to consider the possibilityof immortality is the death knell of atheism!

Death is an ironic subject. It is often thoughtof, but seldom discussed. It is called “the lastenemy,” “the unknown quantity,” “the thief ofstrength and opportunity.” Modern technologyhas opened limitless vistas of knowledge. Wecan chronicle the beginning of life from the mi-nuscule zygote to the birth of the baby. We cantrace life from fetal development to gerontology.Even today, however, we know no more aboutthe moment after death than we have known forcenturies! All who reject the Scriptures are igno-rant about the nether world. Ignorance spawnsfear. At death atheism “meets its nemesis. Anysystem that does not know the origin of man andcannot give his reason for being, certainly mustremain silent of his destiny, or at best, argue fornothingness.”2 The most frightening aspect ofdeath to the worldling is that at the instant ofdeath we leave everything we have and takeeverything we are! All the wealth amassed,achievements accumulated, and honors receivedare worth nothing, for “there are no pockets in

LOSING HOPE IN LIFE

1Elon Foster, New Cyclopedia of Prose Illustrations, 1stser., 1 (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, Co., 1870), 174.

2Ravi Zacharias, A Shattered Visage: The Real Face ofAtheism (Brentwood, Tenn.: Wolgemuth & Hyatt Publish-ers, 1989), 93, 94.

A T H E I S MA T H E I S M

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burial shrouds”!Death reveals atheism’s flaws clearly. Athe-

ism offers no comfort. Bertrand Russell madethis observation:

All the labors of the ages, all the devotion, allthe inspiration, all the noonday brightness ofhuman genius, are destined to extinction . . .and the whole temple of man’s achievementmust inevitably be buried beneath the debris ofa universe in ruins.3

Following this dark assessment, Russell con-cluded that humans face only “the firmfoundation of unyielding despair.”

Who, in rational thinking, wants a life likethis? This is atheism’s consequence. Such a worldview leads to a preposterous view of man. Thisview has been humorously summarized by RaviZacharias:

In the end, the atheistic view reduces the bota-nist from studying daffodils to fertilizing them,the scientist from measuring the “big bang” tobecoming a small fizzle, and the geologist frominvestigating the geological column to becom-ing embedded in one of its layers.4

There is no greater doom than this fatalisticperspective about earthly life which atheism in-vites man to accept. Consider the stark contrastbetween life’s hopelessness offered by atheismand life’s hopefulness offered by belief in Jeho-vah God.

ATHEISM’S ANSWERSAtheism fails to answer the finality of relation-

ships. Nothing threatens life’s dreams, hopes,aspirations, and accomplishments like the deathof a loved one. Many grieve themselves to theirown demise because death has separated themfrom their loved ones. Why is the loss of a specialrelationship so devastating to humans? Becausehumans were created to be dependent upon thebonds of special relationships. Without thesespecial relationships human existence is hollowand void. Genesis 2:18 verifies this fact. In thesplendor of Eden’s bliss there was somethingabout man’s existence that was “not good.” He

lacked the bond found in special relationships.Atheism allows death to reduce this bond to coldextinction! It cannot explain the void which deathcauses. It is unable to offer hope for a death-severed union. The human heart yearns to meetdeparted loved ones again. Atheism does notdestroy that longing. Atheism does not silencethe question “Where is my loved one?”

Atheism fails to answer the apportionment ofjustice for evil and good. Even the atheist pursuesjustice—his philosophy denies it, but he pursuesit! Still, atheism holds no response for the nag-ging query of how justice can be meted for evilwhen the wicked one has died. Some atheisticbeliefs have tried to resolve this problem byappealing to reincarnation, but that is insuffi-cient. Atheism has no answer for the reign ofevil! It fails to answer the futility of earthlylabors. This predicament is summed up in Luke12:20, where God asked the rich fool what profitall his labors would be when death took him.According to atheism, all human efforts are ulti-mately useless! The atheistic position upholdsthat all labor to benefit humanity is absurd. Athe-istic concern is purely self-centered. The atheistwho advocates humanitarian projects is a hypo-crite! Atheism holds no answer to those who ask,“Why should I work, sacrifice self-pleasure, andaid humanity’s progress?”

Atheism fails to answer the “sense” of eternitywhich resides within every human heart. Honestyforces all to admit a sense of the eternal. We“know” that there is “something” beyond earthlyexistence. The Indians sent their dead preparedfor happy hunting. Norsemen set their dead sail-ing for Valhalla to reign among the heroes of thepast. Even in their ignorance of God, these peopleacknowledged what the “intellectual” atheistcannot accept! Solomon observed that God “hasalso set eternity in their heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).No matter how much materialism a person finds,he is still empty until he finds God! Atheismcannot explain this “sense” of the eternal.

Atheism cannot answer how hope is abandonedby its world view. Having “killed God,” atheism isleft without reason for existence, morality forguidance, meaning for life, or hope during life orafter! The cancerous loss of hope destroys allpossibility for joy in the present. Hope is the oneindispensable factor for meaning in life. PercyBysshe Shelley reflected the unanswerable plight

3Bertrand Russell, “A Free Man’s Worship,” Mysticismand Logic and Other Essays (London: Allen & Unwin, 1963),41.

4Zacharias, 95.

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of Atheistic Philosophy as he penned “StanzasWritten in Dejection—December 1818, NearNaples”:

Alas, I have no hope nor healthNor peace within nor calm around,Nor that content surpassing wealthThe sage in meditation found,And walked with inward glory crowned;Nor fame nor power nor love nor leisure—Others I see whom these surround,Smiling they live and call life pleasure:To me that cup has been dealt in another

measure.

To all who share Shelley’s atheistic outlookcomes his forlorn hopelessness.

The loss of hope in earthly life has drasticconsequences. Every endeavor survives becauseof hope. Without hope all is futile and morbid.Without hope despair strangles and overcomesour vision. It is this hopelessness that has fueledthe modern society’s preoccupation with im-moral sexuality, drug abuse, terrorism, and crime.Humans seek meaning and purpose in life, but ina society guided by atheistic principles there isno hope.

Each heart will struggle to find hope andmeaning via some avenue. Our youth illustratethis desperate grasping for meaning. Youngpeople, struggling to find hope, grasp at astrol-ogy, witchcraft, shallow sex, and anything elsethat seems to promise meaning. They live in asociety that has rejected God, and now theydesperately search for something to give mean-ing to their existence! Atheism has abandonedhope for the future. It cannot offer any encourag-ing vision. It offers only a world without hope, afate of oblivion into “unyielding desperation,” aburial beneath the debris of a universe in chaoticruin. What “reasonable” person desires this phi-losophy of life?

GOD’S ANSWERSIn dramatic contrast to atheism’s emptiness

are the complete and comforting answers of Je-hovah God! Note carefully these answers whichlead to hopeful living.

God says that while death severs earthly rela-tionships, there is the provision for this separa-tion to be temporary! At the Battle of Gaines’Mill, two brothers were wounded at the sametime. They were found by a friend, embraced inone another’s arms, as they talked of their home,

their mother, and their love of God and country.They prayed for each other, for absent friends,and especially for their mother. Soon the youngerdied. The elder, being blind from a wound, knewit not and continued to speak encouraging wordsto him. Hearing no reply, he said, “Poor littleRob’s asleep.” It was his last sleep, and in a fewminutes more they joined company in that landwhere the sound of battle will never disturb!5

For the Christian there is hope of reunionafter death! David spoke of this hope upon thedeath of his baby (2 Samuel 12:23); Christ de-scribed a reunion at heaven’s great feast (Mat-thew 8:11). Other texts offer hope for those whohave suffered separation from loved ones be-cause of death (cf. Luke 20:34–36; Matthew 25:34;Colossians 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Hebrews12:23; Revelation 5:9).

God says that justice will be meted to boththose who have done good and to those whohave done evil. The answer is simply, “God willjudge both the righteous man and the wickedman” (Ecclesiastes 3:17; cf. Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:13,14; Daniel 7:9, 10; 12:2; Romans 2:5–9; 1 Corin-thians 3:8).

God says that all earthly labors have valuehere and hereafter. The Christian has hope be-cause no effort is futile!

Two soldiers were discussing the death of acomrade. The discussion went like this: “He gothis discharge.”

“Not quite.”“If not discharged I’d like to know what he

is?”“Only transferred.”“Transferred where?”“To the other department.”“What for?”“For duty.”“What duty?”“Don’t know, that depends on what he’s fit

for.”6

Christians are “fit for” reward, “for theirdeeds follow with them” (Revelation 14:13b; cf.Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13; 9:10; Matthew 10:42; 25:35,36; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 6:10; Revelation22:14).

God says that the “sense” of the eternal is

5Foster, 171.6Ibid., 173.

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present because of the presence of an eternal soulwithin each human being! The query “What goodthing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”(Matthew 19:16b) presses upon all hearts (cf.Ecclesiastes 12:6, 7; 2 Corinthians 5:1). Only Godanswers this question.

God says that “hope” is reserved and encour-ages all to obey heaven’s will (Romans 8:24, 25).The “abundant life” can be realized here as wellas hereafter (John 10:10).

CONCLUSIONThe death factor has a tremendous bearing

upon the existence or void of “hope.” The fruitsof atheism are tragic. Atheism offers no mind fororigin, no law for morality, no meaning to en-hance existence, and no hope to brighten itsfuture. This dark existence is aptly addressed inEphesians 2:11, 12 as those without God aredescribed:

Therefore remember, that formerly you, theGentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncir-cumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,”which is performed in the flesh by humanhands—remember that you were at that timeseparate from Christ, excluded from the com-monwealth of Israel, and strangers to the cov-enants of promise, having no hope and withoutGod in the world.

Faith in God offers complete victory in lifehere and hereafter! In this world he that is todaythe conqueror may tomorrow be the defeated.Pompey was eclipsed by Caesar, who then fell atthe hands of conspirators; Napoleon conquerednearly all of Europe and was then himself con-quered. The Christian’s conquest of death is ab-solute. The result is final. The Christian has van-quished the last enemy and has no more battlesto fight! Let all the saints join with Moses incalling for our society to choose God and thuschoose life (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20). �

Always the BestYears ago, Admiral Hyman Rickover was the

head of the United States Nuclear Navy andpersonally interviewed and approved every of-ficer aboard a nuclear submarine. Among thosehe interviewed was former President JimmyCarter. Here is Carter’s account of that unforget-table interview.

It was the first time I met Admiral Rickover,and we sat in a large room by ourselves formore than two hours, and he let me choose anysubjects I wished to discuss. Very carefully, Ichose those about which I knew most at thetime—current events, seamanship, music, lit-erature, naval tactics, electronics, gunnery—and he began to ask me a series of questions ofincreasing difficulty. In each instance, he soonproved that I knew relatively little about thesubject I had chosen.

He always looked right into my eyes, and henever smiled. I was saturated with cold sweat.

Finally, he asked a question and I thought Icould redeem myself. He said, “How did youstand in your class at the Naval Academy?”Since I had completed my sophomore year atGeorgia Tech before entering Annapolis as aplebe, I had done very well, and I swelled mychest with pride and answered, “Sir, I stoodfifty-ninth in a class of 820!” I sat back to waitfor the congratulations—which never came.Instead, the question, “Did you do your best?”I started to say, “Yes, sir,” but I rememberedwho this was and recalled several of the manytimes at the Academy when I could have learned

more about our allies, our enemies, weapons,strategy, and so forth. I was just human. Ifinally gulped and said, “No, sir, I didn’t al-ways do my best.”

He looked at me for a long time, and thenturned his chair around to end the interview.He asked one final question, which I have neverbeen able to forget—or to answer. He said,“Why not?” I sat there for a while, shaken, andthen slowly left the room.

Ordering Your Private WorldGordon MacDonald

Out of ControlThe boy prince was terrified of the sea. So the

adults decided to cure him of his fear by pickinghim up and tossing him into the water. Hestruggled and sputtered, finally making his wayback to dry land. Screaming and crying, he ranaway from the waves as fast as he could. Finallycaught and soothed, he was asked why he was soafraid of the sea. He could stand near soldiersand their booming cannons and not flinch; whydid water scare him so? The young ruler thoughtfor a moment and then replied, “Because I’m incommand of the soldiers, but I’m not in com-mand of the sea.”

Like the prince, we also have seas of fear—things we cannot command or control.

The Little, Brown Book of AnecdotesClifton Fadiman, ed.

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