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Mast Appendix 1: Sequence of correspondenceto the South China Morning PostMarch-May

2007

Readers of Mast might be interested in the following and extensive

correspondence on the subject of God, atheism and religion, in which Mastplayed a key role, that appeared in the South China Morning Postand theSunday Morning Postduring March, April and May 2007. The immediatecatalyst was an article, Sins of the believers, by Gwynne Dyer, published on23 March, but the larger context is the current debate on religion generated bythe rise of religious fundamentalism on the one hand and the publication ofsuch books as The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins on the other. The initialarticle and entire sequence of letters are reproduced below, followed by someobservations and comments.

Articles and correspondence

RELIGION AND SOCIETY Gwynne Dyer

Sins of the believers


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Note: the following article and letters, while not strictly contiguous with theabove stream of correspondence, nevertheless, coming as they didimmediately afterwards on a related issue, are included both for the readersinterest and the publishing of a further letter from Mast.


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Observations and commentary

Whilst these letters are self-explanatory, readers may find the followingobservations and comments helpful.

All in all, this sequence of correspondence represents a significant exposure ofthe issues raised in what is one of the prominent quality daily newspapers ofthe world. The South China Morning Posthas a circulation of around 100,000and tends to be read by the more so-called elitist sections of society, not just inHong Kong but in China and many other Asian countries as well.

As an English church historian, I have not come across many streams ofcorrespondence on religious issues on this scale in the secular press (33 lettersin the main sequence, 35 including the final two on a separate though relatedissue). In fact I know of just one in Britain that was more extensive (comprising44 letters) and that took place in 1899 over the issue of a day of humiliationand prayer on account of the Boer War. No doubt I will soon be informed ofmany others in due course.

What this shows, however, is something of the interest and openness thatexists in Hong Kong to spiritual matters. Compared to the UK, where resistanceto the Christian gospel is hard, cynicism and unbelief are rife, and in the nameof tolerance and multiculturalism secularism (and anything else but Christianityso it seems) is actively encouraged, Hong Kong is a refreshingly overt spiritualsociety. There is a negative side to this, of course, in that idolatry and demonworship abounds openly and is in your face, but there is nonetheless anacceptance of spiritual realities here that makes it easier for evangelists andmissioners to communicate spiritual truths.

Having said that, the participants in this debate appear to have come primarily

from among the ex-pat community within whom unbelief and atheism are likelyto be as common as in any other western society. And the current atheism cumDawson God Delusion debate is primarily a western phenomenon affectingwhat are now termed post Christian societies.

This alone should alert anyone to the fact that there is much more to thisdebate than meets the eye. Now Mast does not subscribe uncritically to themany political or economic conspiracy theories that abound. Such is the chaosof world that I do not believe it is possible for any single human being or groupto dictate the course of history to the degree necessary for these theories to bewholly true (although it is very likely that various groups might strive for suchcontrol or believe themselves to have it). But it is a different matter altogether

with regard to a spiritual conspiracy directed by agencies from beyond ourphysical realm. Quite clearly, Satan is working to an agenda, and to the extentthat God mysteriously yields to his devises for his own purposes, evidence ofthis agenda is visible in the world around us, and not least in this particulardebate.

Several things are worth pointing out in this regard. Firstly, it can be nocoincidence that TheGod Delusion is just one of several books that haveappeared promoting atheism in recent times and that articles like Dyers are


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now appearing in profusion. This might, of course, only be a reaction tocontemporary fundamentalisms just as it is also true that books and interestsdo come and go in waves, but atheisms resurgence, or more specifically therubbishing of monotheism (you will notice that so-called self-enlightenment inany form remains untouched) at the same time as globalization is on the risecan only make one suspicious. If the devil is truly behind the current agenda,

as I believe he is, then it is in his interest for people to (1) remain in ignoranceabout his existence, because (2) they might discern his schemes if theywerent and (3) such ignorance and the void of no God that atheism promotesleaves him free to convert the world to the worship of himself, either thoughmaterialist or pagan idolatries or descending one day as the great delivererfrom those troubles that inevitably spring forth when God is denied. The west isespecially targeted in this regard because it is western culture and values thatare sweeping the world and that inform the globalization process.

Secondly, it is possible to see something most definitely spiritual manifesting inthe three responses to the first letter. When I wrote Religion bashing (26March) in response to Dyers article, although that article does not mention it

and neither does my letter refer to it, undermining Dawsons book and otherslike it was very much on my mind. And something spiritual recognized theattack, for each of the three responses went out of their way to recommendDawsons book specifically. What I had set out to undo came back at me threetimes as strong, and because of this I began to doubt the wisdom of my writingin the first place. What this commonality reveals, however, unless all threewriters belong to a local atheists club and acted in collusion, is that each wasanimated by the same spirit and that this spirit and collective action betrays avery real demonic entity animating the current atheism.

Thirdly, the demonic nature of this sprit is also palpable in the hostility thatpervades many of the overtly anti-Christian letters, against a more gentle

(though sometimes and necessarily direct) spirit that can be discerned in thosemore Christian. From the beginning I made it my policy, for example, never torespond to personal attacks in my own letters, nor to engage in personalattacks against anyone else, seeking only to speak out against untruth as itarose and promoting in turn the truth of God as I understand it according to thescriptures.

Despite any initial misgivings, some satisfaction must be expressed at theoverall progress of the debate. The argument that appears to have elicited thestrongest reaction was that exposing atheism as a religion in Science a studyof creation (16 April). This was particularly significant because not only did thisreveal the atheist position for what it is, but it was also a point in the debate

that appears to have been won. For too long its been all too easy for atheismto flag up to the uninformed the clich of religion being the cause of war in theworld and the apparent undermining of the biblical creation account by theevidence of science, and so discredit Christianity in their eyes. But what isnever offered in return is a single scrap of evidence to back up atheisms ownassertion that there is no God, and of course none will ever be found. It doesntexist and atheism couldnt appropriate it even it if it did, and so in reality theposition of the atheist is as dependent upon faith ultimately as any religion, ifnot more so. For while the Christian position is also one of faith, over and


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against atheism Christianity has the distinct advantage of having recourse toadditional evidence in the form of the divine revelation of scripture and aphysical universe that appears to operate in conformity with it as if it weretrue.

There are, for example, very reasonable grounds indeed for discerning the

operation of God in the workings of the world that he has made. Not least inthis regard may be cited Gods evident judgment of idolatry in Hong Kong asmanifested, for instance, in the ongoing deterioration of the famous Wishing

Tree and the saga of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. It was of furthersignificance, therefore, that a letter highlighting both these scenarios(Unfaithful civilizations doomed to fall) was published on 29 April, especiallygiven that at the time this was a prophetic letter written in faith, that God inturn then appears to have honoured with a demonstration of his power. If theletter was initially ridiculed, as can be discerned from some of the responses, itsubsequently gained in credibility when on 11 June a cabin fell off the cable carthat resulted in its humiliating closure until 31 December 2007. I am reliablyinformed that after the accident this particular letter was discussed on RTHK,

one of the premier radio stations of Hong Kong. (A fuller report of the cable carincident and the divine inception of this particular letter, together with thelatest news, may be found in the third issues ofThe Mastand Newsletter).

It is a belief and principle of Mast that it is the duty of all Christians to counterdeception and falsehood in our society and fight for the proclamation of what istrue whenever the opportunity arises. How else will darkened eyes begin tosee and closed up ears begin to hear the hidden and secret things of God?When Christians engage in this kind of work, while it is sometimes difficult togauge or even know of its ultimate worth and effectiveness, they cannevertheless be assured that in ways mysterious God will use and bless suchefforts to his purposes. Certainly in the case of this particular sequence of

correspondence it seems evident that God not only opened doors and made away for it to occur in the first place, but that through it there seems everyreason to believe he was able to jolt a few hearts and minds and give thempause for contemplation on the issues raised and their implication.

The Editor

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