[Darris McNeely] Last week Christopher Hitchins died. Mr. Hitchins was an author, an essayist, probably best known for being one of the most articulate atheist of the modern world. I would watch Mr. Hitchins as often as I could catching him on various news shows as he delivered his attacks against religion, God, politics, government, just about anything that he, his mind turned to. He was always an interesting person to consider. I used one of his books, "God Is Not Great," in a Beyond Today program on atheism a few years ago. But you know, Steve, he not only had a disbelief in God, but he turned his mind upon other things as well.

[Steve Myers] Boy, he sure did. And I always found it challenging. And I don't think we should be afraid to take that challenge. When someone steps up and challenges us on do you believe in God? Is God real? Is the Bible real? Those are challenges we should take seriously and realize there are answers to those things. We don't have to worry that somehow because someone's articulate that we don't have faith and we cannot prove that God is real and the Bible is true.

[Darris McNeely] Psalm 14:1 says "that the fool says in his heart that there is no God." And one of the things that I've noticed about the forms of atheism that we have today, articulated by Hitchins and other individuals, is a particular hatred almost for the idea of God. And that is what I found most fascinating to, just to consider. It validates a number of scriptural principles. Romans 1 talks about people not wanting to keep God in their knowledge (Romans 1:28), Steve. And you see those things, when you see those personified in the modern arguments that people come up with, at least for me, it's always challenged me to go deeper into the scriptures, to go deeper into the modern world, the real world, even the scientific world, to be drawn closer to God and to understand the mind that did create the universe.

[Steve Myers] Yeah, I think that's an interesting challenge to make. Oftentimes these atheists are fighting against religion, and often times religion is wrong. But when you compare what religion teaches compared to the truth of God, that's where the key is. And I think when you look to the truth, then there's that difference.

[Darris McNeely] Don't be afraid to let your faith, in a sense, be challenged as long as you are able to go to God, go to His sure Word and to prove what He says and to prove God. In another scripture in Malachi, God says prove me now here with whether these things be so (Malachi 3:10). You prove God; you prove His existence by the reality of His Word coming to pass in time, in prophecy, and in history. But also in the fruits of one's life.

[Steve Myers] There's many articles on the website that can help you in your studies so that you can validate the truth that God is, and so we need to follow Him and do what He says.

[Darris McNeely] I've often wondered, when an atheist dies, exactly what their final thoughts are. That's not for me to determine, that's I think for God to ultimately be the judge on. Christopher Hitchins has died. Christopher Hitchins will have an opportunity to know the true God at some point in his life and he's going to be pretty surprised.

[Steve Myers] That's BT Daily. We'll see you next time.