Famed atheist Richard Dawkins is bringing some disruption to atheist and agnostic circles. His name and personal views come up frequently in much anti-biblical discourse and in apologetics debates, so it surely comes as a surprise to many that Dawkins has recently labeled himself “a cultural Christian.”

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Dawkins has raged against God for decades, and his statements and works, alongside those of many atheist co-belligerents, have helped make the U.K. the largely secular society it is today. But surprisingly, a recent article in The Christian Post reveals Dawkins’ distaste for the years of social degradation the Christian community has experienced in the U.K.

According to the article:

“Atheist author Richard Dawkins described himself as a ‘cultural Christian’ and lamented the faith’s waning cultural influence in Europe, though he still derided its key tenets as ‘nonsense,’ during an interview on Easter Sunday.

“Speaking with British journalist Rachel Johnson, Dawkins noted that the United Kingdom is ‘fundamentally a Christian country,’ and he still personally values the Christian ethos despite not believing the religion from which it emerged.

” ‘I call myself a cultural Christian,’ said the evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion. ‘I’m not a believer, but there’s a distinction between being a believing Christian and being a cultural Christian. And so, I love hymns and Christmas carols, and I sort of feel at home in the Christian ethos. I feel that we are a Christian country in that sense.’ ”

This is ironic, given that Dawkins has devoted his life to debasing the core tenets of Christianity, scientifically and morally. And it goes to show that the foundations of the Judeo-Christian tradition have enabled Western societies to flourish for centuries. While many continue to resist and strive against these values, they fail to realize that these same values are what make their own lives and communities as safe and prosperous as they are — compared to the struggling communities in traditionally non-Christian nations.

But the spiritual and social absence of the Church in the U.K. and much of the West has enabled Islam to start filling the void. Now, even men like Dawkins begin to see the fruit of what they’ve done, and they seem to be in a quiet panic over the repercussions — though they also continue to be in protest against God. The Christian Post article continues:

“While claiming he is ‘happy’ the number of practicing Christians in the U.K. is plummeting, Dawkins also acknowledged that Islam appears to be gathering strength in Europe as Christianity recedes. He noted he was ‘slightly horrified’ that Ramadan lights adorned London’s Oxford Street during Easter.

” ‘If I had to choose between Christianity and Islam, I choose Christianity every single time,’ he said. ‘I mean, it seems to me to be a fundamentally decent religion in a way that, I think, Islam is not.’ Dawkins argued that Islam is less compatible with British values than Christianity, particularly regarding the treatment of women and homosexuals.”

People like Dawkins have long expressed hostility toward Christianity. And yet, the realities of an emerging anti-Christian culture appear to be more than they’d actually bargained for. Countless millions consider people like Dawkins and the late Stephen Hawking their mentors in a war against Judeo-Christian beliefs. Let’s pray that Dawkins’ cultural shift will leads to his true awakening. Let’s pray also that God’s will for the remainder of Dawkins’ life will be fulfilled. Could he become a proponent of the gospel (an “evangelist”!), helping to gather in those he has been leading astray for decades? There’s nothing too big for our God!

What do you think of Dawkins’ recent comments? Pray here that he and others may come to the Light.

(Photo Credit: Karl Withakay – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)