Evolutionary biologist and atheist Jerry Coyne thinks so. “In the end, science is no more compatible with religion than with other superstitions, such as leprechauns.” He’s not done. In a USA today op ed piece he goes on to say:

“Religion in America is on the defensive. Atheist books such as The God Delusion and The End of Faith have, by exposing the dangers of faith and the lack of evidence for the God of Abraham, become best-sellers. Science nibbles at religion from the other end, relentlessly consuming divine explanations and replacing them with material ones. Evolution took a huge bite a while back, and recent work on the brain has shown no evidence for souls, spirits, or any part of our personality or behavior distinct from the lump of jelly in our head. We now know that the universe did not require a creator. Science is even studying the origin of morality. So religious claims retreat into the ever-shrinking gaps not yet filled by science. And, although to be an atheist in America is still to be an outcast, America’s fastest-growing brand of belief is non-belief.” (MORE)

And that’s just the opening paragraph. There’s plenty more….

You would be hard pressed to find an article that more clearly illustrates why Sean McDowell and I wrote – Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists. These issues and questions are not going away. And if you know a young person in high school or college, they are facing a steady diet of this kind of thinking these days. Are they ready? More often than not, they are not ready. (Just take a look at the excellent post by fellow point blogger Brett Kunkle and watch this video). More importantly…Are you ready?

This is why apologetics—training in defending the Christian faith—is not optional. It’s essential! Unfortunately students are often just told to be good and love Jesus and then churches send them off into the world to find their way. We must do better. We need to do at least 3 things with our students in high school:

Teach them what Christians believe. (understanding and content)

Teach them why Christianity is true. (evidence and reason)

Teach them why it matters. (implications and integration)

Again, this is not optional. We are commanded in Scripture to “set apart Christ as Lord” and to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Pet. 3:15)