Missing Evidence

Is Atheism Dead 
by Eric Metaxas
A Review

The author employs two bodies of evidence to answer his question- science and archaeology. One would be hard-pressed to find a more thorough compendium of data in his answers. The chapter titles sufficiently demonstrate how thorough Metaxas has been. Is Atheism Dead? will become a reference book on many shelves.

In the archaeology section, he does his best to ‘leave no stone unturned.’ From long-unearthed facts to the most recent discoveries, the reader will find a continuing resource for further discussion and enlightenment. The stories behind the findings are well-told and insightful.

The science section has intricate details in many disciplines. The explanation of weighty matters is easily understood.  From planetology to biology the language is layman. Here one can gain a better understanding of how things are. But the evidence of how things got here is lacking.

From the first pages, the author assumes that the universe is billions of years old.  "Some things might be difficult to believe but are still true. The idea that the universe began in an explosion nearly fourteen billion years ago is one of them." Yet this ‘truth’ is not a reality that can be verified scientifically. It is not a provable fact.  The billions of years assumption may in the long run prove detrimental to the fine work Metaxas has done in most other ways.  He does well in his validating of the impossibility of intelligent life emerging from senseless matter.  Why not leave his arguable view of creation history out of the otherwise pertinent evidences?

The closing arguments for truth and biographies of those who found it is poignantly written.  Readers will find here motivation and encouragement in their own pursuit of reality.