In a recent email as President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA), Professor John Lennox, a Christian apologist and mathematician, challenged the views of prominent atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, on the topic of ultimate justice.
The two have debated in person before.
According to Christian Today, Lennox referred to a well-known passage from Dawkins' book River Out of Eden: A Darwinian view of Life.
In the passage, Dawkins describes the universe as indifferent, with no underlying purpose or justice: “In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky... there is no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”
In response, Lennox reflected on his own experience as a moral being, saying that his heart longs for justice.
He argued that while atheism may seem to address the problem of suffering by removing God from the equation, it ultimately removes all hope.
“Without God, there is no ultimate justice, no life beyond death. Atheism is a hopeless faith.” Lennox wrote.
Lennox, who has visited the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz many times, acknowledged the difficulty of reconciling suffering with belief in God.
He admitted to understanding why people might turn to atheism in the face of such overwhelming suffering, but he emphasised that suffering is a complex issue.
Central to Lennox’s argument is the significance of the cross in Christianity, representing both suffering and hope. He stated: "The Christian claim is that the person on the cross was God incarnate," which, for Lennox, shows that God is not distant from human suffering but actively part of it through Jesus Christ.
However, the cross is not the final word; the resurrection of Jesus offers hope and a belief that death is not the end.
Lennox shared a personal story to illustrate his point. His 22-year-old niece died of a brain tumour shortly after marrying a youth pastor. Although the experience brought "profound suffering" to his family, Lennox explained that his niece held onto her faith in Christ because it gave her hope.
“Jesus doesn’t guarantee freedom from the physical process of death,” he said, “but he does guarantee a salvation that transcends pandemics, brain tumors, and death.”
He concluded by contrasting this with atheism, saying, “Atheism can't offer anything like that.”