Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of truly ridiculous statements being made – and not being challenged for the foolishness that they are.  In an effort to expose these statements for what they are, I am going to institute a monthly award to be given out to those who make them.  The name of my award is the “Doofus of the Month” award.  It will go to the person whose statement truly exhibits all the very best (or worst, if you think about it) of doofus thinking.

The initial winner of the “Doofus of the Month” award is Richard Dawkins.  Recently Dawkins was quoted in an interview with the UK Guardian as making the following statement.  “Jesus was a great moral teacher and I was suggesting that somebody as intelligent as Jesus would have been an atheist if he had known what we know today.”

Let’s look at why Mr. Dawkins deserves this award for his truly amazing “Doofus Thinking.”  First of all, if we are going to take an honest look at Jesus, we can only do so on the basis of the teachings given to us in the Gospels.  It is our original source material on Jesus Christ, what He said, and Who He is.  The gospels assume – and go to great lengths to prove that Jesus is God Himself.  There are numerous statements attributed to Jesus of Nazareth in which He calls Himself God.  Therefore for Jesus Christ to one moment state that He is God – and in the next (at least in Dawkins' thinking) deny even the existence of God at all – would make Jesus Christ one of two things.  He is either a spiritual schizophrenic, or worse, a charlatan of the highest order.  This then pokes serious holes in Dawkin’s statement that Jesus was a great moral teacher.  As C. S. Lewis asserted, if we take Jesus at His Words in the Gospels, we are left with one of three conclusions.  Jesus Christ is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.  If someone is crazy enough to call himself God when he is not - even willing to die a horrendous death on a cross for it - he is not a good moral teacher - he is nuts.  So, Mr. Dawkins, Jesus has to be one of the two - He is either insane or He is Who He says He is - God.  Those of us who are Christians believe that His teachings, His works (miracles), His fulfillment of prophecy, and ultimately His resurrection prove He is the latter.  

The second thing that truly manifests “Doofus Thinking” of the first order is Dawkin’s comments that if Jesus knew what we knew, He would be an atheist.  It is hard to decide if this is more “doofus thinking,” or just arrogance reaching to new heights.  Truly this man sees himself as superior in his scientific thinking than the rest of us lowly unscientific serfs.  Dawkins lifts the current world as superior in knowledge to any that ever existed – and evidently sees himself as high priest of such knowledge.  This is how he can utter such absolutist statements about the intelligence of Jesus – and how it was inferior to our own.  How else could a great moral teacher make such gargantuan blunders in advancing belief in God – when of course the enlightened ones of our current age have made such belief obsolete with their infallible science and its discoveries. 

The God revealed in the Bible is represented by that revelation as omniscient (Mr. Dawkins, that means He is all-knowing).  Jesus manifest that omniscience by knowing what His detractors were thinking.  We learn in Philippians 2 that Jesus, being God of very God, chose to lay aside His attributes.  He emptied Himself and took upon the form of a servant, being made in human form.  He did so to eventually bear the sin of the world – and pay the full measure of punishment and wrath due that sin.  But in no way does that mean Jesus was just too simple-minded and dumb to not realize there wasn’t a God – and He wasn’t Him.  

Mr Dawkins also has a problem with his reasoning - because he asserts that there is a thing such as a "great moral teacher".  That assumes that there is good moral teaching - or at least a set of morals that should be embraced as better than other morals.  Unfortunately for him an atheistic evolutionary view of the world militates against even the existence of morals.  Classic evolutionary theory is founded upon a world that has one moral code.  That code is the advancement of superior species, and the ultimate extinction of inferior ones.  It is even wrong to suggest that this is moral in any way - because this advancement of superior species is totally random and happens only because life is perpetuating itself.  The existence of morals assumes someone who can speak with authority as to why one behavior or choice is superior to another.  In Dawkins' atheistic, evolutionary model no such authority exists.  It would be more consistent for Dawkins to say that Jesus was a bigoted, authoritarian, arrogant man who had the audacity to assume his moral positions were superior to what another person considered their own truth.  If Jesus were a true atheist, the first thing he would shed would be the moral assertions of his own teachings.  He could hold such a moral code for himself - but to assert that others should hold it as superior to their own thoughts and desires would be the height of arrogance and religious bigotry.  Only a "doofus thinker" wants to have it both ways.

Mr. Dawkin’s statement defies any kind of reason in its assertion.  He simply is defining himself as the ultimate authority on God.  His statements lack credibility because, as one who rejects absolute truth, he himself is making absolute statements about God.  In so doing he is making himself “god” in the process (well at least god over all thoughts and belief systems about God).  One has to wonder if one day in the future other, far more enlightened scientists will one day state that if Mr. Dawkins knew what they knew, he would not have held his own views in such high esteem – thus making him an “A-Dawkin-ist.”  Congratulations Mr. Dawkins!  You are our very first "Doofus of the Month!"

What is happening in the Middle East?  We’ve been watching for the past couple of months and it seems that there is a revolution that is happening in country after country.  Our president and others have said that these uprisings are coming because of a cry in the region for freedom and democracy.  But could it be something else?  Could it be something far more dangerous to us and to those who choose to worship God as He is revealed in the Bible?

The Muslim “street” is rising up and demanding to be heard.  That is what is happening in Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.  What our leaders wrongly identify as a yearning to be free in western terms is much more like a yearning to be far more radical in their Islam.  As the dust begins to clear from many of these uprisings, we are slowly learning that the hand of Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood is often at the root of the call for change.  Some of these uprisings began because of a lack of food and crushing poverty – but they are quickly being co-opted by groups who are using their ability to organize the people into a group who are demanding a more stringent type of Islam.  What may have begun as a call for freedom and the throwing off of oppressive governments are quickly becoming a call for Sharia law and a truly Islamic Caliphate in the region. 

The Muslim Brotherhood has now emerged as the strongest group in Egypt – and we are learning that they are also appearing as a political possibility in other regions as well.  As embarrassing as it may be, we supported rebels in Libya who have ties with Al Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups.  The Egyptian version of the Muslim Brotherhood has called for Egypt to break its peace agreements with Israel and take a far more anti-Israeli stance in their politics.  Elements of Iranian influence have been arrested recently in Kuwait – and in countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen their influence is backing the movements to overthrown their governments.  Where is all this leading?

This is leading in one of two directions, based on how you interpret end times events.  The first option is that the kingdom of the Antichrist is going to be Islamic in nature.  There is an astounding parallel between the eschatology (end times teachings) of radical Islam and the Bible.  The problem is that the 12th Imam (who is also called the Mahdi) far more matches the actions of the Antichrist than he does anything God is doing in Revelation.  Some think that radical Islam will be the vehicle by which the Antichrist rises to power and then rules over much of mankind during the 7 year tribulation period.  They point to the likenesses between the Mahdi and the Antichrist – as well as other things like the ones beheaded for their faith – and the fact that one of radical Islam’s forms of execution for infidels is beheading. 

I do not hold to this view – although I see its validity at points.  My view is that we are watching the rising of group of nations that will be represented when the Gog/Magog invasion comes.  These nations who are coming together in a far more radical Islamic practice – very closely parallel those in Ezekiel 38-39.  I believe we are watching them come together – and as they do – they will spew their vehement brand of hatred toward Israel.  This hate is on display regularly through the statements of Ahmadinejad in Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Palestinian territories, as well as in groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.  It is difficult for me to see how these groups would ever make peace with Israel and allow them to rebuild the temple on the Temple mount.  A much more likely scenario is that they will come together with Russia and Turkey (who has turned far more toward radical Islam after their most recent elections) to attack Israel after a localized war with the Palestinian Authority, Syria, and possibly Iran.  What could bring such a situation?  Unfortunately the Iranian nuclear problem is the perfect reason for this to happen.  Iran continues to fund the procurement of rockets and military hardware in the region – helping both Hamas and Hezbollah to rearm with a vengeance on Israel’s borders.  If the world powers do not halt the Iranian push to become a nuclear power I believe we will watch Israel be forced into taking measures into her own hands to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.  What I believe will happen after that will be the destruction of Damascus as a city (prophesied in Isaiah) as well as the event which will bring all these nations together to punish Israel for her actions.  Oh, the final thing will be as Israel braces for the hordes of troops that will descend from her north in terror – she will watch as Almighty God – Jehovah God – her God – will defend her by destroying all those armies by His power.  Then Israel will know that Jehovah alone is God – and – we will be poised to see events like the rapture of the church as well as God bringing Israel to her Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ – over a 7 year tribulation period.

Let me state though that these are POSSIBILITIES of what is currently happening in the Middle East.  What I have written is NOT meant to be a prophecy of what IS going to happen.  It is an attempt to take what is happening on the current pages of history and postulate as to how they will work into what God has said WILL happen in Biblical prophecy.  Some tend to get depressed or scared when they read things like this – even turning to survivalist tendencies and actions.  Too often that is the case – and it almost always leads to a discrediting of prophetic studies.  What we should do as we respond to such possibilities is to rejoice that our Lord may return soon – actually hoping and praying that He does.  We should also decide that since He is coming soon, we will redouble our efforts to live for Him, witness to His gospel as the ONLY saving message for mankind, and prepare our hearts by walking in purity and righteousness so that we will not need to be ashamed at His appearing.