Sinclair Ferguson

Somewhere along the line, it will become clear that the atheism that they claim is simple intellectual honesty, in fact, has deep moral roots, because deep down, as Paul says in Romans 1.30, they are haters of God.

Don't you sometimes think to yourself, why do so many of these people who tell me they don't believe in God get so angry about Him?

After all, they've just told me that He doesn't exist.

I remember coming across what I thought was a very powerful illustration of this in one of the British quality newspapers, the Daily Telegraph.

It carried a report of a service of tribute that had been held in St.

Martin's-in-the-Fields Church of England in London, a memorial service for the famous English novelist, Sir Kingsley Amis.

Kingsley Amis, as you may know, had been knighted by the Queen for services, I think, to literature.

His son, Martin Amis, who was also a successful novelist, gave an address about his father.

And in that address, he told the following story.

On one occasion, these are the days of the Cold War when I suppose every Russian thought that every Englishman was a Christian.

On one occasion, the Russian poet and playwright Yevgeny Yevtushenko met Martin Amis' father.

And then Martin Amis said something that apparently prompted an outburst of laughter in St.

Martin's in the fields.

Well, yes, said Kingsley Amis, it's true I'm an atheist, but it's more than that.

You see, I hate him.

People thought it was funny, like seeing a cartoon of someone who says something when it's quite clear that what they've said is self-contradictory.

I'm sure Kingsley Amos' son meant people to laugh, a great moment in the service.

But you know what he said was not so much funny as tragic.

I wonder if any of the A-listers in the congregation that day thought how desperately sad, how stunning an illustration of what Paul says in Romans 1 verses 18 to 32.

Kingsley Amos denies the existence of God and yet hates the God whose existence he denies.