Kerby Anderson Atheism is on the rise, which is why Christians need to know how to respond to many of the arguments put forward by the so-called New Atheists. There is energy and confidence in their presentations. But Dr. Andy Bannister (Canadian Director of Ravi Zacharias Ministries) says we shouldn’t be cowed by these atheist arguments. He responds to these arguments in this new book, The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist: Or the Dreadful Consequences of Bad Arguments. He was on my radio program recently to explain how many of the arguments quickly unravel. His book uses logic and lots of humor to expose some of the loose threads on the cardigan of atheism. Atheist, Richard Dawkins talks about a young child who believes that Thomas the Tank Train really exists, and she also believes in Father Christmas. From there he (and other atheists) argues that belief in God is like belief in Santa Claus. There are lots of problems with the argument, but an obvious one can be seen in the belief systems of young adults. None of them believe in Santa Claus. Millions of them believe in God. Atheists also like to argue that their atheism isn’t a claim: it’s a non-belief. Religious people have a belief system. Atheists do not. That means atheists are free to sit back and throw stones at religious ideas. The trouble with that assertion is it proves too much. Andy Bannister says that would mean his cat is an atheist because she does not believe in God. Moreover, atheists claim their belief is true, and that is a positive claim. They really do have a belief system, and that causes all sorts of action. Internet-dwelling atheists spend hundreds of hours trolling, posting, and arguing. They buy books, T-shirts, and bumper stickers. That’s a whole lot of activity for a non-belief. I know you will enjoy reading Andy Bannister as he blends humor with serious thought while showing the fallacies of atheist arguments.