The Sons of the World Are Wiser Than the Children of Light
On June 7, 2011, Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc., the American multinational technology company, made his last public appearance. Jobs died from cancer later in 2011. His last public appearance was before the city council of Cupertino, CA, for the purpose of announcing Apple’s plan to build a 2.8 million square foot office building located on a 175 acre property, the former campus of Hewlett-Packard’s advanced products division. This high tech office development will be surrounded by 7,000 trees, including apricot, plum, olive, and apple orchards, and indigenous plants—a landscape of beauty designed by a leading Stanford University arborist.
In his talk to the Cupertino City Council, Steve Jobs described this Apple office building project as “a shot at building the best office building in the world.” Today, six years later, with Apple’s new office building now finished, it appears that not only did Apple have “a shot at building the best office building in the world,” but a good case can be made that their “shot” hit the bull’s eye. The cost of this “shot”? $5 Billion.
Steve Jobs always preached quality and excellence. He would often say, “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” Under Jobs’ leadership, excellence was expected. Whether it be an office building, a landscape, or an Apple computer or phone, it was always about quality and aesthetics with Mr. Jobs. He put it like this: “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and probably nobody will ever see it. You know it’s there so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality has to be carried all the way through.” For Steve Jobs “quality [was] more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” In order to successfully finish the production of the new Apple Park office building there was a continual insistence that there be “no seam, no gap, or paintbrush stroke showing. . . . Every wall, floor, or even ceiling is polished to a ‘supernatural’ smoothness” (emp. added). Now, that is indeed a very interesting usage of the word supernatural!
When it comes to the use of possessions and possibilities, Jesus Christ taught that a person of Christian faith can learn from those who do not profess Christian theism. While not endorsing any of the world’s unethical ways, Jesus said,
“[T]he sons of the world are for their own generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). They often invest more money and market their products, publications, and programs with more shrewdness, while holding themselves to a higher standard of aggressiveness and aesthetics, than many believers in Christ often do.
How can unbelievers be allowed to have a higher standard of excellence in working, giving, or thinking than do proponents of true Christian theism? The Center For Inquiry (CFI) in Amherst, NY, whose mission “is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values” is a center to advance atheism, agnosticism, and skepticism. Last year (2016) CFI received nearly $6 million in charitable gifts to fight Christian theism and spread atheistic and agnostic philosophies throughout the world. CFI spent $4.9 million during 2016 for public programs that advocate the unbelief that is resulting in the unraveling of our culture and causing many to lose their souls (cf. Hebrews 11:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9). When people reject or abandon faith in God, they thereby reject all absolutes. When one rejects all absolutes, then, logically, one must regard moral ideals as nothing more than human inventions. Such a conclusion plunges individuals, families, cities, and nations into moral and spiritual chaos.
Last year, Warren Apologetics Center produced one of the most credible debates on the existence of God during the last three decades (Gilmore-Rosenberg at The Ohio State University.) While 1300 viewed the debate in person at OSU, thousands watched it by livestream in 55 nations. Both the book and video of the debate have now been published by WCAC. These publications are of the highest quality. They are second to none. Warren Apologetics Center strives for excellence and, by the grace of God, we are confident we have (and do) reach a high standard with our publications and events. If you are not familiar with WCAC’s publications, go to our new website and learn about the great quality of work done by the Warren Center, which is all about challenging the growing global influence of atheism and agnosticism. WCAC is designed to challenge and defeat the false philosophies spread by such multimillion dollar funded organizations like the Center for Inquiry.
We are totally committed to out-work, out-publish, and out-think the atheism, agnosticism, and religious skepticism of our day. However, it can only happen by the grace of God in conjunction with supporters who will rise up and out-give “the sons of the world [who] are for their own generation wiser than the children of light.” It is absolutely urgent that we receive your charitable gifts. We guarantee a quality and excellence in the affirmation and defense of Christian theism that is second to none. However, to produce the publications and programs that possess the quality and excellence to which WCAC is committed takes lots of money. For example, The Warren Center spent approximately $50,000 to produce The Gilmore-Rosenberg Debate. That is 1% of CFI’s total 2016 expenditures to promote atheism!
If a company like Apple, which is focused on utilizing the best technology available, recognized the need for a central office in order to be successful, how much more obvious should the need for a central office be for a project to be successful which stands to affirm and defend the existence of God? We are thankful to God that Warren Apologetics Center has grown. The time has come that a central office is now an urgent need, not a luxury. It never has been about a luxury to lavish. It is about a legacy to leave: The legacy of Christian faith in God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. Today, studies show that among one generation alone, known as the Millennials (ages 18-34), 35% claim they are either atheists, agnostics, or have simply put religion aside if they ever picked it up in the first place. This is about competing in the marketplace of ideas and the greatest idea is God. It is still true, as William F. Buckley said, that “the duel between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world.” It is now more obvious than ever that the Warren Center must have a central office. But, until such time as our permanent facility is a reality, temporary offices must be established. For us to win the battle for the minds and souls of those who deny God we must compete with organizations such as CFI. To be successful in this battle, we must continue to meet the high standards of quality and excellence to which we have committed, and our supporters must be more committed than those advancing atheism, agnosticism, and skepticism.
As you give thought and prayer to what you can do financially to help Warren Apologetics Center, please also think of those you know who are also able to contribute to this great work. Ask them to give to Warren Apologetics Center just as I am asking you to give today. You, and they, are needed. And, also think of the $4.9 million that was spent last year by just one atheistic and agnostic organization (CFI). Please give to WCAC and help us be wiser than the sons of the world.
Charles C. Pugh III
Executive Director