I don’t think I want to be standing near Brian in a thunderstorm. He was raised a Catholic, and says he became a born-again Christian when he was 13. Now he professes to be an atheist and has entered a contest with God that makes the prophets of Baal in Elijah’s day look like featherweights.

Brian, who refuses to divulge his last name for safety reasons, was on ABC News’ Nightline on Jan. 30 to explain his anti-God campaign. The 30-year-old atheist has developed a website for The Rational Response Squad, whereby he challenges people to make videos of themselves denying, denouncing, or blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Those who are conversant with the Bible know that Mark 3:29 reads, “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.”

“Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is generally regarded as the “unpardonable sin.”

Brian boldly stated, “Initially we wanted to find a way to allow atheists to come out of the closet, speak up, and show other people that there are people that think like this. We wanted to do it in such a way where we stripped the power from religious institutions that instill fear in people. We did that by blaspheming the Holy Spirit, by showing that we are not scared of this unforgivable sin.”

ABC reports that one of the posts on Brian’s website is from a young man named Chandler, who wrote: “I’ve come to the conclusion that alongside the fact that there is no Santa Clause and there is no Easter Bunny, there is also no God. So without further ado, my name is Chandler and I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit.”

Another post stated, “My name is Joel. I deny the Holy Spirit, as well as God, Jesus, Buddha, Zeus, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, Sponge Bob, the pope, Santa Clause, Mother Mary, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Optimus Prime, all the saints, and Spiderman.”

Brian and his Rational Response Squad are targeting teenagers by taking their blasphemy challenge to websites for students, like Tiger Beat. Brian says, “[Teens] are not so indoctrinated and set in their ways that they can overcome this religious superstition that has been put in their brain unfairly.”

Brian’s website has links to other websites, one of which sells bumper stickers and buttons inscribed with messages such as “Born Again Pagan,” “I Pledge Allegiance to the Earth,” “Nothing Fails Like Prayer,” and “I Asked God, She’s Pro Choice.”

Interestingly, the Bible never provides us with any formal arguments to prove the existence of God. In fact, the Bible assumes that everybody knows deep down that there is a God. That is why the first book of the Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

The world has been designed and created with incredible beauty and intricate detail. The symmetry, the colors, the variety, the complexity, the climate, the exquisite facets of all of creation suggests a Designer, because every effect requires a cause, and nothing comes of nothing.

Furthermore, Psalm 14:1 clearly says, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” But before I launch into a tirade on atheists, let me give an idea as to why some folks are atheists. I think we (Christians) are responsible for many people turning away from God and denying the faith and embracing the cloudbank of atheism.

I would have to question Brian’s “experience with Christ” at age 13 because “a faith that fizzles before the finish has a flaw from the first.” However, would his quest for God have taken a different path if he had seen vibrant Christians who were empowered by the Spirit of God, if he had seen a church aflame with a passion for the souls of men, if he had seen less hypocrisy and more authenticity among the saints, if he had seen the church bravely marching in the train of our triumphant Lord?

Daniel 11:32 asserts, “The people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” The implication is that those who know God will adorn the gospel of God and be advertisements of His precepts and His power.

In our churches we sing “What a mighty God we serve,” but most folks see no indication that God is manifesting Himself in our lives.

We are lacking in spiritual strength and dynamism. We talk about a God of might and miracles, but the world is longing to see evidences of the Almighty in us and through us.

I deplore what Brian and his Rational Response Squad are doing, but those of us who comprise the church of the living God must make sure we are not guilty of false advertising. If we sing and preach about a mighty God, we need to make sure that people can see Him at work in our lives.