I have to admit I was shocked when I had heard that Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist, evolutionist, and critic of Christianity and all religion, admitted “Christianity may actually be our best defense against aberrant forms of religion that threaten the world.”

This is one of the few times I agree with Dawkins; I never thought I’d hear him offer such high praise and a plea for help. This from a man who has spent his life opposing Christianity, even to the point of writing books such as The God Delusion.

According to the Gospel Herald, he went on to say “There are no Christians, as far as I know, blowing up buildings. I am not aware of any Christian suicide bombers. I am not aware of any major Christian denomination that believes the penalty for apostasy is death.”

With the rise of radical Islam in America and around the world, there’s growing alarm about those we let into our countries. Do we open our borders and allow anyone to enter as they please, or does our government have a responsibility to protect its citizens from threats, foreign and domestic?

Well, I think it can be argued that the government here in America has done a poor job protecting our borders, and has even gone so far as to campaign for open borders, pave the way for illegal aliens, usher in refugees that haven’t been properly vetted, and have done little to curb the violence resulting from those who don’t respect our laws, culture, or way of life. All done in the name of political expediency, disguised as compassion.

I admit this hot issue isn’t an easy one. As a Christian I believe in being compassionate to the less fortunate and those in need. But I also believe a country has the right- and a mandate- to protect its citizens.

And so I think this is where Dawkins gets it right. The political leaders of our countries seem to have little concern for the harm they’ve caused by not upholding our laws. I think they’re more concerned about replacing the millions of humans that have been aborted and sacrificed in the name of political correctness and convenience. So perhaps it’s time for Christianity to do what it’s supposed to do: be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14-16).

Christianity needs to once again have a positive influence on our culture, and right now we need to reach out to those who are fleeing their own countries and are looking for a better way of life. Christian missionaries who go directly to those nations to evangelize Muslims stand a strong chance of being persecuted for their faith, but now we have little excuse; God has brought them to America, and some are right next door. Today Christians can introduce the gospel message of Jesus Christ to their neighbors with minimum persecution. And if atheists like Dawkins are willing to give their blessing, then I think we can combat terrorism in a whole new way- by the peace of Jesus Christ and the salvation he offers.

Right now I think a lot of non-Christians find it offensive that we might dare suggest evangelism like this, with the possibility of converting Muslims to Christianity. Why is our faith any better than their faith? We shouldn’t be imposing our religion on anyone else, right?

It’s not surprising, then, that Dawkins admit to “mixed feelings” about the decline of Christianity. While he despises Christianity, he concedes it may be “a bulwark against something worse.” Lovely.

But seriously, this is exactly what Christians are called to do- if we really believe what Scripture teaches. We are to be a light to the world, and we are called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

And if atheists like Dawkins are realizing that Christianity is the world’s best defense against radical Islam, then we need to take up that charge and get to work. We need to invite them into our homes, our churches and share the hope offered by faith in Jesus Christ.