He’s the name we swear by — and with. He’s the first one we cry to for help and the first one we blame when anything goes wrong. We talk about Him all the time without really taking Him seriously at all. Every nation and people in the world know Him. His name is God.

Whether we embrace the existence or non-existence of God, how we think about Him has a powerful impact on every other attitude and direction of our lives.

This is why the New American University has invited leading atheists to speak on campus in the past, such as Richard Dawkins of Oxford University and Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University.

In direct opposition, on Wednesday, Oct. 28, ASU will also host world renowned Christian apologists and scientists, Ravi Zacharias, Michael Ramsden and John Lennox — all three of Oxford University.

These men all have one thing in common: They have spent their lives studying God. Dawkins and Hawking have devoted their time to trying to disprove the supreme deity while Zacharias, Ramsden and Lennox have devoted theirs to proving His existence.

Caring about God’s existence is something that often bypasses our radar while we are consumed with the busyness of our daily lives. Zacharias, born in India and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, believes discussing the issue of faith in God is quite relevant to students. He expounded on this last week when I interviewed him.

Zacharias said that these theological questions have always been relevant since “people’s decisions, choices, moral framework and entire worldview are shaped by the existence or non-existence of God.”

On Wednesday, Zacharias will be asking the question, “Is Faith Delusional?” He said this question has become particularly salient with the publication of Richard Dawkins’ book, “The God Delusion,” and the series of books that followed, including “The Dawkins’ Delusion,” “The Devil’s Delusion” and “The Atheist Delusion.”

Sharply opposing the existence of God, authors Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris have sparked the movement of “new atheism” with their books. In Zacharias’ words, this “new atheism” is not new in terms of arguments defending the naturalist worldview, but new in terms of thought — making those who believe in God into buffoons and fools through ad hominem attacks.

To me, it seems as if the main reason Dawkins launches such a fearsome campaign against believers in God is because he claims religion has been the cause of much harm and violence throughout history and today.

Nonetheless, the accusations Dawkins makes against religion have not stopped people from proselytizing or advocating for more religion.

When I asked Zacharias about religion causing violence as Dawkins claims, Zacharias unapologetically said, “Dawkins is pathetic at this point. He is either ignoring political fact or is misusing numbers to convey something that he is predisposed to want to convey.”

Continuing, Zacharias noted that almost any institution, like politics, marriage or international relations has been the “seed bed for wrong-headedness and wrong doing.” Wars and destruction have resulted from such institutions. Yet, we don’t do away with marriages or nations, Zacharias pointed out.

The biggest point Dawkins is missing, Zacharias said, is “irreligion and atheism have killed infinitely more than all religious wars of any kind cumulatively put together … Joseph Stalin’s violence and eradication of 15 million of his own people was a result of his stepping away from God and into a rabid kind of atheistic thinking.”

By the same token, in their zeal to enforce an atheistic communism, “Mao Tse-tung and Pol Pot caused the extermination of tens of millions of people,” Zacharias said.

On the other hand, if religion is not guilty of all the harms Dawkins charges to it, is there in fact a superior God in the pantheon of deities responsible for all the good in the world? Christians contend Jesus, as the Son of God, is superior. Muslims say it is Allah and his prophet, Mohammad. Hindus affirm Shiva is the Supreme One. Buddhists claim it is Buddha.

When considering which God is superior, Zacharias said the question should be, “In which system of thought does truth ultimately triumph?”

“When you take the four questions of life — origin, meaning, morality and destiny — and look for answers that are correspondingly true, the answers of Jesus make the most sustained sense,” Zacharias said.

“There are three tests for truth,” he explained. “Logical consistency, empirical adequacy and existential relevance,” and these answers he finds “in the teachings of Jesus Christ.”

But, if Jesus is supreme, as Zacharias claims, why are so many Christians so intolerant? Didn’t Jesus teach his disciples to love their neighbor as themselves? ASU abounds with street preachers condemning students who love sports, are involved in a sorority or fraternity, or are “immoral.” Is this the love that Jesus taught?

Zacharias acknowledged that, in the name of Jesus, a lot of hate is often preached in the public square.

“Some of these street preachers are caricatures [who] take the message of the Christian faith and violate its fundamental ideas,” he said.

Zacharias said he is hopeful the Open Forum at ASU “will be an arena of diversity where we ought to be able to discuss such major issues in a thoughtful and cordial way. And then, let the best idea win.”

Letting the best idea win doesn’t often come naturally to any of us. By hearing from Dawkins and Hawking in the spring, and listening to Zacharias, Ramsden and Lennox on Wednesday evening, we will get both sides of the story on the existence of God.

In fact, these lectures will provide a powerful and profound opportunity to think through a decision that could have an enduring impact on the rest of our lives. It’s up to us to decide if faith in God is delusional. Are we up for the challenge?

Reach Catherine at catherine.e.smith@asu.edu.