Introductory Story
Pat Flynn’s religious beliefs were challenged in the sixth grade when his science teacher outlined the origins of the universe. He was confused. How could the Big Bang theory be reconciled with what he learned in Sunday School? By college, he became acquainted with some of the writings of various philosophers and atheists and left religion entirely. He now considered himself to be an atheist.
But through a continued study of philosophy, Pat came to realize that human experience—everything from free-will, consciousness, and, above all, love—could not possibly be reduced to a mere haphazard collection of fundamental particles. He was hounded by questions like “how does one explain the existence of things like consciousness, meaning, and morality in the language of physics or chemistry?” It was not just a problem of discoveries yet unmade, but with a scientific reductionist worldview entirely incompatible with certain fundamental realities. Such is why many atheistic philosophers are called “eliminativists”: they can’t explain the existence of things like consciousness, meaning, and morality in the language of physics or chemistry, they either deny such realities exist in the first place or resign them to the realm of illusion. Pat simply couldn’t accept that, nor did he see any good reason to! The atheistic worldview was simply too restricted and shallow. Eventually, it no longer made sense to him.
Continuing to seek the truth, Pat turned to religious thinkers and theistic philosophers. He began with ancient Greek thinkers, such as Plato and Aristotle, and then moved on to Medieval thinkers such as Boethius, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Through them, he discovered a profound view of God that offered solid reasons for the wide range of human experience. Most importantly, he came to see God as the best explanation for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and for the unexpected rise of Christian belief in first century Judea. Philosophy revealed the “what” of God, and Christianity revealed the “who.” Faith and reason, he saw, coincided.
Pat regretted being so quick to abandon his faith, and he returned to the Catholicism of his youth.
Dialoguing with Atheists
People who don’t believe in God are called atheists. Atheism, unfortunately, is becoming more and more common. The term literally means “without God.” However, people who consider themselves to be atheist are often unclear in their use of the term. Some atheists say they positively believe there is no God or anything like God (we might call that “strong atheism”). Other atheists are more agnostic, saying they don’t feel convinced about God’s existence one way or the other (we can call that “weak atheism”). The only way to know what sort of atheist a person is, would be to ask questions.
People become atheist for various reasons, and there are various types of atheists. It is important for the evangelist to understand the primary reasons and types to help prepare them for dialogue with the real-life atheists they will meet. We can distinguish four basic types of atheists: 1) emotional atheists, 2) intellectual atheists, 3) indifferent atheists, and 4) practical atheists.
- Emotional atheists are motivated by emotion. Their atheism is often rooted in an unpleasant or even traumatic experience they have had—either with religious people, or in the experience of some evil that caused them to question God’s existence.
- Intellectual atheists are convinced by arguments in favor of atheism. Usually, they have concluded in their minds that “God” is an irrational or incoherent concept, or that certain religious beliefs are incompatible with a modern, scientific perspective.
- Indifferent atheists simply don’t care either way about the existence of God. Their atheism is not necessarily the result of a negative experience, though it could be. For whatever reason, they have become insensitive to the question of God’s existence. This is somewhat different than “agnosticism.” Agnostics simply don’t know if God exists; but they might be searching for answers. An indifferent atheist is not seeking and has no real desire to find out if God exists.
- Practical atheists say that they believe in God, but live as if there is no God. In other words, they profess with their lips or in their mind (to themselves), but not in practice. Religion, prayer, and spiritual devotions play no really important part in their lives. Some would deny that such people can truly be called atheists; but actions speak louder than words.
Keep these types in mind as you get to know real-life atheists. They can help you understand where they might be coming from—what reasons they might have for being atheist—and what may be the best “good reasons” to use.
So how do we get the conversation started with atheists?
First, we listen. Start with questions, not arguments. Figure out where the atheist is coming from. What type or types of atheism best represent them? Again, the only way to know where they’re coming from is to ask questions and listen to the answers. You might start, as an ice-breaker, by offering a gift (like a Miraculous Medal) and explaining it, but then get right down to asking questions. Just remember we have two ears and one mouth for a reason; try to listen twice as much as you speak, at least at first. The effective apologist always asks questions: “What do you think?” “Why do you think that?” “How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
Next, we befriend. Search for common ground. After all, people like people they can relate to; people they feel have had similar experiences to them. Address the atheist’s concerns in a personal, empathetic way. Share your own struggles with faith. Let them know they’re not alone. Maintain a spirit of charity. Remember: the point of evangelization is not to win arguments. The point of evangelization is to save souls. And to save souls, we have to love them, and gain their trust. We need to enter into dialogue, not debate. After all, people won’t always remember the arguments you gave, but they’ll certainly remember the impression that you made, and whether or not you really took an interest in them.
Next, we proclaim. When the opportunity is right, deliver your “one good reason” for believing in God, and maybe also share your personal experience of God’s love and mercy. Depending on the person and the conversation, you might even go so far as to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the atheist at this time. But, take care with the way that you present your “one good reason”: People tend to be more receptive when you embed your reasons for belief into personal experience. For example, instead of saying to someone who doesn’t believe in God, “Atheism is wrong. Here’s why God exists,” try something like, “I think that happens to everybody at least once in their life. There was a time that I really struggled with believing in God. Would you mind if I shared one good reason that helped me to see that God is real?” People want to know that they are heard and understood. By putting your reasons for belief into a relatable experience, your apologetic efforts are bound to be more effective and less “pushy.”
Finally, we invite. After the initial conversation, invite the atheist to take the next step, whatever that may be. It could be meeting them for coffee and conversation, it could mean a phone call, a bible study, or just to read a particular book. You could invite them to pray with you, go to Church with you, or join your soccer league. Make sure that whatever it is, it is appropriate to the circumstances and the person.
Now, any one of these stages of evangelization could be very short or very long, and you’ll need to make a judgment call on when to move the conversation along. But don’t feel the need to rush. We’re after genuine, personal dialogue, always keeping in mind the good of our interlocutor.
Pro-Tip: God Is the Best and Simplest Explanation for Lots of Things
Before getting into specific arguments, a pro-tip: If someone is open to hearing “one good reason” for believing in God, begin by saying how you find God to be the best and simplest explanation for the exceedingly wide range of human experience. Specifically, tell them that you find that God is:
- The best explanation for why anything exists instead of nothing [the contingency argument]
- The best explanation for why the universe began to exist [the kalam argument]
- The best explanation for the fine tuning of physics for intelligent life [the teleological argument]
- The best explanation for our perception of objective moral values and duties [the moral argument]
- The best explanation for religious experience, mystical experiences, near death experiences, and miracles [the argument from miracles & religious experience]
- The best explanation for why consciousness is not reducible to mere physical processes alone [the argument from consciousness]
- The best explanation for the order, stability, and intelligibility of the universe—not to mention the uncanny applicability of mathematics [the argument from “no naturalistic miracles”]
- The best explanation for the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, including the rise of Christian belief [the argument from Christian history]
Many people are surprised to hear how God can offer a complete, simple, and all-encompassing explanation for so much of what we experience and know. Simply listing the arguments—without even going in depth—can grab the interest of many people and lead them to reconsider belief in God. It also invites the opportunity to engage deeper. But while it’s initially helpful to give many reasons for believing in God, you should always be ready to provide a deeper defense of each one.
While the following is not a thorough study of every argument for God’s existence, it does provide some of the most powerful arguments—and (relatively) easiest to present, especially in everyday conversation.
A word of warning: these arguments are not necessarily easy to understand well, or to share effectively. It takes some real work to study and understand the philosophical arguments for God’s existence. Even professional philosophers invest years of study in order to master the arguments. That said, with some study, most people can understand the general thrust of these arguments enough to present a convincing case in everyday conversation.
In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” (Psalm 10:4)
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame (1 Peter 3:14-16).