I have always been intrigued by those who claim to be an atheist. It is amazing atheists will fight so emotionally hard against something that they say doesn’t exist! That is the futility of atheism, one must continually rationalize and present arguments as to why something that doesn’t exist, doesn’t exist! I have learned through the years it takes more faith to be an atheist than to accept the existence of God!! One truth I have found to be true is that the problem with those who don’t believe in God, it is not a head problem but a heart problem. The evidence that an Intelligent Designer exists is so overwhelming, one has to purposely and intentionally ignore the evidence to come to any other conclusion, yet many dismiss or ignore the abundance of evidence for many reasons.

Let me share with you eleven reasons I have observed over the years as to why one may claim to be an atheist: (1) Desiring moral independence, they are clinging to some behavior which they know if there is a God to whom they must give an account, they will have to change their behavior, so they find it convenient to dismiss His existence; (2) Some negative event has occurred in their lives which has resulted in the individual becoming angry at God (but how can you be angry at someone whose existence is denied!?); therefore, they on emotion dismiss the abundance of evidence which clearly declares His existence; (3) One narcissistically depends on their inflated perception of their own intelligence and because their finite reasoning cannot explain every facet of the majesty of who God is or fit Him into their preconceived box, they conclude He must not exist; (4) One is puzzled at the tension which exists between good and evil; therefore, in their estimation, belief in a benevolent and omnipotent God is an irrational contradiction; (5) Self-determination, men want to be their own god; therefore; they purposely will not entertain the existence of a Supreme Being who usurps their self-autonomy; (6) One intentionally adopts philosophies which dismiss God’s existence because it appeals to their rebellious nature which seeks a subjective morality over an objective morality of a Creator; (7) One sees themselves as a “macho-man” type of person who can handle all of life’s difficulties on their own, and they dismiss belief in a God as an imaginary crutch that helps individuals limp through life; (8) One has been hurt or treated unfairly by someone who called themselves a Christian or hurt by a church; therefore in their hurt they throw the baby out with the bathwater and dismiss His existence; (9) One declares that science and belief in a Supernatural Being are not compatible; therefore Divine Being is dismissed as a superstitious explanation for the world’s existence; (10) One is raised in an environment where from birth they are taught there is no God and they embrace such a view without questioning or investigating the reality of His existence; (11) One reasons since there are so many religions, and since they can’t all be right; therefore; belief in God is a concoction of man’s imaginative mind.

Every person who claims to be an atheist has their own reason for embracing non-belief. Time nor space does not permit me to address each of the eleven objections. Over the years I have studied all the stock arguments atheists offer, and may I say as lovingly as I can, I have observed that all the reasons given for dismissing God’s existence are more emotionally driven than intellectually founded. Evidence that there exists, as Paul Tillich says One who is the “infinite and inexhaustible depth and ground of all being,”  is overwhelming for the honest inquirer. One might ask, “Well, if there is a God, why would He be interested in us humans who are but specks of dust in a vast universe?” That is the marvel of the Creator, He loves you and me and even though we have been marred by sin, He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and has provided a way for us to be forgiven and the image of God He stamped upon our souls to be restored. His desire is that each person be saved and embrace Him in relationship (2 Peter 3:9).

Christianity is not founded on blind faith, but built upon historical facts, reason, logic and an abundance of evidence for the seeker who honestly inquires what is truth. Pilate, in his self-autonomy, asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Sadly, the Roman ruler did not recognize that he was looking into the very face of Truth. The Good News of Christ is that even though we all have sinned and come short of God’s glory, God seeks through His atoning cross to remove all barriers of separation whereby we can have communion with the Creator of the universe.

In my over six decades of sojourn on this earth, I am more convinced than the rising morning  sun that an Intelligent Designer exists and He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and He desires to enter into a daily relationship with us. Yes, we may be a speck of dust in this vast universe, but that is the marvel of God’s love for humanity. To those who will honestly bring their arguments to Jesus Christ and sincerely ask Him to reveal Himself in all His splendor, will find themselves confessing the declaration of Simon Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). O, what a Savior.

Blessings,
Dr. Dan