Skip to main content

What is Atheism?

Atheism is not a religion and there is no single atheist worldview. At its simplest, atheism means not believing that any gods exist. Some atheists simply lack belief in God, while others positively argue that God does not exist. Many also hold to naturalism - the view that reality is ultimately explained in terms of nature rather than God or the supernatural.

For the Christian talking to an atheist, the deeper question to generally ask is "Are you willing to investigate whether the origin of the universe, the fine-tuning of nature, and objective human moral value point to a purposeful Creator rather than a blind, accidental process?"

Key facts​

Atheism generally refers to the absence of belief in God or gods. Some atheists make the stronger claim that God does not exist.

This distinction matters. Someone who says, "I don't believe in God," may be saying they are unconvinced. Someone who says, "There is no God," is making a much stronger claim about reality.

It is therefore worth asking what the person actually means by atheism rather than assuming every atheist thinks the same way.

Overview​

What does an atheist believe?​

There is no one answer. One atheist may say:

"I have never seen sufficient evidence for God."

Another may say:

"I don't think there is any God."

Another may say:

"Science explains the world without needing God."

Another may have rejected Christianity because of suffering, hypocrisy, unanswered prayers, church experiences or something that happened to them personally.

That is why the first step is to listen. Do not argue against a position the person does not actually hold.

What attracts people to atheism?​

People arrive at atheism for many different reasons. Some are persuaded by philosophical arguments. Some believe science has made God unnecessary. Some struggle with suffering, sickness and evil and how these can be reconciled with a good and holy God. Some were raised without belief in God. Some simply have never found the Christian case convincing.

Others may be reacting to a version of Christianity that was never a fair representation of Jesus. People may also be attracted to atheism because they value intellectual freedom, questioning authority, scientific investigation, independence, freedom from religious rules, evidence, or the idea that morality and meaning can be lived without God.

For some, atheism is connected to a rejection of hypocrisy or painful experiences with religion. Some of these concerns are legitimate. Christians should be willing to examine ourselves rather than assuming that an atheist is simply ignorant, arrogant or rebellious.

At the same time, Christians do not need to pretend that every reason for unbelief is equally strong. People can be sincerely mistaken, just as Christians can be sincerely mistaken.

Sharing the Gospel​

The goal of a conversation with an atheist is not to unload twenty arguments. It is to love the person, listen carefully, ask good questions, answer honestly and point them towards Jesus.

Have a conversation, not a presentation. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Start with their story​

A Christian should not assume they already know why someone is an atheist. An atheist may have spent years thinking carefully about their beliefs. They may have rejected Christianity because of philosophical arguments, suffering, bad experiences with Christians, doubts about the evidence, or something else entirely.

They may also simply have never thought deeply about some of the questions involved. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Don't assume they are ignorant, arrogant or rebellious. And don't assume you already know what they believe.

Ask questions. Listen. Then respond to what they actually say.

Simple questions can reveal a lot:

"Have you always been an atheist?"

"What led you to that conclusion?"

"When you say you don't believe in God, what do you mean by that?"

"Was there a particular reason you stopped believing?"

"What would you say is the strongest reason you don't believe?"

"Have you ever seriously looked at the claims Jesus made about Himself?"

"What would count as good evidence for you?"

Listen.

Do not prepare your next argument while they are speaking.

The aim is not to trap someone with a clever question. It is to understand how they see the world and help them think carefully about it.

Follow the questions they care about​

Once you understand their position - follow the questions that are actually relevant to them. Often, conversations about atheism naturally lead into some of the biggest questions human beings can ask.

Why is there something rather than nothing?​

You might ask:

"Why do you think anything exists at all?"

Science can investigate how the universe behaves and, depending on the question, how it developed. But the existence of the universe itself raises a deeper philosophical question:

"Why is there anything rather than nothing?"

Christianity begins with a very different answer - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1).

God is not one more object inside the universe - He is the Creator of the universe.

The important thing is not to present this as a mathematical proof that settles the question. It is an invitation to consider whether the existence of the universe points beyond itself. Then ask:

"If there is a Creator, what would you expect that Creator to be like?"

That can begin moving the conversation from whether God exists towards who God is.

Why is the universe so ordered?​

Another natural question to explore is the remarkable order and intelligibility of the universe. We recognise design in ordinary life.

A painting points us towards a painter. A building points us towards a builder and architect. A computer points us towards intelligence.

The universe also displays extraordinary order and mathematical regularity. So you might ask:

"Why do you think the universe is so orderly and understandable?"

Yes, science can partially explain this but not why it is so. Why is there a rationally ordered universe capable of being understood by rational minds in the first place? The fine-tuning of the universe as evidence that points towards a Creator. The pioneers of science as we know it investigated nature precisely because they believed an orderly, rational Creator had established predictable natural laws. They viewed their breakthroughs not as a challenge to their faith, but as a direct way to understand God's handiwork.

The Christian should ultimately move to:

"Who is the Creator, and what has He revealed about Himself?"

What about science?​

If someone says science explains the universe, don't immediately attack the statement.

Ask:

"What do you mean by 'science explains it'?"

Then perhaps:

"Do you think science can answer why anything exists in the first place?"

And:

"Do you think science can tell us what we ought to do morally?"

And:

"Can science tell us what the purpose of human life is?"

The point is not to attack science. Science is extraordinarily good at investigating the natural world. A Christian does not need to be afraid of scientific investigation. Modern science was born out of a Christian worldview.

The Bible and science answer different kinds of questions

Science is an incredible tool for explaining how the physical universe mechanics operates i.e., how stars form, how physical systems behave and so on.

But questions such as these are philosophical as well as scientific:

  • Why does anything exist?
  • Why is the universe intelligible?
  • Why should we trust human reason?
  • What makes something morally right or wrong?
  • Why does human life have value?
  • What is consciousness?
  • What is the purpose of life?

Truth cannot contradict truth.

See Can Christianity and Science coexist? What the evidence really shows for a fuller response, then bring the conversation back to God.

The question is not whether science or God wins. The question is whether our picture of reality is big enough to include everything we actually experience.

Do you believe some things are objectively wrong?​

Morality is another natural area for questions. Most atheists believe some things are genuinely wrong. So instead of asking:

"Can atheists be good people?"

ask:

"Do you think some things are objectively wrong, regardless of what someone or a society thinks?"

For example:

"Would torturing a child for entertainment be wrong even if a whole society decided it was acceptable?"

Then listen.

The deeper question is:

What makes something objectively wrong?

An atheist can certainly be a deeply moral person. Christians should say this clearly; but proceed to what that morality is grounded in. Christianity says morality is grounded ultimately in the character of God. God does not merely invent arbitrary rules. What is good reflects who He is.

Where do you find meaning?​

Again, don't assume that an atheist has no meaning in their life. Many atheists live meaningful and loving lives. Instead ask:

"Do you think there is an objective meaning to human existence, or do we create meaning for ourselves?"

If there is no God, there may still be many things worth doing. We can love our families, help people, build communities and pursue worthwhile goals.

But Christianity makes a larger claim - your life is not an accident without ultimate purpose. You were created by God, made in His image, and called to know Him. Jesus gives that purpose a direction "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mat 28:19).

The Christian life is not merely about finding personal fulfilment. It is about knowing Jesus, becoming like Him, loving God and people, and joining His mission.

Why should we trust human reason?​

Another question may arise when discussing reason, science or evidence:

"Why do you think human beings are capable of knowing truth?"

We experience thoughts, intentions, love, pain, imagination, moral awareness and self-consciousness. We also trust our minds to tell us what is true. This raises a deeper question:

Why should we trust human reasoning if our minds are ultimately the product of blind, unguided processes?

This is not an argument that atheists cannot reason - they obviously can. It is a question about the foundation of reason itself.

Christianity begins with a God who is rational and who created human beings with minds capable of knowing truth. Reason is not an accident floating inside an ultimately meaningless universe. Modern science was born out of a Christian worldview. Early pioneers investigated nature precisely because they believed an orderly, rational Creator had established predictable natural laws. They viewed their breakthroughs not as a challenge to their faith, but as a direct way to understand God's handiwork.

When the conversation becomes personal​

Some questions are philosophical. Others are deeply personal.

What about suffering and evil?​

For many people, this is not an abstract question. It is very personal and experiences have turned their hearts against God.

"If God exists, why does He allow suffering?"

A Christian should never respond casually. Suffering is terrible.

Instead of immediately giving an explanation, ask:

"Has something happened in your life that makes this question particularly important to you?"

Listen.

Sometimes the person is asking a philosophical question. Sometimes they are asking from a place of deep pain. Those require very different responses. Christianity does not say that suffering is imaginary or that Christians should simply explain it away.

Jesus did not stand at a distance from human suffering. He entered it. He wept. He had compassion. He suffered. He was rejected. He was beaten. He was crucified. And He rose again. The cross shows us that God is not indifferent to our suffering. And the resurrection gives Christians hope that suffering and death will not have the final word.

For a fuller discussion of this question, see Why would a loving God allow suffering?

If they say, "There isn't enough evidence"​

Don't immediately say:

"Yes there is!"

Instead ask:

"What kind of evidence would you expect if God really existed?"

Then:

"Would you be willing to follow the evidence wherever it led?"

This can reveal whether the issue is evidence, expectations, previous experiences, or something deeper.

And if they give you an answer, follow that answer.

Don't force the conversation back to the argument you had prepared.

If they say, "I can be good without God"​

Agree with what is true.

"I agree. You don't need to believe in God to do good things."

And ask a deeper question:

"How do you know what is objectively good?"

For example:

"Do you think some things are genuinely good or evil, regardless of what an individual or society happens to believe?"

If they say yes, ask:

"What makes something objectively good or wrong?"

The point is not to argue that atheists cannot be moral. They clearly can.

The deeper question is about the foundation of morality.

If morality is ultimately based on personal preference, social convention, evolutionary instincts or what benefits society, then what makes a moral obligation objectively binding?

Christianity says that objective morality is ultimately grounded in the character of God. So the conversation can move from:

Can I be good without God?

to:

What makes something objectively good?

then:

If objective moral truth exists, what is its foundation?

And finally:

If God is the foundation of moral truth, what do we owe Him?

From God to Jesus​

This is the crucial transition. A conversation about atheism can easily become an endless discussion about philosophy. Please don't stay there. The Christian message is not simply:

"You should believe in God."

It is:

God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

Tell them about Jesus. Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins. Jesus called people to repent. Jesus called people to follow Him. Jesus loved sinners without approving of their sin. Jesus healed the sick and had compassion on the suffering. Jesus died on the cross. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus is Lord.

The questions about the universe, morality, meaning, reason and suffering are important. But they ultimately point towards a much bigger question:

Who is Jesus?

And eventually the question becomes personal:

If Jesus really is who He claimed to be, what will you do with Him?

That is a much bigger question than, "Do you believe in God?"

Questions to Ask​

About atheism​

  • What do you mean when you say you are an atheist?
  • Have you always believed that way?
  • What convinced you?
  • What is the strongest reason you have for believing God does not exist?
  • Have you seriously investigated Christianity?
  • What would count as evidence for you?
  • Would you be willing to follow the evidence wherever it led?

About the universe​

  • Why do you think anything exists rather than nothing?
  • Why is the universe intelligible to human minds?
  • Do you think the universe has an ultimate explanation?
  • What do you make of the order and apparent fine-tuning of the universe?

About morality​

  • Do you believe some things are objectively wrong?
  • Why are they objectively wrong?
  • What makes something good?
  • If human beings disagree about morality, how do we know who is right?
  • Is there a moral standard above human opinion?

About meaning​

  • Do you think human life has objective meaning?
  • If so, where does that meaning come from?
  • What gives human beings value?
  • What makes your life ultimately worth living?
  • What happens to the meaning of life if death is the end?

About Jesus​

  • Who do you think Jesus was?
  • Do you think He was merely a moral teacher?
  • Have you read what Jesus actually said?
  • What do you make of His claims about Himself?
  • Why do you think His followers were willing to suffer for their testimony about Him?
  • If Jesus really rose from the dead, would that change your mind?
  • If Jesus is Lord, what would following Him actually mean for your life?
The most important question

Don't stop at "Does God exist?"

The more important question is:

"If Jesus really is Lord, am I willing to follow Him?"

Common questions and objections​

Keep these answers conversational rather than turning them into apologetics seminars. The aim is not to win an argument, but to listen, answer briefly and bring the conversation back to Jesus.

Science disproves God. There is no evidence for God​

There isn't a scientific experiment that can put God in a test tube, but that's not the only kind of evidence we use. Questions about God involve philosophy, history, morality, consciousness and ultimately the person of Jesus. For example the Greek philosopher Socrates left no remains, DNA or even writings of his own, in fact we know him only because his students, like Plato and Xenophon, wrote about him.

Science is incredibly good at explaining how the natural world works, but that doesn't necessarily answer questions about why anything exists in the first place. See Can Christianity and Science coexist?, then bring the conversation back to God. Christianity doesn't ask us to choose between science and God.

Many of the greatest scientists in history have believed in God, and Christianity has no problem with investigating creation. Science can describe mechanisms, while belief in God addresses deeper questions about existence, meaning and purpose.

If God exists, why is there so much suffering and evil?​

This is one of the hardest questions Christianity has to face, and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. The Christian answer isn't that suffering doesn't matter - it is that God entered our suffering in Jesus to free us from the bondage of sin. See Why does God allow evil and suffering if He is good, then bring the conversation back to God.

Who created God?​

The Christian claim isn't that everything needs a creator, but that everything that begins to exist needs a cause. God is understood as the eternal foundation of reality, rather than another created thing inside the universe. See If God made everything, then who created God?, then bring the conversation back to God.

If God is real, why doesn't He just show Himself to me?​

It's reasonable to ask God for that. But God has already made Himself known - not only through creation, but supremely through Jesus, whose life, death and resurrection are at the centre of the Christian faith. He wants more than intellectual acknowledgement. He invites us into relationship with Him, and Jesus is God's clearest self-revelation.

Christians are hypocrites​

Sometimes they absolutely are - and we as Christians should be the first to admit it. See Why are there so many hypocrites in churches?, then bring the conversation back to Christ. Christianity doesn't claim Christians are morally perfect; it claims that we are sinners who need grace and are being changed by Jesus.

There are so many religions. Why think Christianity is right?​

It's a fair question, and Christians shouldn't dismiss other religions. Christianity stands or falls on particular claims about Jesus - especially His identity, death and resurrection which can be investigated historically. See How can Christianity be the only true religion?, then bring the conversation back to Jesus Christ.

Also see:

How can you know Jesus really existed? How do you know Jesus actually rose from the dead?​

Jesus is one of the best-attested figures from the ancient world, including outside the New Testament. The more significant question isn't really whether Jesus existed, but who He was and what happened to Him.

The resurrection is a historical claim, so Christians shouldn't simply say "believe it because the Bible says so." See What evidence is there that Jesus really existed? and How do we know Jesus rose from the dead? The historical evidence, then bring the conversation back to Jesus Christ.

Even if one ignores the Biblical records, there are Roman, Syrian and Greek records. Furthermore, the disciples' experiences and refusal to recant even when dying, the rapid emergence of the church are some of the things that need to be considered.

Why would a good God send good people to hell? What about people who are good but don't believe?​

Christianity isn't fundamentally a competition between “good people” and “bad people.” Nor does Christianity teach that heaven is a reward for people who have managed to be good enough. God isn't eagerly looking for reasons to condemn people. Hell is connected to humanity's rejection of God, while the gospel is God's offer of reconciliation through Christ; God's justice and mercy meet at the cross. The gospel is that salvation is a gift of grace through Jesus, because none of us is as good as we imagine ourselves to be. The gospel says all of us need grace, and the good news is that God offers reconciliation with Him through Jesus.

See Is hell real and would a loving God send good people there?, and Can good people go to heaven without Jesus?, then bring the conversation back to God.

What about people who never heard the gospel?​

This is a difficult question, and Christians have disagreed about some of the details. What we can say confidently is that God is perfectly just and perfectly good, and He will judge every person rightly. See Will God judge people who never heard about Jesus?.

Christianity has done terrible things throughout history​

Yes, people who called themselves Christians have committed terrible acts. That should make us take hypocrisy and abuse seriously, but it also means we need to distinguish the actions of Christians from the teaching and example of Jesus Himself.

It is also worth noting that atrocities are not unique to Christianity: Stalin and Pol Pot, for example, committed mass killings under explicitly atheist/communist regimes, while Islamic history also contains serious examples of violence and persecution carried out in the name of Islam. This does not excuse Christian wrongdoing, but it shows that the actions of individuals or regimes should not automatically be equated with the teachings of an entire worldview or religion.

Why should I believe a book written thousands of years ago?​

Age doesn't make a document false, but it does mean we should examine its historical reliability carefully. The Bible is a collection of ancient documents, and its claims can be investigated rather than accepted simply because someone tells us to believe them.

I tried Christianity and it didn't work for me. I've prayed and God never answered.​

It's worth asking what "didn't work" means. Christianity isn't primarily a technique for making life easier - it is a claim about who Jesus is and an invitation to follow Him, even when following Him is costly.

Christianity doesn't promise that God will respond in the way or time frame we want, but it does invite us to keep bringing our questions, anger and disappointment honestly to Him.

Isn't faith just believing without evidence? What if Christianity is just a story people made up?​

Blind belief isn't the goal of Christianity. Christians believe there are reasons for faith, but those reasons don't remove every possible doubt or turn faith into a mathematical proof.

See Is faith just blind belief for the weak or is there evidence? and then bring the conversation back to God.

That's ultimately a historical question worth investigating. Christianity is unusually rooted in claims about real people and events - particularly the life, death and resurrection of Jesus - rather than simply a set of timeless moral stories.

Also see:

I don't want religion - I just want a relationship with God​

Interestingly, that's very close to how Christianity describes itself at its best. The heart of the Christian message isn't try harder to be religious, but that God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus.

Helpful Bible passages​

  • Psalm 14:1 A biblical description of rejecting God, while also reminding us that the deeper issue is moral and spiritual, not merely intellectual.

  • Romans 1:18–25 Paul describes humanity's response to God and the created order.

  • Acts 17:16–34 Paul speaks to people who do not share his Jewish background and begins with their worldview before proclaiming Jesus and the resurrection.

  • John 1:1–18 Jesus is presented as the eternal Word through whom all things were made.

  • Colossians 1:15–17 Christ is presented as the one through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together.

  • John 14:6 Jesus' claim to be the way, the truth and the life.

  • Matthew 28:18–20 Jesus' authority and the Great Commission.

  • 1 Peter 3:15–16 Be ready to give an answer, but do so with gentleness and respect.

  • Matthew 5:14–16 Christians are called to be salt and light.

  • Galatians 5:22–23 The fruit of the Spirit should be visible in the life of a disciple.

A challenge for Christians​

An atheist can expose something uncomfortable in us. We can become very good at arguing for Christianity while failing to live like Jesus. We can know why we believe and still be selfish. We can defend the Bible and still refuse to obey it. We can talk about God's love while holding bitterness against another person. We can tell people that Jesus is Lord while continuing to live as though we are lord of our own lives. We can challenge atheists to examine their worldview while never examining our own lives.

So before asking an atheist:

"Do you really believe this?"

ask yourself:

"Do I really live what I say I believe?"

Does my life resemble Jesus? Am I loving people who are difficult to love? Am I forgiving? Am I serving? Am I depending on the Holy Spirit? Am I willing to speak about Jesus? Would someone who watched my life see evidence that Jesus is actually my Lord?

The goal is to introduce people to Jesus and call them to become His disciples - and that begins with us.

Last updated on