Is Atheism A Threat To Christianity?

For almost as long as people have worshipped God, other people have denied His existence. Many people who claim that we are living in a secular, non-religious age would say that today’s society is sold out to atheism. But is Christianity genuinely at threat of being overthrown by a minority who don’t believe in God?

According to a poll undertaken last year, 1.6 per cent of Americans claim to be atheists. These figures would hardly seem to be a threat to most Christians – but not to Dr Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr Mohler recently released a new book, Atheism Remix, in response to the New Atheist movement and its leading figures, many of whom are influential scientists and best-selling authors, including Richard Dawkins. In Atheism Remix, Dr Mohler outlines the characteristics that set apart New Atheism from older forms of atheism and he urges believers to get informed about their faith and rival belief systems.

‘There are a good many Christians who are almost completely unschooled in the basics of the faith,’ said Dr Mohler. ‘Even though they believe in God and have faith in Christ, they would be hard pressed to offer an intellectual defense of their faith.’

So what?, you may ask. Well, in some cases, New Atheists have studied the Christian faith more (in order to reject it) than have many Christians. This may be entirely the issue that is of most concern. You see, when non-believers deny the claims of Christianity without having ever read the Bible, their arguments are quickly unpicked. They may cite some vague concept without being able to identify the verse or even the book in which it can be located. Therefore they quickly lose all credibility.

But when somebody studies the Bible in depth, making themselves familiar with its teachings and claims, suddenly that person becomes more formidable in a debate. Although their arguments, however well-researched and forcefully presented, will never be able to shatter the timeless strength of God’s Word, unless we understand the Bible better than he or she does, they will be able to bombard us with questions and concepts and claims that we may not be equipped to logically and lovingly explain.

In a like way, an effective Christian evangelist to the Muslim people will study the Koran in depth so he knows how best to present the Gospel to them. An evangelist to the Jewish people will refer to the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah before showing them the New Testament fulfilment. It’s the most effective way to understand and therefore be able to reach the mindset of a particular religious group.

Is atheism a threat to Christianity? As a rival belief system that is growing in strength through the diligence of its subscribers, yes it is.

Yet despite this, as Christians we’re commanded to prepare ourselves for any encounters we may have with atheists. We are called to have an answer for all men when they question us about our faith and its teachings.

‘It’s not so much that we want people not to be atheists,’ Dr Mohler said. ‘I don’t want people merely not to be atheists; I want them to believe in Christ.’

This should be our desire as well.

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