Dear Atheists, from Bodie Hodge

Tired of It All?

Are you tired of all the evil associated with the philosophy of atheism—Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, and so on? After all, most murderers, tyrants, and rapists are not biblical Christians, and most have rejected the God of the Bible. Even if they claim to believe in the God of the Bible, they are not really living like a true Christ follower (who strives to follow God’s Word), are they?

Do you feel conflicted about the fact that atheism has no basis in morality (i.e., no absolute right and wrong; no good, no bad?) If someone stabs you in the back, treats you like nothing, steals from you, or lies to you, it doesn’t ultimately matter in an atheistic worldview where everything and everyone are just chemical reactions doing what chemicals do. And further, knowing that you are essentially no different from a cockroach in an atheistic worldview (since people are just animals) must be disheartening.

Are you tired of the fact that atheism (which is based in materialism, a popular worldview today) has no basis for logic and reasoning? Is it tough trying to get up every day thinking that truth, which is immaterial, really doesn’t exist? Are you bothered by the fact that atheism cannot account for uniformity in nature (the basis by which we can do real science)? Why would everything explode from nothing and, by pure chance, form beautiful laws like "E&

Do you feel like you need a weekend to recoup, even though a weekend is really meaningless in an atheistic worldview—since animals, like bees, don’t take a day of rest or have a weekend? So why should atheists? Why borrow a workweek and weekend that comes from the pages of Scriptures, which are despised by atheists? Weeks and weekends come from God creating in six literal days and resting for a literal day; and then the Lord Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week (Sunday). And why look forward to time off for a holiday (i.e., holy day), when nothing is holy in an atheistic worldview?

For professing atheists, these questions can be overwhelming to make sense of within their worldview. And further, within an atheistic worldview, atheists must view themselves as God. Essentially, atheists are claiming to be God. Instead of saying there may not be a God, they say there is no God. To make such a statement, they must claim to be omniscient (which is an essential attribute of the God of the Bible) among other attributes of God as well.1 So, by saying there is no God, the atheist refutes his own position by addressing the question as though he or she were God!

Do you feel conflicted about proselytizing the faith of atheism, since if atheism were true then who cares about proselytizing? Let’s face it, life seems tough enough as an atheist without having to deal with other major concerns like not having a basis to wear clothes, or no basis for marriage, no consistent reason to be clean (snails don’t wake up in the morning and clean themselves or follow other cleanliness guidelines based on Levitical laws), and no objective reason to believe in love.

Are you weary of looking for evidence that contradicts the Bible’s account of creation and finding none? Do the assumptions and inconsistencies of dating methods weigh on your conscience when they are misrepresented as fact? Where do you suppose those missing links have gone into hiding? Surely the atheist sees the folly and hopelessness of believing that everything came from nothing.

In fact, why would an atheist care to live one moment longer in a broken universe where one is merely rearranged pond scum and all you have to look forward to is … death, which can be around any corner? And in 467 trillion years, no one will care one iota about what you did or who you were or how and when you died—because death is the ultimate “hero” in an atheistic, evolutionary worldview. Of course, as a Christian I disagree, and I have a basis to see you as having value.

Invitation

I invite you to reconsider that the false religion of atheism is simply that. I’m here to tell you that atheism is a lie (Romans 1:25).2 As a Christian, I understand that truth exists because God exists, who is the Truth (John 14:6),3 and we are made in His image.4 Unlike an atheist, whose worldview doesn’t allow him to believe in truth or lies, the Bible-believer has a foundation that enables him to speak about truth and lies. This is because believers in God and His Word have an authority, the ultimate authority on the subject, to base statements upon.

There is a God, and you are also made in His image (Genesis 1:26; 9:6).5 This means you have value. Whereas consistent atheists teach that you have no value, I see you differently. I see you as a relative (Acts 17:26)6 and one who—unlike animals, plants, and fallen angels—has the possibility of salvation from death, which is the result of sin (i.e., disobedience to God; see Romans 6:23).7 We have all fallen short of God’s holy standard of perfect obedience thanks to our mutual grandfather, Adam (Romans 5:12).8 And God sees you differently, too (John 3:16).9 While you were still a sinner, God stepped into history to become a man to die in your place (Romans 5:8)10 and offer the free gift of salvation (Romans 5:15; Ephesians 2:8–9).11

Atheists have no consistent reason to proselytize their faith, but Christians like me do have a reason—Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, commands us to (Matthew 28:19).12 We want to see people repent of their evil deeds and be saved from death (Acts 8:22; 17:30).13 What a wonderful joy (Luke 15:10)14.

Where atheists have no basis for logic and reason (or even for truth, since truth is immaterial), Bible believers can understand that mankind is made in the image of a logical and reasoning God who is the truth. Hence, Christians can make sense of things because in Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).15 Christians also have a basis to explain why people sometimes don’t think logically due to the Fall of mankind in Genesis 3. The most logical response is to give up atheism and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to rescue you from sin and death (Romans 10:13).16 Instead of death, God promises believers eternal life (1 John 2:25; John 10:28)17 and in 467 trillion years, you will still have value in contrast to the secular view of nothingness.

Christians do have a basis to wear clothes (to cover shame due to sin; see Genesis 2:25; 3:7),18 a reason to uphold marriage (God made a man and a woman; see Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4–6),19 a reason to be clean (Leviticus contains many provisions to counter diseases in a sin-cursed world), and a source of real love (since God made us in His loving image; see 1 John 4:8).20 As Christians, we have a solid foundation for saying things like back-stabbing, theft, and lies are wrong (see the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20).

I invite you to leave the false religion of atheism and its various forms and return to the one true God who came to rescue you (John 17:3).21 Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, loved you enough to come down and die in our place so we can experience God’s goodness for all eternity instead of the wrath of God for all eternity in hell (Matthew 25:46).22 And we all have sentenced ourselves to judgment because of our disobedience to God and rejection of Him (John 3:17–18).23

The day is coming when we all will give an account before God for our actions and thoughts (Romans 14:12).24 Will you repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior today so that you will join Christ in the resurrection from the dead (John 11:25; Romans 6:5)?25 I invite you personally to become an ex-atheist, join the ranks of the saved through Jesus Christ, and become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)26 as we continue to advance with the gospel in peace that only God can provide (Romans 5:1).27