As an atheist, I understand not believing in God or following any religion. The world offers many philosophies, beliefs, and lifestyles to choose from. So why should I consider becoming a Christian?
Here are some reasons I think it’s worth at least examining what Christianity claims and offers:
1. Evidence for Jesus
Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus Christ. Is there good historical evidence that Jesus really lived and did the things the Bible claims he did? Many scholars, even skeptical ones, believe there is. Jesus is mentioned by several ancient historians like Tacitus, Josephus, and Pliny the Younger. The New Testament contains four biographies of Jesus that date close to his lifetime. Most experts agree they contain much reliable historical information. If Jesus really did remarkable miracles and rise from the dead, it validates his claims to be the Son of God (John 10:25).
2. The Bible’s Historic and Scientific Accuracy
If the Bible is inspired by an all-knowing God, it should be historically accurate and compatible with modern science. While parts are poetic and symbolic, the Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies fulfilled centuries later and names real people confirmed by archaeology. It presents advanced scientific truths like the earth being round, hanging on nothing, and expanding (Isaiah 40:22; Job 26:7), long before scientists discovered these things. The Bible’s general accuracy lends credibility to its spiritual claims.
3. The Bible’s Honest Portrayal of Humanity
If humans wrote the Bible, we might expect it to paint its characters as heroes with no faults. Instead it shows them warts and all, often displaying embarrassing moral failings. From Abraham to David to the apostles, the Bible doesn’t gloss over human sinfulness. This surprising honesty about its flawed heroes lends credibility to the Bible as an inspired book, not a human invention.
4. Fulfilled Prophecy
The Bible contains over 1,500 predictions of future events that could not have been naturally anticipated or guessed. Details like the Virgin Birth, Jesus’ crucifixion between thieves, and the method of his execution were foretold centuries earlier. The prophecies were improbable and written well before the events took place. The fact that Bible prophecy has been fulfilled accurately hundreds of times establishes the Bible’s divine origin.
5. Archaeological Confirmation
The Bible’s accurate description of histories, cultures, civilizations and geographical locations demonstrates its authenticity. Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed even obscure biblical names and places. Nelson Glueck, renowned Jewish archaeologist stated, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference.” Archaeology provides tangible proof of the Bible’s historical reliability.
6. The Bible’s Enduring Popularity and Influence
The Bible is history’s #1 bestseller, with billions of copies sold over centuries. It remains the most translated, published and read book worldwide. From art to music to literature to legal systems, the Bible has shaped cultures and governments across the globe. If it were merely a human book it would have faded, yet its enduring popularity is unrivaled. The Bible continues changing lives as people read and respond to its message.
7. The Bible’s Honest Diagnosis of Human Nature
How does the Bible describe human nature? Among other things it says people are born morally flawed, slaves to sin, and unable to save themselves through their own efforts. This negative assessment of humankind totally opposes natural human pride and self-perception. If people invented the Bible, its creator understands the human condition better than we know ourselves.
8. Testimonies of Changed Lives
Millions credit the Bible and the God it reveals for positively transforming their lives. Testimonies of healings, restored relationships, freedom from addictions, and new purpose abound. From the demonized Gadarene (Mark 5:1-20), the adulterous woman (John 4:1-42), the murderous apostle Paul (Acts 9) to today’s celebrities and everyday folks, the Bible continues changing lives. Its power to convert sinners and purify hearts confirms its divine touch.
9. Unity of the Bible’s Message
The Bible was written over 1,500 years by about 40 authors on three continents, yet maintains a unified message. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells an unfolding story of redemption pointing to Jesus Christ. Though penned by kings, fishermen, doctors and others, their combined writings weave together flawlessly. Their astounding unity speaks of divine engineering behind the Bible’s human authors.
10. Support of Ancient Documents
While the original biblical manuscripts are lost, over 24,000 ancient copies remain. That’s far more than any other ancient document. The manuscripts show the Bible has remained accurate for almost 2,000 years. Ancient non-biblical sources also confirm details about Jesus, early Christians, and truth of events like the darkness at Christ’s crucifixion. The Bible has stronger manuscript support than any classical work.
11. The Bible’s Realistic Worldview
Unlike religious texts depicting mystical fantasies and gods, the Bible paints humanity and history with warts and all. It describes human ugliness like murder, rape, and cruelty. It doesn’t shy away from real problems like suffering, pain and our mortality. An all-powerful God could give whitewashed propaganda if desired. But the Bible handles the hard questions head-on, adding to its authenticity.
12. The Bible Stands Up to Scrutiny
The Bible has faced intense examination for centuries from critics seeking to discredit it. But repeated investigations have conclusively demonstrated its historical, archaeological and scientific accuracy. The more the Bible is questioned and tested, the more its reliability is confirmed. Unlike other ancient religious literature, the Bible stands up to intensive scrutiny, lending weight to its credibility.
13. Wisdom and Beauty of Biblical Teaching
Readers throughout history have admired the Bible’s literary beauty. But it’s the wisdom and insight of its teaching that sets it apart. The Bible provides practical principles for everything from relationships and psychology to government and economics. Its counsel has been followed by successful leaders and common people seeking guidance. The enduring wisdom of the Bible demonstrates a supernatural source behind its writing.
14. Support from Modern Science
Science used to contradict the Bible, but discoveries in astronomy, physics, medicine and other fields have confirmed biblical truth again and again. Things like the expanding universe, the unique properties of water, the optimal length of the human life span, and carnivorous dinosaurs with one frontal brain lobe have gained support from modern science. Where science and the Bible disagree, science has eventually caught up.
15. The Bible’s Realistic View of Creation
The Bible begins with a logical, orderly account of creation free from the mythological depictions of its ancient Near Eastern counterparts. It presents an accurate chronology tracing lineages from the first man and woman. Details corroborated by science include animal migrations, changing climate, increasing oxygen,Convincing Evidence for the Afterlife Best Selling Books About Life After Death Near Death Experience Stories moons being light reflectors rather than light sources, and an expanding universe from a central starting point.
16. Support from Near Death Experiences
The programming for the Bible by human authors alone seems inadequate to explain near-death experience reports of afterlife realms, a heavenly light, encounters with Jesus or angels, life reviews and previews. The Bible taught NDE concepts like a heavenly paradise of pleasure and joy (Luke 23:43) and hellish realms of fire long before modern NDEs reported the same findings. NDEs offer powerful testimonies supporting the Bible’s descriptions of the spiritual world.
17. The Bible’s Explanation for Spiritual Encounters
From ancient times people reported encounters with spiritual beings like angels, demons, and ghosts. Some wrote these off as hallucinations, but the Bible confirms their reality. It teaches the existence of fallen angels called demons, good angels serving God, and departed human spirits. The Bible affirms spiritual encounters and explains their sources. Its teaching on the spiritual realm offers insight into commonly reported otherworldly encounters.
18. Confirmation of the Soul’s Existence
The Bible teaches we are not just physical bodies but also have eternal souls or spirits capable of conscious existence apart from the body. Modern science remained skeptical of consciousness independent from the brain until recent studies of near death experiences, past life memories in children, remote viewing, and psi phenomena presented persuasive evidence for consciousness beyond death. The Bible provides accurate teaching about the spirit long before science caught up.
19. Miracles Confirm Bible Truth
Miracles continue being reported despite scientific assumptions they can’t occur. From cancer disappearing to cripples walking again, miracles validate the supernatural power of God. They confirm the reality of the spirit world and life after death like the Bible attests. Hundreds of millions claim personal encounters with miracles. Continued miraculous evidence lends credence to the Bible’s reports of miracles in ancient times.
20. Confirmation of Creation
The Bible depicts purpose and intelligence behind creation rather than blind chance. As science reveals increasing complexity from biology to astronomy that defies naturalistic explanations, evidence mounts for biblical creation. From the mind-boggling fine tuning of physical laws to informational molecules like DNA with the appearance of design, science unwittingly confirms the Bible’s creation account.
These are just some of the convincing reasons to take a new look at the Bible and Christianity. The more deeply one examines them, the more compelling the cumulative case becomes. Rather than blind faith, belief in the Bible can be a well-reasoned conviction.
I don’t claim these reasons prove Christianity definitively, but they supply powerful evidence it should be taken seriously by any open-minded seeker. Before rejecting the Bible as primitive fiction, investigate for yourself. There’s too much evidence to make an informed decision without thorough personal examination. Read the gospels, check the facts, and evaluate the case for Christianity.
The Bible promises, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) God looks at the humble heart sincerely seeking truth more than intellectual objections or degrees. If you seek God with an open mind, open eyes and open heart, you can discover the Truth.