#71: How Would You Respond to This Cry for Help (part 3)?
Two months ago, I introduced a letter written by a former atheist and, now, self-described agnostic. [1] Christopher shares his journey and struggle with faith. He writes, “I want to be a Christian. I want to have a strong and sober faith. I want to be able to cling on to the hope that Christ offers . . . [but] I cannot seem to find God.”
Last month we examined Christopher’s opening paragraph by imagining how we might help him by asking questions. A questioning-approach helps us learn more about the non-believer and also shows that we care and are willing to listen. Hopefully, it also causes unbelievers to think more deeply about their beliefs and questions.
This month we examine Christopher’s second paragraph:
At this point in my intellectual and spiritual journey, I have concluded that some kind of God or Highest Being more likely exists than not; I have also concluded that the historical claims of Christianity are just as likely of being true as they are not. In other words, it's currently a fifty-fifty bet. This latter conclusion is quite distressing for me because the likelihood of Christianity being true seems to be swayed by the emotions I feel from day-to-day. Sometimes it seems very likely, and sometimes I come across a new atheist argument that throws the whole idea of Christianity into question. (Consider the videos and essays produced by Paulogia and Bart Ehrman on one hand, and on the other hand essays by Christians such as Testify and Dr. Lydia McGrew.) Sometimes I rejoice in the beauty and apparent design of creation, and sometimes I wallow in the apathy and carelessness apparent in nature and the wider universe. On some days both theism and atheism seem totally absurd. I am of two-minds on this issue. I like to think that I am a rational and intelligent person, but very often I am not.
Christopher refers to his “intellectual and spiritual journey.” As an apologist, I’m thrilled to hear him say this. First, he recognizes that faith is a journey; it is not something that begins and ends overnight. We can build on this by telling him that he is slowly coming to know God; it takes time to understand our infinitely great Lord and Savior—in fact, as a believer, my own journey continues to this day! Second, Christopher believes that there is an intellectual component to faith. Unfortunately, most non-believers hold to the view that Christians have no rational, evidential basis for what they believe . . . ours’ is simply a blind faith. Even many Christians do not understand that their God-given intellect is an essential part of faith (we’ll discuss the elements of faith next month). Out of genuine curiosity, I might ask him why it’s so important that his intellectual concerns be satisfied.
Christopher shares that he has “concluded . . . some kind of God . . . exists [and that] the historical claims of Christianity are . . . likely . . . true.” Since historical—evidential—claims appear to be the basis of his intellectual conclusion, I will ask him which Christian claims he believes and why. If, for example, he decided that the resurrection is true, we can then discuss why we must conclude that Jesus is God and, therefore, Christianity is true.
Despite his progress, Christoper says he is still “distressed.” He is not entirely convinced that God exists and further troubled by his emotional swings between belief and unbelief. However, I am not worried by this—in fact, I’m encouraged. His emotions are typical of a non-believer’s faith journey (maybe even our own?). Some of you may be familiar with Everts’ and Schaup’s book, I Once Was Lost. [2]
The authors describe a five-step progression from unbelief-to-belief: (1) Trusting a Christian; (2) Becoming Curious; (3) Opening up to Change; (4) Seeking Answers Themselves; and (5) Accepting Jesus. I won’t expound on these steps here except to say that Christopher apparently trusts a Christian (William Lane Craig), is clearly curious and open to change (in fact, desires it!), and is now seeking the answers he feels are needed to finally accept Christ. He has advanced through the first three steps and is firmly in step four. If this an accurate description of his spiritual progress, we should praise the Lord!
Given this, I will congratulate him. Christopher may be frustrated about his inability to firmly conclude that Christianity is true and to commit his life to Jesus but I will tell him that his concerns are part of the process of coming to know God. His questions and anxieties are natural and reasonable. I’ll encourage him to persevere—to continue to seek answers . . . and to pray. I will offer to pray for him at that very moment, promise to continually to pray for him, and commit to help answer his questions. My sense is that he is very close to accepting Jesus; perhaps the Holy Spirit is about to change his heart. I will certainly pray for this.
Next month we will examine more of Christopher’s doubts and desires, and continue to consider how we might help him—and those like him—in their journeys.
In Christ, Doug
Academic & Military Outreach Director, AoM
“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect . . .” 1 Peter 3:15
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[1] Christopher wrote a letter to Dr. William Lane Craig on August 25, 2024. The note and Dr. Craig’s response were posted online on August 29, 2024. You can read the letter and Dr. Craig’s response here:
https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/can-an-agnostic-be-a-christian?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=%C2%A0READ%20DR.%20CRAIG%26%2339%3BS%20RESPONSE&utm_campaign=WU%20-%20Aug%202024%20-%20Wk%204
[2] I Once Was Lost—What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus, Don Everts and Doug Schaup, InterVarsity Press, 2008.