A Conversation With An Atheist

I was walking through a local market when I came across a book title that caught my attention. It was something along the lines of “The Misconceptions of Christianity.” As I picked it up to read the back, a person quickly emerged from the tented area to talk about it. He was the author of the book himself, and he shared with me a few points of why he believes Christianity is a hoax and why he is now an atheist.

At that moment, I paused to decide how I should respond. Instead of thinking all of the ways I could share my ideas, I did my best to exhibit curiosity and ask a few questions. I soon learned that he wrote the book after growing up Baptist and deconstructing his faith in his adult years. In a few short minutes, I heard his story and perhaps most interestingly, he told me that he still reads his Bible everyday. Right before that, he had told me he was a “full-blown atheist.” Long story short, I learned that he doesn’t feel guilty reading his Bible anymore because he thinks it’s all a farce.

All in all, it was a positive conversation. I wanted to keep talking, but as I looked at the opposite street I could see my family waiting for me. I shook his hand, thanked him for explaining his beliefs, and didn’t even tell him I was a Christian. Perhaps that was the wrong thing to do, and maybe I handled it imperfectly. But on the other hand, he never asked me a single question, and there’s a chance my intrigue formed a bridge that opens up future conversations with other Christians. If I had been condescending and told him he was wrong, he might not have been as open. At the end of the day, we can learn something from anyone. I’ve made terrible first impressions in the past, and time has shown me that I was wrong for making such quick judgments. Even if you know someone who believes the opposite of you, a little bit of curiosity might bridge the divide between you. There’s probably more common ground than you think, and even if there’s not, the least you can do is listen. You don’t have to give up any of your values to have difficult conversations, you just need a few questions, a listening ear, and a curious heart.