A growing number of intellectuals have recently been making statements that say that Christianity, while not true in their eyes, is nevertheless good for society. Perhaps the most surprising statement was made by the world-famous atheist and one of the so-called Four Horsemen of the New Atheism, Richard Dawkins. In an interview for the British radio station LBCDawkins described himself as a “cultural Christian” and expressed how grateful he was to live in a Christian country with the values ​​associated with it.

Douglas Murray, a well-known journalist and author, has also acknowledged the crucial role played by Christianity in shaping Western civilization, particularly fundamental values ​​such as human rights and freedom of expression. Murray has even gone so far as to call himself a “Christian atheist” – in the sense that he deeply values ​​the values ​​of Christianity but does not believe they are true. When asked what it would take for him to believe, Murray replied, “I would have to hear a voice.”

Another surprising traveler on this path is Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She grew up in Africa and became a devout Muslim in her teens, but after the September 11 attacks forced her to ask difficult questions about Islam, she became an atheist. Her book Incredulous brought her enormous publicity (and death threats), and she regularly hung out with the likes of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. But then, in November 2023, she shocked the world by announcing that she would become a Christian—a change she made in part because she feared that everything she loved about the West had its roots in Christianity. Hirsi Ali was influenced by historian Tom Holland, who has also made a name for himself in recent years by publicly championing Christianity while doubting its truth.

I can understand why “Christian atheism” can be attractive to some. The New Atheism, which promised to point the way to the sunny heights of secularism where there would be roses and kittens, has failed, its arguments have proven hollow, and many of its proponents are mired in controversy. At the same time, the Western world is facing a barrage of challenges: from COVID-19 to financial crises, from environmental chaos to political stagnation and tribalism. All of this has led to a crisis of meaning, and many people are struggling to answer the basic questions: What is the purpose of life? Where is hope to be found?

For Christians, these are both exciting and challenging times. Exciting because after years in which Christianity was derided as the “root of all evil” and believers were described as deluded, the New Atheism has given way to a cultural moment in which Christianity is once again being spoken of positively. At the same time, however, there is a challenge: Christianity is not only Good Advice; It is good newsHow can we make it clear to our friends that the social benefits of Christianity arise from its claim to truth?

Point out the paradox

One way to move forward is to point out the paradox. For example, let’s say I have a good friend who is a committed member of the Flat Earth Society. One day my friend cheerfully announces that she is terribly excited because she has just won a cruise around the world and will be leaving next week for two months on an ocean liner.

The new atheism has given way to a cultural moment in which Christianity is once again being spoken about positively.

“But you believe in a flat earth. How is that possible?” I ask.

“Are you suggesting that only globe advocates like you, Andy, have the right to cruise around the world? How arrogant!” she protests.

“You can believe what you want,” I answer. “But it is only the reality that the world is a globe that allows you to enjoy your upcoming journey.”

Something not dissimilar is going on with Dawkins, Murray and others. Of course they are free to believe in whatever values ​​they want; the problem is that these values ​​make no sense when separated from the Christian faith that underpins them. For example, if you trace the roots of the idea of ​​human rights, values ​​and dignity, it is thoroughly biblical, deriving from the fundamental teaching in Genesis 1: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (verses 26-27).

Incidentally, the desire of today’s “Christian atheists” to enjoy the fruits of this idea while rejecting its root is not entirely new; this tension was pointed out over a century ago by none other than Friedrich Nietzsche when he wrote:

If you give up the Christian faith, you are tearing the right to Christian morality from under your feet. This morality is by no means self-evident. … Christianity is a system, a coherent, overall view of things. By removing one main concept, faith in God, from it, you break the whole thing: nothing necessary remains in your hands.

No truth, no benefits

As Christians, we would agree with Nietzsche on this point. The social goods that Dawkins, Murray, Holland, and Hirsi Ali saw in Christianity are not accidental; they arise from Christianity’s core teachings about who God is and who we are. If there is a God who created us in his image—and if God demonstrated his love for us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (Rom. 5:8)—then it makes sense to talk about human rights, dignity, worth, and freedom. On the other hand, if we are just molecules in motion, then Christianity is a fairy tale at best, a deception at worst.

In the article announcing her conversion, Hirsi Ali recognized that she needed to go beyond the mere view that Christianity was good for society:

Of course, I still have a lot to learn about Christianity. Every Sunday in church I discover something new. But on my own long journey through a wilderness of fear and self-doubt, I have realized that there is a better way to overcome life’s challenges than Islam or unbelief can offer.

In her recent dialogue with Richard Dawkins, she went even further, drawing a clear line between her appreciation of the virtues of Christianity and her belief in the story and teachings of Jesus.

Requests and prayers

How can we help our friends who have also begun to appreciate the heritage of Christianity – be it in terms of human rights, culture, truth, or art and literature – to go further?

I am a firm believer in the power of “asking,” the approach Paul takes in Acts 17. Get together with your friends, discuss the values ​​they value, and commend them for what they have seen. But then be bold and ask them if they have ever thought about the source of the things they value so much. And then ask them if they have even thought about why those values ​​make sense if the story they are based on is not true. Would you want to live in a house in an earthquake zone if you knew the foundations were missing?

If we are merely molecules in motion, then Christianity is at best a fairy tale, at worst a delusion.

And finally, don’t forget the power of prayer. On the one hand, it’s easy to criticize people like Dawkins or Murray for trying to make the best of both worlds, or even for making the best of both worlds while denying the existence of the baker. But we are light years away from the old New Atheism, which would have dismissed this very conversation as ridiculous. Let’s pray that these thinkers – and our friends like them – take the next steps. Encourage them along the way: perhaps give them a copy of a book like Mere Christianity or Have you ever asked yourself this?

And let us take heart that Christian history, both recent and ancient, is full of stories of people like CS Lewis, who first appreciated the virtues of Christianity before finally encountering Jesus, the heart of Christianity.