Thursday, March 18, 2021

Should We Bother Debating Atheists?


One of the largest religious message boards on the social-media website Reddit is simply called “Debate an Atheist.” It’s filled with exactly the kind of content you’d expect. Some conversations quickly devolve into name-calling and petty insults. Others are incredibly philosophical, showing a strong grasp of epistemology and teleology. In total, the subreddit has more than 72,000 members, and undoubtedly many more who stand on the sidelines and watch the debates unfurl.

If evangelical Christians take the Great Commission seriously, is debating an atheist a good use of their time, energy, and effort? In my new book, The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going, I provide empirical evidence that debating atheists has a very low return on investment. If Christians want to bring people back into the fold of a church community, they should try a different strategy. Read More

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