Why Did God Create Atheists?

I encountered this question while scrolling through my Facebook feed not too long ago, and right off the bat, my thought was: “God doesn’t create Atheists, he creates people.” The point of the brief article following it was that atheists were “created” to make others (or just Christians?) compassionate, and instead of saying, “God will help you,” we should say, “I will help you.”

I understand that the writer of that piece was trying to encourage helping out our fellow man in a practical way, as some people use “God will help you” or “I’ll pray for you” as a scapegoat for not wanting to get involved in a difficult situation. BUT there are two clear problems presented here, which I’ll be happy to address.

Problem #1: God Creates Atheists

As I mentioned before, God does not create atheists, but people with hearts and souls whom He hopes will become living sacrifices for His glory. Of course, not all will do this. We are given free will in order to choose to love God completely and not operate as robots. Atheists (as well as other kinds of non-believers) are self-made and choose to live apart from God for one or a variety of reasons.

Because our bodies are temples that must be filled with something, we’ll either be filled with God or we won’t be. There is no gray area, no “I’m a good person” scapegoat. Each person reading this article can think of the last time they cursed someone, complained, acted ungratefully, lied, stole–the list goes on. Certainly none of those things would go on the list of what we deem a “good person.” Jesus, however, did none of those. He was a good person and God in the flesh. That’s part of why we follow him, so we can make our best attempt.

Also, God would never create a human being that had no possibility of believing Him. You either choose to reject or accept the gospel, to love or condemn the God that is all around you, died for you and wants to fellowship with you. It’s that simple.

Problem #2: Only Saying I’ll Help You

It’s very true that we as Christians need to step up and potentially put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation to help others when circumstances arise. On the other hand, people often have needs that only God can fulfill, and letting them know we’re praying for them is certainly not a crime. Most often, what people really need is for someone to listen to them and to sympathize, even if you can’t fix the problem.

Trying to relate to someone in trouble as best you can helps them not feel alone, and also helps them feel understood. But, being Christians, it would feel totally weird if we didn’t mention God too! Even to an atheist, or some other kind of non-believer. It’s never just you or me that help’s someone–God is always involved too, and sometimes, it’s just God alone.

Conclusion

In college, I read a book called Inferno by Dante Alighieri, or better known as Dante’s Inferno. It’s a very interesting yet grim read, and presented one of the most insightful moments I’ve ever had. When the main character Dante finds the gates of Hell inside a forest, he soon learns that the gates are locked from within, suggesting that a choice can be made to enter, but not leave.

This is so very true. If we accept Christ and repent of our sins, we won’t make the mistake of entering, and never leaving, Hell. Given the sacrifice of His Son, God certainly doesn’t create atheists. Instead, He desires for them, and all non-believers, to reconcile themselves and live for Him.