Ironically, many of the atheists I’ve come across started off as faithful Christians. Many were raised in Christian households or attended Christian schools. Some even attended seminary school to become preachers!
However, many atheists who don’t have a background in Christianity often ask me, “What’s the difference between atheists vs. Christians?”
The primary difference between an atheist and a Christian is that Christians believe in God and the “Trinity,” while atheists believe that God is merely a myth. Atheists are strongly opposed to belief in the supernatural or so-called higher beings, while Christians strongly recognize the presence of God in their lives.
While this may be the most obvious difference, it’s arguably the most important difference between atheism and Christianity. Aside from the obvious, though, what are some of the other differences between the two ideologies? In today’s post, I’m going to break down and explain some of the key differences between atheism vs. Christianity to help you understand.
Key Differences Between Atheism and Christianity
First off, if you haven’t taken my Atheist Quiz yet, I highly recommend that you go over there and read that as soon as you finish this post. In addition to helping you figure out your own beliefs, this should also challenge you to compare your belief in atheism to other religious, theological, and metaphysical ideas and schools of thought.
Some of the first questions that new atheists have, though, tend to compare atheism and Christianity. This is likely due to the fact that many atheists started off as Christians, and tend to be very outspoken against the world’s largest religion. So, Christianity is a great place to start!
That being said, these are some of the key differences between atheists and Christians.
Belief In The Supernatural
As I mentioned above, Christians believe in God. The Christian God is a “Trinity” that consists of three parts (three Gods in One); Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They believe the so-called “Godhead” acts in their life all of the time. They believe that God is always in them, around them, and is the source of everything, good and evil.
Conversely, atheists are firmly against the idea that God exists in the first place! Although some people joke that atheists “worship” science, you also have to understand that science is a set of laws, not a magical, supernatural being. Additionally, science is constantly evolving and changing, unlike the Christian God (who remains the same).
Interpretation Of The Bible
If you ask any Christain what the most important facet of their religion is, they’ll tell you that it’s the Bible. The Bible contains both the Old Testament (the Jewish Torah) and the New Testament (which records the life and miracles of Jesus and his key disciples).
Christians view the Bible as the “Living Word of God,” and believe that every verse was divinely inspired and has a purpose. They also believe that every chapter and book in the Bible is a true, historical account.
If you were to ask your average atheist about the Bible, though, they would paint a very different story. The Bible is full of many contradictions and “plot holes” that just don’t add up. Why does God tell his followers to value life and love their neighbors, while also telling them to go out and slaughter entire civilizations? This is just one of the many “mysteries” that Christians try to explain away and sweep under the rug.
Belief In Science
If you ask any atheist what their deeper belief is, they’ll usually tell you that if they believe in one thing, it’s science. Science presents us with theories and laws for how the universe was created, how the world works and allows us to predict possible outcomes.
However, if you ask most Christians, they’ll tell you that God’s word comes first… and then science. For Christians, science is just there to explain everything that happens when God isn’t around performing miracles and doing magic tricks. As you can imagine, this is one of the most common sources for atheist memes about their Christian counterparts.
What’s The Difference Between Agnostics and Christians?
For those who are new to atheism and theology, agnostics are those who are “on the fence” about God and the supernatural. They often identify as atheists but also admit that they would readily believe in a God if the right evidence presented itself. That being said, they do not believe in Christianity and the Christian Trinity.
Final Thoughts
As a professing atheist, it’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the arguments and ideologies behind other religions. The better you understand your opponent, the more faith you’ll have in your own beliefs and the better you’ll be able to argue your point.
Understanding the difference between atheists and Christians is a great first place to start.