Now, let me get this right out of the way: I’m probably one of the younger Christian anons on Twitter, not just in terms of how long my account has been active, but also by actual age. Many anons are adults, married with children, or are finishing up college. If there are anons younger than that, they keep hints about their age well-concealed. But I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have nearly as much real-life experience as many of my fellow Twitterers.

Even so, I use the internet a lot. And, against my better judgment, I read internet comments A LOT. We all know internet comment sections are less like blossoming gardens of intellectual richness and more like those dingy little puddles were mosquitoes breed. Everyone has a thesaurus in their hand, Google at their fingertips, and far too much time to make their case to random strangers they’ll never meet. And I’ve found that over the years, Christians have become a bit better at discussing and debating their theological views with believers and non-believers alike in an online setting. That being said, it seems like one problem continues to persist among the online White Knights of Christendom: a failure to properly address atheism.

Atheism is not necessarily the greatest intellectual threat to Christianity, especially in America, where 92% of Americans claim to believe in God. Of course, not everyone included in that number believes in the God of the Bible; for example, 12% preferred the term “universal spirit” when given the option, but that’s beside the point. Even with self-avowed atheists making up only about 5 to 7 percent of the U.S. population, their numbers have slowly grown over the decades. And, most importantly, they are still parts of God’s creation, fallen away like we all were at one point or another, and they need Christians to go out and share the gospel with them. Unfortunately, too many Christians have had bad run-ins with angry atheists in the past and have basically given up on witnessing to them because they’re so difficult to talk to. Plus, have you ever tried tweeting something negative about atheism? If you’re considering it, be ready for the veritable hailstorm of angry atheist anons poking fun at every Christian doctrine they can get their hands on. No wonder so many have found it more practical to just say, if you’ll excuse me, “screw ‘em,” and focus on more fertile witnessing ground.

However, maybe the “problem” with atheists is not found solely in their own belief system. Maybe we have failed to adapt accordingly to this alien battlefield on which we find ourselves whenever we talk to them. Too many times I have seen Christians try to “argue” the existence of God by starting with the Bible and working up from there. They don’t seem to realize the simple fact that atheists not only do not believe, but often do not respect the Bible. While I personally find the latter a bit extreme, it is a fact in many cases and Christians need to be prepared to alter their usual tactics when dealing with people like this. There’s a HUGE difference between witnessing to your friend who claims to believe in God and the Bible and just doesn’t take it seriously, and witnessing to someone who flat-out rejects religious belief as irrational. In this post, I’ve outlined a few strategies that might help you be better prepared when dealing with skeptics and non-believers:

1. Study Philosophy: Atheism is a philosophical claim (namely, that God does not exist). It is not theological or scientific in nature. It requires logical foundations to be accepted, and it has logical ramifications in terms of the worldview that it produces. There has been a recent push among Christians to get back into theology, and that’s awesome. But there should be an equal push to learn philosophy. Philosophy and theology go hand in hand. One investigates God from the Christian perspective, the other investigates basic questions about the world around us using logic and abstract thought. If you want to interact positively with arguments for and against theism, you need to be familiar with philosophy from Christian and atheistic perspectives. There are number of good books out there to help you get started… Cowan and Spiegel’s The Love of Wisdom is a good layman’s introduction, while Craig and Moreland’s Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview is much more robust (at 650 pages!)

2. Don’t Get Your Science from Creationists: Listen, I’m NOT saying stop being a Creationist. But please understand, coming from someone who has always loved and will be pursuing a degree in biology (specifically biochemistry), there is more to science and evolutionary biology than just the Piltdown Man, Darwin’s Finches, and Stephen Jay Gould. I used to read a lot about the Creation/Evolution debate, but I stopped when I realized that all the books and pamphlets basically rehash the same 6 or 7 arguments and don’t really treat the subject with much scientific rigor. If you really want to disprove evolution to a non-believer (and good luck with that), pick up a biology textbook or another non-fiction book on the subject and read that instead. And then do some research and find the flaws in their reasoning. You will learn so much more, and non-believers will respect your dedication to “knowing thy enemy” so to speak. Finally, I feel the need to mention that my biggest pet peeve is Christians who say evolution is “just a theory.” Basically, in science, a theory is a word that scientists use to refer to a model that explains a large body of evidence in a relatively simple way, and which has been repeatedly confirmed through experimentation. So saying evolution is “just a theory” doesn't really do much to create doubt in non-believers. This argument is so fallacious and so prevalent that biology textbooks now have separate sections where they address the scientific definition of the word “theory” and why “it’s just a theory” isn’t a valid criticism.

3. Speak the truth in love: sometimes atheists can be difficult people to talk to. The more radical ones can say some pretty outrageous stuff, and it is tough to keep your cool with those kinds of people. But always remember that how an argument is presented can be just as important as the argument itself. Refrain from accusing them of being wicked sinners, avoid quoting Psalm 14:1, and don’t refer to their non-belief as a “religion.” Even when you may have a point, remember that the goal is to bring them closer to a personal faith in Jesus Christ, not to make them mad or win a petty argument. As noted apologist William Lane Craig says, of course they’re going to be defensive! Just look at what’s at stake for them if they’re wrong! But all the more reason to handle each situtation with care and respect: a lot of atheists leave their religions under the impression that religious people are judgmental and cruel. A kind word and gentle demeanor can sometimes take you farther than any cold philosophical argument.