Why Non-Believers Should Study God
Why Would a Non-Believer Want to Study God?
In short, because IF God does exist, there are profound (and eternal) impacts.
Even if faith is not present, there are several compelling reasons to study God:
First, intellectual honesty. If God exists, and if Christianity’s claim that God is the ultimate source of reality is correct, then ignoring Him leaves one’s worldview incomplete. Serious thinkers throughout history have examined the God of the Bible not out of devotion, but out of a desire to understand truth itself.
Second, existential meaning. We all wrestle with restlessness, longing, and questions of purpose. The Biblical text holds answers to these deeply human questions. IF God created you, it is likely He had a reason for doing so; IF God created you, there is likely no greater purpose than to study Him; to seek to understand your Creator.
Third, moral inquiry. Questions about good and evil, justice, human dignity, and purpose are inseparable from theology. Studying God allows a non-believer to examine the foundations upon which Western moral thought, human rights, and ethical reasoning have been built.
Fourth, historical, literary, and cultural understanding. Christianity has profoundly shaped law, art, science, philosophy, and literature. To study God as presented in Biblical Scripture is to engage one of the central forces of human history. Even critical examination requires informed study.
How Can We Possibly Learn about God?
If a God who created us exists, the only way we would know it is if He chose to reveal Himself to us. Why? Because a Creator is greater than the created, including in terms of perspective.
Luckily, God has revealed Himself to us in five ways: 1) Creation and Science; 2) The Bible; 3) Jesus; 4) Other People; 5) Personal Experience
1) Creation and Science
God is not restricted to those who already believe, but He has made himself known through creation and the laws of science. The very fact that creation is structured and governed by laws (that we call science), points to an intelligent creator.
“What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20).
The Greek phrase to gnōston tou Theou (“what is knowable about God”) indicates that God has made Himself accessible to human reason and observation. Creation itself invites inquiry.
2) The Bible
The Bible is really just a story about God. It contains a bunch of different stories, but they are all designed to describe one God and His relationship to His creation. The Bible repeatedly calls out to those who are seeking, questioning, and even resisting belief in God. It is God’s letter written to us.
3) Jesus
Jesus is a historical figure. There are documents and artifacts from non-Christian Jewish and Roman historians that reference his life, death, teachings, and the teachings of those who followed him. It is well worth studying this man who claimed to be God to see what He said for yourself.
4) Other People
This is a tricky one. Many have written about their own beliefs and experiences with God. There are undoubtedly countless conflicting accounts out there, but there is certainly no shortage of material to study to make your own decision. As on any other topic, the perspective of others can be valuable but must be weighed against evidence from other sources.
5) Personal Experience
If a God created you, it is certainly not beyond Him to interact with you. Each of us is unique, so this can be different for different people, but if He created you, He certainly knows the best way to communicate with you. The important aspect is a sincere desire to seek Him if He exists. The Bible tells us “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Elsewhere it says, “if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Closing Thought
A non-believer may want to study God, not because faith is already present, but because truth is worth pursuing wherever it leads. Study may reveal insight into history, culture, morality, and purpose.
The Bible portrays God as one who invites questioning, examination, and sincere seeking. Careful and honest engagement with God’s self-revelation through creation & science, the Bible, Jesus, other people, and personal experience clears away caricatures and opens the door to understanding.