What atheists get right.

Who is closer to having good theology, legalists or atheists?

Although this sounds like an absurd question, consider what they both have in common. Both legalists and atheists (generally) have almost the exact same false view of God, in which He is a petty, vindictive, self-aggrandizing, and judgmental brat, condemning anyone and everyone who does not precisely conform to His peculiar and exacting standards. The legalists, of course, celebrate this heretically one-dimensional view of God whereas atheists reject it.

But why do atheists reject it? Because they say a God like that would not be a God worth worshipping. Their complaint is that such a God is not at all a God of love, but instead the most evil archetype of villainy. In other words, they deny the existence of this God because He is not good enough, not loving enough. The great irony, then, is that in rejecting the false theology of legalists, atheist are actually standing up in defense of the character of God. Therefore, their denial of God’s existence actually turns out to be celebration of the true God, whose loving Nature and Honor they inadvertently defend. When they say, “This God does not exist, and if He does, is not worth worshipping,” we Christians should shout, “Agreed!”

But we Christians don’t worship this false God. Our God so loved us that in spite of His Holiness and His absolute right to Divine judgment, He chose to completely humiliate Himself in order to get us who did not deserve it. He cared so little about His reputation that He went so far as to let it be tarnished on the Cross and continuously slandered by both legalists masquerading as Christians and atheists alike throughout subsequent history. He is a God which no self-respecting man would ever emulate, for precisely the reason that other-love rather than self-respect are at the very core of His character. And it is this utter lack of self-centeredness that the atheist holds aright in rejecting the false God of legalism.

And so when atheists say they would never be willing to believe in a God who would send people to hell for their petty indiscretions, ask them whether they would believe in a God who would sacrifice His dignity, His reputation, and even His very life in order to rescue people from such a horrific fate. Perhaps they will then reject God because He is too loving, but only someone who has never understood the Gospel would ever reject God because He’s too self-centered and tyrannical.