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A Journey Out of Atheism: A Conversation with Roger Charles

Kathie Lee

Roger is one of the world’s most accomplished architects. He came to my home with his wife, Cynthia Garrett, and a group of Californians contemplating a move from LA to Tennessee. Roger grew up during the Jesus Movement, as I did. He set out to disprove the existence of God, with surprising results. This is Roger’s story with Jesus.

Roger

Logically, I just believed there was no God from everything I saw. In 1970, the Jesus Movement just exploded. While I was in high school, my friends were becoming Christians, and my brother’s friends were becoming Christians. To me, becoming a Christian sounded like a fairy tale. Finally, I decided, “Nobody has put together the definitive work on why the Bible is unreliable,” so that’s what I set out to do.

Proving anything came down to only two things that are reliable: tangible evidence and reliable witnesses. It’s like a court of law. I started reading philosophers. I liked Descartes, even though he was a Christian because he talked about going to the source and not trusting what others said about evidence, which meant I had to read the Bible. I thought there would be contradictions everywhere, but there isn’t a contradiction in the Bible.

So now I was sitting there thinking, I have way more evidence for the Bible than against the Bible. I had read the Bible three times at this point. And, of course, the Holy Spirit started working in me. The Bible was starting to make sense.

At that time I wasn’t concerned as to whether the Bible was Scripture or God-breathed. I was concerned as to whether it was reliable. All that matters for Jesus to be true is that it’s reliable. Recorded in the Bible you have all these witnesses, and to be an atheist, you have to prove they are all unreliable. The truth is, you can’t prove any of them unreliable. 

Kathie Lee

When did you finally say, “Okay, I believe”? What happened?

Roger

It was a full year later. I just was angry that I lost the battle. I threw away the Bible and went on to live my life like an idiot. Proving God exists doesn’t mean you know God. I understood there was a Holy Spirit, but I didn’t know what that meant. 

I kept telling God that He could come along with me in my life. But nothing happened. After a few weeks, I finally said to God, “I know You won’t reject me, so I will live my life for You.” That’s when it happened. Boom, peace just came into my life. All of a sudden, I was sharing Jesus, and people’s lives were being changed. There was power in it.

The Bible is true no matter what anybody says. It doesn’t matter what you want, it doesn’t matter what you feel, the Bible is true. End of story. There is no other option, logically.

Respond

What questions have you had about the reliability of the Bible and Jesus?

What is the difference between believing God exists and living for Him?

How can you respond to people who question whether the Bible is reliable and that Jesus is God’s Son?

Prayer

Thank You, God, that Your Holy Spirit leads us into what is true. Thank You that Your Word is reliable and I can live for You in confidence. Help me to be a light to those who are seeking to know You. Amen.