Summit Ministries

I came to Summit Ministries, thinking that nobody could change my atheistic beliefs. I had grown up in a Christian home (and my father was actually a pastor of a Presbyterian church) so I had been shown a lot of love and support from many Christians. However, I grew up in a very liberal environment, where I was taught that I should question everything…that I should delve deeper and deeper into "truths" that were given to me since I was born.

So, I decided to question everything…and of course, my religious beliefs were already on shaky grounds, so they happened to be an easy target. I took various art history and philosophy courses and I dove right into evolutionary theory/biology, Friedrich Nietzche, Ayn Rand and Bertrand Russell. I also embraced many of the secular humanist ideas presented to me through film and journalism pieces in the New York Times. Soon, it just seemed to me that Christians…and any other religious person…simply turned to God because humans in general had too many emotional and psychological needs. Without the idea of "GOD" in their heads, they wouldn't be able to cope with life's disappointments.

I had expressed these initial convictions to my two group leaders during the beginning of my time at Summit…I was ardent and unwilling to change.

At the time, I had no idea what the speakers had to tell me. Each and every hour, one speaker would turn down one argument against Christianity after another: "There is no archaeological evidence that macroevolution occurred." "A single cell is much too complex to happen by chance." "History reveals that Jesus Christ was an actual person." "The universe is finely-tuned for human life."

To most others in the room, these facts were tools given to them so that they could evangelize and witness to non-Christians more effectively. To me, my "intellectual treatise against Christianity" were over-turned. It felt like a revolution in my mind.

I'm just really happy I came to Summit Ministries. I feel kind of ashamed for not questioning Nietzche, Rand, etc. in the same way I questioned Christianity…and I also feel sorry. I don't know exactly how I'll be able to restart my relationship with God, but there are so many amazing Christians here who are ready to help me. And I can't wait until I get to share the good news with my friends, and to talk about it with my parents when I get home.