Isn't conversion just psychological?

The idea that Christian conversion is ‘just psychological’ — in other words, that it does not involve a real encounter with the living God — has been widely promoted.

Recently, such books as The God Delusion by the atheist Richard Dawkins have reiterated the claim. For Dawkins, religion is scarcely distinguishable from childhood delusions like the imaginary friend. Conversion is a species of psychological trick which is foisted on people or which people play on themselves and involves nothing supernatural.

This accusation intimidates some Christians and prejudices many ordinary people against ever considering the gospel of Christ.

Faith and wellbeing

There is, of course, a psychological side to faith. Much research indicates that belief in God leads to a more stable and contented life. For example, a BBC News report from March 2008 quoted a survey: ‘Religious people are better able to cope with shocks such as losing a job or divorce, claims a study presented to the Royal Economic Society conference. Data from thousands of Europeans revealed higher levels of “life satisfaction” in believers… This is not the first study to draw links between religion and happiness’. In fact, the ‘conversion is just psychological’ attack on faith implies that secularists themselves acknowledge that faith does bring benefits. But they are saying it is based on a delusion. In essence, their argument is that Christians are too naive to understand how miserable life really is!

The notion that conversion is ‘just psychological’ broadly comes in two forms.

1. ‘Christian faith is an unreal solution to manufactured needs’

Advertising can manipulate people and sell you something you don’t really want. Skilful advertisers are able to plant the need in us and then sell us their product. You don’t actually need a car as expensive as that, but now, having seen the glossy advert, you feel you do. Your life would be fine without that particular brand of low calorie health food, but now you have listened to that celebrity’s commendation of the product, you think it wouldn’t.

Is this the kind of manipulative game that Christianity plays?

This art of insinuating a belief or impulse into someone’s mind is usually referred to as the technique of ‘suggestion’. In its most extreme form, it goes back to the work of the Russian physiologist I. P. Pavlov (1849-1936), who conducted electrical experiments on dogs in which he stimulated them until they fell into a state of collapse. Once there it was very easy to introduce fresh conditioned reflexes into their behaviour.

Sadly, such ‘brainwashing’ techniques have been used, in more or less subtle ways, throughout history by various extremist political groups and religious sects in order to indoctrinate people. Is Christian faith a response to a manufactured need planted by the evangelist?

In answer, the point to note is that, whether through the subtleties of advertising techniques or the more blatant methods of brainwashing, the purpose is to knock out the mind of the individual and so bypass it. When people are no longer thinking for themselves then they can be told what they must think.

But think about it.

* In complete contrast to these suggestion techniques, the Bible emphasises the use of the mind in approaching God. Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ (Mark 12.30). The whole person, including the mind is to be engaged, not by-passed, in seeking God.

* God approaches us through the gospel message addressed to our rationality. The apostle Peter says that Christians should ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have’ (1 Peter 3.15).

* It is the reasoned nature of Paul’s evangelism which explains the long periods for which he stayed in some cities (Acts 17.2-4; 18.7-11). Note that Paul’s evangelistic methods included question and answer sessions (Acts 19.8-10), or discussions.

Actually, the Bible distances itself from all religion which seeks to downplay the use of the mind. God has created us and given us our minds. He certainly does not want us to discard them in coming to him.

2. ‘Christianity is an unreal solution to real human needs’

This is the idea that Christianity is nothing more than a mental crutch to comfort people who are too weak to face up to the difficulties of life. This is a real problem. Life is difficult. But Christian faith is an unreal solution to this very real problem which people face.

This critique actually reverses biblical teachings. It tells us not that God created us in his image, but that he is a creation of our minds. It would have us believe that it was not that God revealed himself and became our Father through the Lord Jesus, but that we projected ‘fatherhood’ onto this God delusion in order to give ourselves a feeling of security in life.

Three great figures of history have promoted this attack on Christian faith. The first was the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872). He claimed that, ‘If man is to find contentment in God, he must find himself in God’. The second was the originator of psychotherapy, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). Similarly, Karl Marx (1818-1883), the father of Communism, dismissed religion as ‘the opium of the masses’. In other words, it is something which people take as a drug to make them feel better, but which has simultaneously had a soporific effect so that they do not engage with reality and act to improve their condition in life as they should.

Think again.

On the surface, propounded by such giants of secular thought who have shaped world history, this analysis seems very powerful. But, before we are ready to swallow it, we ought to note three things.

* First, such an argument can be easily reversed. It is just as easy to say that atheists like Karl Marx, with such forceful and dogmatic personalities, have favoured the idea that there is no God, because they found it uncomfortable to think that they might have to give an account of their lives to a holy Creator.

* Second, if you were going to invent a ‘God’ to give you comfort, it is very doubtful that you would choose to invent a God like the God of the Bible. Many people reject Christianity precisely because they hate the thought of a holy God who judges people for their sin.

* Third, the argument that Christianity is a crutch can only stand up so long as Christianity is confined to being a purely subjective experience. But this is the very thing that the New Testament will not have. Christianity claims to be a faith solidly based on historical events open to public scrutiny (1 Corinthians 15.1-7; Acts 26.26).

Hopefully enough has been said to expose the holes in the ‘Christianity is a crutch’ proposal. So the vital question becomes….

3. Is Christianity true?

There are two areas to be investigated here.

* Objective facts

Consider the evidence for the objective truth of Christianity. Let me suggest four avenues to examine.

First, you must consider the fact that the biblical writers were only too aware of the possibility of ‘gods’ being the product of human imagination, but rejected this as a totally inadequate explanation for the LORD and his works (1 Samuel 6.7-12; Psalm 115.2-9, etc.).

Second, consider the miraculous fulfilment of biblical prophecies, concerning Christ The whole Old Testament was complete some 400 years before the New Testament opens. How is it that the Old Testament appears to predict so clearly so many things about Christ and his church which have now come to pass?

Third, you should consider the scientific evidence from the world. If there is no God, then you really are left with only two options: either that the universe is somehow eternal, or that it appeared out of absolutely nothing. Modern science is quite unanimous that the evidence declares that the universe had a beginning. That leaves the atheist in the uncomfortable position of having to believe that everything we see came out of nothing at all. But everyone knows that you cannot get something from nothing. Of course, we must not fudge the issue by saying that the universe came out of a few quantum laws or particles, because we then have to ask where they come from, etc.

Fourthly, you must consider the evidence for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by whom we can find acceptance with God (Acts 2.23,24; Romans 4.25). This evidence is most compelling on any unprejudiced assessment.

Christianity is not a psychological trick. It claims to be the way the world is and the fact of the matter. Therefore it calls people to look at the evidence.

* Personal experience

When someone is converted, they not only become persuaded of the historical truth of Christ, but also come to know him from personal experience.

There is a lovely story in Amy Orr-Ewing’s book But is it real? (IVP). A man she knew gave his testimony of how he had become a Christian. It began with his wife becoming a Christian. He was horrified. When his wife told him that she was going to pray regularly, the man had an idea. He decided he would find out what his wife was praying for and write down her requests over the following year with the purpose of showing that none of her requests had been answered and so she ought to give up this religious nonsense. But, to his complete astonishment, at the end of the year her only unanswered prayer was his own conversion to Christ! The evidence of personal experience was staring him in the face.