In a world dominated by skepticism, academia, and humanistic rationalism, why would one of the sharpest minds of the internet age surrender to faith in Jesus Christ?

Larry Sanger, the cofounder of Wikipedia, spent 35 years as a skeptic—immersed in the world of philosophy, rationalism, and methodological doubt. He moved in circles that rejected Christianity, surrounded by intellectuals who dismissed faith as outdated and irrational. Yet today, he boldly confesses: “I am a Christian.”

This is not just another conversion story. It is a moment that should make everyone stop and think.

How does a man trained in philosophy, surrounded by atheists, and deeply skeptical of religious belief, come to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord?

The answer is profound—and it speaks to all who genuinely seek the truth.

The Journey from Skepticism to Faith

Larry Sanger’s story is one of deep intellectual struggle. As a child, he was raised in a Lutheran home, but his relentless questioning led him away from faith. He found no satisfying answers from religious leaders, who often brushed off his doubts. The silence of those who should have defended the truth only reinforced his skepticism.

By his late teens, he had fully embraced methodological skepticism—the idea that one should withhold belief until something can be known with certainty. He pursued philosophy at the highest levels, earning a Ph.D. in analytic philosophy, a field largely dominated by nonbelievers.

During this time, he viewed religion as something only unthinking or dogmatic people accepted. He saw faith as an obstacle to reason. But despite all his skepticism, something lingered—an awareness that he might not have given Christianity a fair evaluation.

The Slow Crumbling of Atheism

As Sanger grew older, he began to observe something troubling.

While outspoken atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris loudly proclaimed that belief in God was irrational, their arguments lacked the depth and intellectual rigor he expected. They ridiculed Christianity rather than engaging with it seriously. Their followers, especially in online communities, often behaved with arrogance rather than reasoned argument.

At the same time, Sanger noticed that many of the most intelligent and thoughtful people he knew were Christians.

This contradiction troubled him. He had dismissed Christianity for decades—but had he really examined it fairly?

His journey back began in an unexpected way. He saw the increasing moral decay of the world, the collapse of ethical standards, and the growing influence of occultism among the powerful. He was disturbed by the rise of movements that openly embraced evil, often in direct opposition to biblical morality.

In 2019, he decided to do something radical: read the Bible cover to cover.

Finding Truth in the Word of God

For most of his life, Sanger assumed that the Bible was nothing more than ancient mythology. But as he read it with fresh eyes, something unexpected happened.

The Bible was not what he thought it was.

Instead of primitive superstition, he found deep coherence. Instead of contradictions, he found astonishing wisdom. The more he studied, the more he realized that he had never truly understood Christianity at all.

He examined the classic arguments for the existence of God—the cosmological argument, the fine-tuning argument, the moral argument—and found them far more compelling than he had before.

One by one, his old reasons for unbelief fell apart.

Eventually, he reached a turning point. Lying in bed one night, he finally admitted to himself:

“I believe in God.”

For a man who had built his entire worldview on skepticism, this was a radical shift. It was not emotional manipulation. It was not blind faith. It was the result of following the evidence—and the evidence led him to Jesus.

Why This Matters

Larry Sanger’s conversion is a warning to the skeptics of today.

For decades, the dominant narrative in secular education, mainstream media, and the scientific community has been that Christianity is irrational and outdated. Young minds are taught that faith is a crutch for the ignorant, that science has replaced God, and that morality can exist without a Creator.

But Sanger’s story exposes the lie.

A man trained in logic, who spent decades analyzing worldviews, who held every intellectual reason to reject Christianity—became a believer.

Why?

Because the truth is undeniable.

The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). The fine-tuning of the universe demands a Designer. The existence of absolute morality points to a Lawgiver. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most well-documented and consequential event in human history.

The real question is not whether God exists, but whether we are willing to follow the evidence wherever it leads.

A Challenge to the Skeptic

If you are reading this and still clinging to doubt, ask yourself:

  • Have you truly examined the claims of Christianity with an open mind?
  • Have you read the Bible cover to cover, rather than relying on secondhand critiques?
  • Have you considered that your skepticism might be based on assumptions rather than truth?

Larry Sanger spent 35 years as a nonbeliever. He thought he had Christianity figured out. But when he finally sought the truth, he found Christ.

The same truth is waiting for you.

The only question is: Will you seek it?

Creation Matters—Today and Forever

Sanger’s story is a powerful reminder that creation matters. The order and design of the universe are not accidents. The moral law written on our hearts is not an illusion. The evidence for God is woven into the very fabric of reality.

That’s why Creation Today exists—to help people see the undeniable truth that science and Scripture go hand in hand.

The Bible is true. Jesus Christ is Lord. And today is the day of salvation.

Don’t wait 35 years to discover what Sanger did. Seek the truth now.

Link to Larry Sanger Blog: https://larrysanger.org/2025/02/how-a-skeptical-philosopher-becomes-a-christian/