When a sinner comes to Christ it is a beautiful thing. I became a Christian at the age of five, kneeling by my bed with my mom and dad. My husband came to Christ at the age of twelve when visiting a VBS. He was the first one in his family to come to Christ. Every story of salvation is a beautiful one.
When someone who is a strong atheist comes to Christ the story seems even more miraculous. When a man or woman who does not believe in the existence of God becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, the miracle seems larger. It is not, however. Every story of salvation is a beautiful thing. However, in this blog, I am going to share my top faith-based movies about atheists.
I have family members that have rejected Christ. This is heartbreaking. If you have someone you love deeply who is not walking with God, then you understand that pain. These films will inspire you to not give up, your loved one will come to Christ.
The Case for Christ
I heard the story of Lee Strobel when I was a teenager. A friend shared his story with me, and I was very interested. The movie came out when my daughters were young teenagers, and I hosted a movie night for teen girls in my home to watch the film.
The story is of a young investigative journalist working for the Chicago Tribune, who is trying to prove to his wife that the Christian faith is a hoax. This self-proclaimed atheist is determined to prove to the world Jesus was not the Son of God.
Lee comes to understand that Christian Faith depends on the resurrection of Jesus. If he can prove the resurrection of Jesus didn’t happen the whole foundation of the church will collapse.
Erika Christensen is one of my favorite actresses and her portrayal of Leslie Strobel is amazing. This is a great movie; you don’t want to miss it. One of the things that I loved about this movie is how it showed God’s redemption in a marriage.
If you know someone praying for a wife or husband that is not a Christian, this is a great movie to encourage them.
God’s Not Dead
I have children who are college-age now. One of my biggest fears is that I did not prepare them well enough for the attacks on Christianity they will face. This is not a true story, but it is based on the accounts of many students who have faced persecution in college because of their faith.
In this film, a college philosophy professor named Professor Radisson, played by Kevin Sorbo, has a Christian college student join his philosophy class. The young man named Josh refuses to denounce his faith in God or deny his belief system. Kevin Sorbo does an amazing job in the role of an atheist professor.
The thing I love the most about this movie is the call to action that the movie ends with. The audience doesn’t just walk away with the idea they watched a good movie, they are called to do something to make a change.
This film was successful and because of that the producers were able to continue making film. God’s Not Dead 2 tells the story of a high school teacher in court after answering a question in class about Jesus.
God’s Not Dead 3 Light in the Darkness tells the story of a church on the Harvard campus, and the most recent film is God’s Not Dead, We the People tells the story of homeschooled families heading to court. This series is a great series.
The Most Reluctant Covert
I first heard the story of C.S. Lewis as a teenager when I watched the movie Shadowlands. I became more interested in his story and after some research learned more about his conversion from Atheism to Christianity. Mere Christianity is one of the books that influenced both my husband and me as adults.
We started reading the Chronicles of Narnia to our children when they were very little and watched the movies in the theater when they came out. What a blessing C.S. Lewis has been to not only our family but to the modern world, even so, many years after his death.
In this movie, you see C.S. struggle from rejecting God as a young teenager to believing God is evil, to coming to see who God truly is. In his studies at Oxford University, C.S. has a change of heart. His deep faith impacted his world and has continued to impact us today. This true story is one of my favorite Christian films.
Once you watch this film, you will want to watch the Narnia series with your children and see the gospel presented through the imagination of C.S. Lewis. You may also enjoy watching the movie Shadowlands. Although the film is not a Christian film, you will learn more about the life of C.S. Lewis and you will become a bigger fan.
Let There Be Light
I have a cousin who was raised in a Christian family, attended a Christian school, and then walked away from God and became an atheist. He made this choice after facing a very horrific life-altering tragedy. It is hard to witness to someone who was raised as a Christian and has walked away from the faith.
If you have family members in this situation you can understand how it feels hopeless when you pray for them. But there is always hope. Never give up.
This is another Kevin Sorbo film. Kevin Sorbo has become very popular for his Faith-Based films, including films about The Rapture, politics, and living for God.
In this film, he plays an atheist named Dr. Sol Harkens. After facing a tragedy, Dr. Sol rejects God. After a near-death experience, Dr. Sol takes a journey to figure out what is truth. His wife and sons are followers of Jesus, and while Dr. Sol loves his family, he rejects their belief in a higher power. As an outspoken Christian, I have been face-to-face with many angry atheists.
Many of the things I heard from these atheists are views held by Dr. Sol in this film. If you have a family member who has walked away from God, I don’t think this film will bring them back to God. I do believe that it will bring you hope and remind you of the power of God. You will be inspired to continue to pray for your loved one to come back to Christ.
God on Trial
The story of Corrie Ten Boom and the holocaust was one of the first historical stories I learned as a child. My mother’s family came to Canada before World War II because they could not support the German government where they lived.
Because of this, my family has always made this part of history an important lesson to learn. We have always made standing for the Jewish people a priority. One of the questions I have asked myself many times, is why did God allow this to happen? Why did he allow his chosen people to go through this horrific ordeal?
In this movie, Jewish men about to be executed hold a court in their Auschwitz camp. On trial is God. Has He forsaken His people? Has He forgotten His vow to His people?
This is a very powerful movie that shows the truth of the horror of the Auschwitz camps and asks the hard questions I am sure many of us have asked. Where is God when Evil seems to be winning?
Undaunted
Josh McDowell is one of my favorite writers and speakers. He is famous for his book, More Than a Carpenter, and Evidence That Demands a Verdict. I didn’t know about his history until I watched this film. I will warn you this is not a family-friendly movie.
There are many great Family Christian movies, however, because of the sexual and physical abuse that takes place in this film, it is not recommended for families with young children. Josh faced a violent alcoholic father and childhood sexual abuse. It is not a surprise that he grew up to be a hard-hearted, angry atheist.
He believed there was no historical or scientific evidence of God. In college, he met a young girl with Christian values who faced his confrontation by asking him to prove his theory that God was not real. Josh takes that challenge and finds the truth.
Once you have watched this film, take some time to look up sermons preached by Josh McDowell. He has many great messages on apologists and will inspire you to learn how to defend your faith.
Jesus Revolution
I saw this movie as a date night with my husband. It was a hit at the box office and for good reason. One of the best ways to share the gospel is through the testimonies of people who came to Christ. A lot of people went to the theaters to see this movie and it was a huge success.
The story of young people searching for truth is inspiring. The movie follows the faith journey of a few different people. An atheist turned Christian evangelist hippy, a pastor trying to find a way to reach a generation of young people that seem lost, a pastor’s daughter about to walk away from the church, and two teenagers who don’t believe in God trying to find truth in drugs and rock n roll.
Because this is a true story it does not shy away from the horrors of the drug scene. It also doesn’t shy away from the issues of church politics. Since I grew up in a pastor’s home I understood those scenes very well, and I am glad they were added to the movie.
I recommend this movie to everyone I talk to. It is such a great movie, and I walked out of the theater praising God and wanting to live my life with purpose. If you are looking for a movie to watch with your youth group, this is one I would highly recommend.
Big George Foreman
I have not seen this movie yet; it is in theaters right now. I saw the commercial for it when I was watching The Jesus Revolution in theaters. I am so excited to see this film, and I can’t wait.
Unfortunately, since I am currently living in Canada I will have to wait. Christian films don’t come to Canada until it makes a lot of money in the States. So, if Americans go to watch this in theaters, then it will be in theaters near my house as well.
This is the story of George Foreman. We know him as the boxer and the creation of the best grill in the world. But this is a story of a man who didn’t believe in God and then came face to face with death. His faith journey is one I didn’t know about before seeing the trailer for this film. I can’t wait to see this movie.
If you have a chance to see this, I know you will love it! I am always surprised when I hear about famous men and women who are Christians. I am excited to hear the stories of God moving and changing lives.
Steve McQueen American Icon
The Jesus Revolution tells the story of Greg Laurie coming to Christ as a young man. Greg Laurie became a pastor of a church in California, and during his time in ministry, he had the opportunity to meet and witness a famous actor named Steve McQueen.
Steve McQueen was in secular films such as Bullitt, the Magnificent Seven, and The Great Escape.
Steve had a hard childhood, facing abuse and poverty. He became an actor and embraced what Hollywood had to offer. It was at the end of his life that Steve came to Christ. In his dying breaths, he was witnessing and sharing the gospel with everyone he could.
One of those moments was captured on film. His final wish was “I want to change people’s lives. I want people to know what has happened to me.”
When the Erwin Brothers found this moment on film, they knew they had to fulfill Steve’s final wish, to share his testimony with the world. They teamed up with Greg Laurie who helped them make this movie, Steve McQueen American Icon. When Steve died, he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, yet no one knew his story of coming to Christ.
My favorite scene is when Greg Laurie interviews Mell Gibson. This is a great movie to remind us that as powerful as Hollywood seems to be, Jesus will always be more powerful. We are on the winning team in this battle for the soul of our country.
Nefarious
I am adding this title to the blog with some warnings. This is not a film for young children, and you’re not going to find the coming to God moment you would find in a Kevin Sorbo film. However, the producer is known for his films God’s Not Dead and Unplanned.
This is a film made by Christians but is not marketed as a Christian film. The story follows Dr. James Martin who is interviewing a convicted killer to determine if he is mentally competent to be executed. The killer is Edward who claims to be demon possessed. Dr. James does not believe in God, Satan, or demons. But what unfolds is a conversation between the Dr. and a demon.
This movie reminded me of the book Screwtape Letters. This is not a film for children, but if you enjoy suspenseful movies this is one you would enjoy.
Against the Tide
When our family started hosting movie nights at our home, we looked for films to help us with apologetics. This film is less of a story and more of a documentary about how Atheists can come to Christ by seeing the scientific evidence of the reality of God Oxford mathematician John Lennox and Christian filmmaker Kevin Sorbo join to create this evidence-based film.
You can believe in God with faith beyond a reasonable doubt. Because the film asks both scientific and philosophical questions we don’t just ask if God is real but if God is good.
Unfortunately, churches have not prepared their congregations to answer the questions the world has today. Because of that people believe Christianity is weak and has no answers. We don’t have to be afraid to face the questions people have for us, but we do have to be prepared.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15 “Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” This is a film that will prepare you and will also prepare the lives of the people we love. If you have older teenagers you have to prepare them for the questions, they will have themselves, and the questions people will have for them.
If you are looking for a film to show at your church around Easter time, this is a great option. While it doesn’t tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, it does prove that story is real.
Prepare yourself with this film.