R. A. Torrey and Atheists

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59.2).

Once when R. A. Torrey was preaching at a certain place, a college student came up to him and said: "Formerly I believed in God, but lately I do not believe any more. I read this book and that book, until I eventually read God away." "Do not try to deceive me," Mr. Torrey responded, "for I too was a college student. I have read many books and I have a doctor’s degree. But I have not read God away. Let me ask you a question. Now that you do not believe in God, how about your moral life?" To which the student replied somewhat candidly, "I must confess that my morality now is not as good as before." Whereupon Mr. Torrey concluded with a word well-spoken: "I need not argue with you. If you simply stop doing these bad things and begin to live more morally, God will immediately return." How factual that is, for many fail to believe in God not because they have good reasons to do so but simply because their multitude of sins hinders them from believing. They are compelled to be atheists.