In a moving display of God’s ability to reach anyone, a former atheist and communist shared his story of coming to faith in Jesus despite having all of the odds stacked against him, opening up about how he left atheism and leftism behind for a robust Christian faith.
For context, Sy Garte, a noted retired biochemist, explained in a vulnerable testimony that he became a Christian late in life after growing up in a secular, communist home and spending decades as an atheist. Garte, who described himself as raised to “despise Christians,” wrote about his conversion experience in a Premier Christianity article published on April 20, 2023.
Writing in Premier Christianity, Garte explained that he was born into a family who were “all communists,” going on to say that when he grew up, he pursued a career as a biochemist. He wrote, “My scientific training led me to question my assumptions of rationalist materialism as the only path to truth, and I became curious about this thing called spirituality.”
Continuing his story, Garte recounted how he began “a long journey” from atheism into agnosticism, and, eventually, to what he calls “hopeful theism.” Garte then said that after decades, he “crossed a threshold (or was dragged over it by the Holy Spirit),” which led him to become a committed Christian. As Garte tells it, he was “baptized a Christian in my 60s.”
In one of the most inspiring moments in his testimony, Garte shared that he has found many others with similar stories, writing, “Since then, I have heard about – and met – many people all over the world who have come to Christ despite having no knowledge of Jesus or faith background.” He added, “Our parents were not evil people, even if they did follow a failed idea promulgated by cynical liars. They thought they were doing good for humanity and a better world.”
Concluding his testimony, Garte explained that he felt that his parents had “indoctrinated us to despise a faith they had no actual knowledge of.” He added, “If they had, they might have begun to understand why some of their heroes, like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, espoused the truly radical notion of loving everyone, even one’s declared enemies.”
Not long after sharing his testimony in Premier Christianty, Garte wrote another piece for the magazine in which he declared that the so-called “war between science and faith” is “a lie,” explaining in the March 19, 2024, article that he believes that “the teachings of science are harmonious with the tenets of Christianity,” adding that science and faith are “two different melodies played on different instruments that, together, result in a spiritually satisfying worldview of God as creator of the natural world, including us.”
In addition to sharing his personal faith journey, Garte has written extensively on the concept of science and faith in harmony, calling the classic atheist argument that “science has disproved God” into question using his extensive knowledge of biology and robust Christian faith. Regarding his stance, he wrote on X, “When I was an atheist, I believed there was no evidence for God, but that science was truth. Then science showed me there was no evidence for atheism.” He added, “Now I know that evidence for God is everywhere.”
Featured image credit: Sy Garte via X