Farewell to God?
This is a blog post in response to the book “Farewell to God” by Charles Templeton. It is the sad tale of a Christian who has lost his faith although having an amazing impact for the Gospel through his preaching.
Responding to “Farewell to God”: A Christian Perspective
When Charles Templeton, once a close associate of Billy Graham, wrote Farewell to God, many believers felt the sting of his departure from the Christian faith. His questions were honest, his struggles real — yet his conclusions don’t have to be ours.
Templeton’s story is a sobering reminder that doubts left unaddressed can grow into unbelief. The questions he asks are valid, but with each one he summarizes his responses with answers like: “It is obvious to anyone that this must be a fable” or “Any rational person sees the problem with these inconsistencies” or “A careful rereading of the Old Testament only confirmed my doubts” — and all these arguments without any proof just using his reason and logic.
I would recommend reading this book in conjunction with “Just as I am” by Billy Graham or “Power Evangelism” by John Wimber. The contrast in an atheistic world view and a Christian world view will help you learn how to address the concerns of the unbeliever with the hope of the Gospel.
His story is also an opportunity for us to consider why the historic Christian faith still stands as intellectually credible, spiritually satisfying, and eternally true. Here are five points that speak directly to the concerns raised in his book.
1. Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith — But Abandoning Christ Is
Templeton left his Christian faith because of unanswered questions and intellectual doubts. Yet the Bible shows that even great believers wrestled with hard questions. David cried out, “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). Habakkuk questioned why God allowed evil to prosper. Thomas demanded tangible proof of Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:24–28).
In each case, doubt was met with God’s presence and truth. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” — to see doubt as a bridge to deeper faith, a faith in a God that we can trust completely, allows us to look past our doubts and see the Savior.
We need to be far-sighted in our quest to understand the our Christian beliefs. We see clearly the distant reality of heaven, although it may be blurry with the present apparent discrepancies. We will eventually receive the answers from God over time.
Walking away from Christ cuts off the very source of answers and hope. Read the sad state of this man who later in life misses his relationship with the Savior. But, even with this regret, Jesus would still welcome back this lost sheep to the fold!
2. The Problem of Evil Has a Biblical Framework
One of Templeton’s deepest struggles was reconciling God’s goodness with human suffering and natural disasters, especially the suffering of children. Christianity doesn’t shy away from these painful realities — it explains their origin.
The Bible teaches that creation was corrupted by sin (Genesis 3; Romans 8:20–22). Yet it also shows a God who enters our suffering, not one who stands far off. Jesus, “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3), took on human pain and bore it on the cross. In Him, suffering is not meaningless — it can produce perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3–5). And the Christian hope is that one day, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4).
And let’s consider the alternative — there is no meaning or purpose to the suffering in the world — this would cause us to curl up in the fetal position and rock ourselves into meaningless oblivion. The silence from the Atheists on this point is truly deafening.
3. The Reliability of the Bible Is Well-Established
Templeton came to see the Bible as an unreliable human document. But the evidence tells another story. The Bible’s manuscript record far surpasses other ancient works in number and accuracy. Archaeological discoveries have repeatedly confirmed its historical details. Its fulfilled prophecies — such as Isaiah’s foretelling of the suffering Messiah — stand unmatched.
Jesus Himself affirmed the authority of Scripture (John 10:35; Matthew 5:18), and its remarkable unity across 1,500 years, 40 authors, 3 languages, 3 continents, and multiple cultures defies natural explanation. Dismissing it as merely human ignores the overwhelming case for divine inspiration.
There is a red thread of redemption in God’s great plan described in the Bible to rescue man out of the problem of sin that man himself got himself into.
4. Jesus’ Identity Leaves No Middle Ground
Templeton admired Jesus as a moral teacher but rejected His divinity. Yet Jesus made unmistakable claims to be God: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58) and “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
If those claims are false, Jesus cannot be simply a “good teacher.” As C. S. Lewis put it, He must be either Lord, liar, or lunatic. The resurrection is the decisive proof — a historical event attested by multiple eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3–8) who were willing to suffer and die for their testimony.
Jesus himself said, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). Jesus asks you to pick a side. Templeton has rejected Christ. What will you do?
5. The Gospel Is the Power of God, Not Human Achievement
At times, Templeton’s disillusionment seemed rooted in seeing Christianity as a human moral system rather than the supernatural work of God. But the Bible makes clear that salvation is “by grace… through faith… not of works”(Ephesians 2:8–9).
The power of the gospel is not in human effort but in the risen Christ, who transforms lives across centuries and cultures. From the Apostle Paul’s radical conversion to the millions today who can testify to Jesus’ life-changing work, the evidence is not only intellectual — it’s living and personal.
And this is the part that Templeton neglects. In all of his rationalization, it appears that tainted views of interactions with Gospel preachers has also warped his view of Jesus and the saving power of the Gospel (see chapter entitled “Tale of Two Preachers”, page 170).
And yet, he was good friends with Billy Graham when they were both getting started as evangelists. Billy was a supreme example of one whose life was set apart for the Gospel, above reproach, with safeguards built into his life to protect against the sins of the world and the flesh. How could Templeton reject the testimony of the transformed life of Billy Graham on his own life? Was Templeton trying to derail Billy’s evangelistic call by distracting with an offer to study at Princeton or Oxford? How different would the world look if Templeton was successful in seducing Graham into one of these intellectual cemeteries – where faith goes to die? Was Templeton jealous of the great success of Billy in his Crusades and reflecting on how differently their lives turned out when this book was published in 1996 and compared to “Just as I Am” by Billy Graham when it was published in 1997?
Conclusion
Farewell to God reflects a man’s painful departure from the faith, but it also opens the door for vital conversations about the reasons we believe. Christianity is not a blind leap — it rests on solid evidence, historical reality, and the living presence of Jesus Christ.
Doubts are real. Questions are valid. But just because we don’t know the answers, the rejection of God and his love for us through His saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ, is not the correct response.
Jesus’ invitation still stands: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Billy Graham even said that in his crisis of faith in the Bible, no doubt brought on by men like Charles Templeton, that although he did not have all the answers to the questions intellectuals raised challenging Scripture, he “accepted God’s Word by faith” and that was enough for him.
After reading this book, I don’t say “Farewell to God”, I say, more firmly grounded in my faith — “I love you God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit!”.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
For further study, read Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for Faith”. In the book, Strobel interviews Charles Templeton and questions him about his views on Jesus.
