There is an old saying that there are “no atheists in foxholes.” It describes a conversion, usually to Christianity, from non-belief prompted by a stressful or dangerous situation. Often, it refers to conversions during the horrors of warfare in contemporary times, or “foxhole conversions.” I first became familiar with the concept when my father told me a story about a surfer; he got stuck in a storm and told God that he would devote his life to Christianity if he survived. After making it safely back to shore, he did exactly that.
I was understandably skeptical that this would happen very often, though; like the story of the Pied Piper, when our problems are all solved by others, we lose the desire to follow through on our promises to those relieving us. We stiff others of what we are offered under duress, and now that we’re in control of our lives again, we are loath to give it up. As Jesus pointed out to the rich young man, we must “sell [our] possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” However, “when the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth” (Mt. 19:21-22).
Given our natural selfishness is keeping us from following through on our promises to God, regardless of whether these promises involve converting to Christianity or just improving our spiritual lives, I wondered whether this conversion could ever be “real.” After all, if your conversion is based on fear for your own life rather than a desire and love for God, do you really believe? My question was answered after learning of the fruits of the Holy Spirit; one of them— “Fear of the Lord”—perfectly encapsulates the reason that “foxhole conversions” occur. Strangely enough, it seems fearing God can be a necessity to believe in Him the right way.
As a Catholic, I don’t agree with some of the things that Martin Luther posited about the truths of Christianity and faith. However, I can’t deny that as a man of faith, he is a great example of the true and genuine devotion that a foxhole conversion can provoke. While his father wanted him to be a student of law, he was more drawn to philosophy and logic; unsurprisingly, all of these disciplines on their own still failed to bring him to God. It wasn’t until he was stuck in a storm on horseback and a bolt of lightning struck dangerously close that he decided to enter the monastery. He described his intense fear of God’s judgment and cried out to Jesus’ maternal grandmother, St. Anne the mother of Mary, “Help! St. Anne, I will become a monk!” Following his “foxhole” decision to serve God, he sold his books, left university, and entered the monastery. His faith was so great and he believed himself so depraved that he would confess to his superiors for hours on end every single sin he could remember he’d done; and, disagree with him or not, his intense devotion to Christianity led him to call out the powerful Catholic Church on what he saw as its failings against God and His Truth, something few would ever dare to do.
The author of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, was also a foxhole convert. He originally captained slave ships and invested in the English slave trade for a living. After being caught in a severe storm on the way back to England, he prayed for God’s mercy and the storm began to calm. After this experience, he became a staunch abolitionist and lived to see his efforts bear fruit with the end of slavery in England.
If there is anything to gain from understanding the Fear of the Lord and the faith it can (perhaps counterintuitively to some) inspire, it is that perhaps the fear God instills isn’t just caused by divine punishment; the horrors we see from the foxhole may be terrible, but as a form of God’s communication with us, they are no less a divine revelation than, say, talking to Gabriel, and, like Martin Luther and John Newton, we can use these experiences to lean on God rather than question and bring ourselves away. Truly, the Lord works in mysterious ways!
Grant is a senior studying Information Systems at the Carroll School of Management. He keeps busy by studying and writing for The Torch.
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There are only atheists in foxholes. Atheists have no god to protect them so they use the laws of the physical universe to protect themselves. No Christian or Muslim needs a foxhole if prayer works which alas it does not. If you see a person in a foxhole you can be assured you are looking at an atheist. You are looking at a person that does not believe he has a god to protect him.