Larry Sanger, best known as the co-founder of Wikipedia, has openly shared that he is now a Christian. For someone who spent most of his life skeptical of faith and religion, the announcement came as a surprise to many who have followed his career in philosophy and technology.
On February 5, in a personal blog post, Sanger wrote, “It is finally time for me to confess and explain, fully and publicly, that I am a Christian.”
Early Skepticism
Sanger told CBN News that his doubts about religion began in childhood. Though he never truly believed, he admitted he often imagined conversations with a “supremely wise being.” At times he even referred to this presence as “God,” using the idea as a way to organize his thoughts, even while claiming unbelief.
A Gradual Transformation
Today, he no longer speaks in abstract terms. He openly prays to the Christian God and says he fully embraces the gospel. What surprised him most was how strongly people reacted.
“I assumed, honestly, that most people had forgotten about me since I’m not often in the news anymore,” Sanger said. Yet, the response was “overwhelmingly positive.” Interestingly, he added that many well-known atheists have been silent about his conversion.
His path to faith was not a single, dramatic moment but a slow and steady change. Marriage and fatherhood played a major role. Becoming a husband and then a father made him realize the emptiness of the belief that self-interest drives everything. “I realized I would die for these people, putting their interests before mine,” he said.
Disillusionment with Skepticism
Another turning point came from observing arrogance within skeptic communities. Their certainty and dismissiveness made him reconsider whether he had been shaped more by culture than by truth.
Around 2020, just before the pandemic, he began reading the Bible seriously. It wasn’t one sermon or one debate that changed him, but a gradual process of study and reflection.
“There wasn’t a single moment where I said, ‘I believe now,’” he explained. “But there was a moment when I admitted I was praying to God. And about two months into reading the Bible, I prayed something like the Sinner’s Prayer.”
The Bible Put to the Test
Sanger approached the Bible as a skeptic. He dug into commentaries, historical resources, and theological explanations, determined to find answers. To his surprise, he found that Scripture held up to examination.
“I thought the Bible couldn’t withstand scrutiny,” he admitted. “I was wrong.”
A Changed Man
Since his conversion, Sanger says his life has shifted in meaningful ways. He describes himself as less “hard-edged” than he once was and more grounded in faith.
“I’ve changed a lot,” he reflected. “Faith has softened me.”
For someone long known as a sharp critic of religion, Sanger’s story now stands as an unexpected testimony of transformation a reminder that even the most committed skeptic can be changed by faith.