Responding to the World’s Criticisms of Christianity: Part 1
I was recently reading an article titled “Faith in Decline: The Top 20 Reasons Christianity is Losing its Flock”.* As young Americans continue to drift away from the faith of their parents, it isn’t unusual to see articles of this sort, written by naysayers, which claim to identify the reasons for this trend. Many of the claims these writers make against Christianity are very flimsy if not downright incorrect. A few of their charges have some merit.
For two thousand years, Christian apologists have been defending the faith against attacks from skeptics. Some of the early debates involved conflicts over proper doctrine, while attacks from pagan philosophers sparked others. During the 1900s, countless debates pitted Christians against atheists who believed scientific discoveries had destroyed the credibility of the Bible. Today, attacks on the faith by those who promote worldly philosophies such as postmodernism are keeping Christian apologists increasingly busy.
Having studied apologetics at seminary, I couldn’t resist writing a rebuttal to at least one of these articles that purport to know what is wrong with our faith or at least how we practice it. In a few installments, I will go through the list of 20 reasons and address them as truthfully and graciously as possible.
#1. Claim: The perceived conflict between science and religion.
Response: I will begin by giving the author credit for wording this criticism as the “perceived” conflict between science and religion. I agree whole-heartedly that many media outlets and universities have created the perception of a conflict between the two as Darwinism has been adopted by many academics as a secular religion and man-made theories about the origin of life abound.
However, the reality is that the Bible and science are amazingly compatible. There have even been numerous occasions where emerging evidence has caused scientific consensus to fall in line with the biblical view.
One example of this would be the 2nd law of thermodynamics which has confirmed that the universe is steadily running out of energy. As this law points to the fact that creation must have had a beginning point, it has robbed atheist philosophers of their long-held argument that the universe wasn’t created but rather is eternal.
#2. Claim: Unsettling experiences within religious settings. The author here claims that many churchgoers have lost interest because churches engage in “rigid thinking” and strongly emphasize sin. According to the author, this approach suppresses individuality.
Response: God demonstrates his love for the individual by providing us with his Word that teaches principles of holiness and virtue. People who live by their own rules often end up addicted, incarcerated, or dead at an early age. God gives us guidance for living that leads to our personal fulfillment and also glorifies him. What may appear to be rigid thinking to a contemporary person could simply be a church trying to encourage God’s highest standards for humans to live by.
#3. Claim: If God is perfect, why Hell?
Response: I’m not even sure I understand this criticism. God’s perfection and the existence of Hell are thoroughly compatible. A holy, perfect God cannot tolerate sin and unrepentant sinners cannot enter into his presence. Therefore, those who reject God have chosen eternal punishment over his forgiveness.
#4. Claim: The Impact of Secularism: The author here argues that secular government produces a high degree of equality and freedom in a society and as secularism grows, there is an increasing emphasis placed on these values. According to the writer, this lessens the need for institutions such as the church.
Response: True liberty and equality only come from Christ. As image-bearers of God, we all possess an equal amount of dignity before Him. In regard to liberty, only Jesus can release us forever from the shackles of guilt and sin. Much of the “liberty” that is achieved today through politics would be better described as borderless license, which often leads to self-destructive lifestyles and choices.
We will continue to examine the claims presented in the above-referenced article in our next installment of The Mission.
*Link to referenced article:
Faith in Decline: The Top 20 Reasons Christianity is Losing Its Flock (msn.com)