Responding to the World's Criticisms of Christianity: Part 2
In the last issue of The Mission, I responded to four of the allegations in an article titled “Faith in Decline: The Top 20 Reasons Christianity is Losing its Flock.”* This time, I will respond to six more.
As Christians, we are instructed to always be prepared to respond to attacks on the faith and to do it lovingly and with grace. Accordingly, we should all listen to and try to understand the arguments of the opponents of Christianity so that we can adequately rebut statements that aren’t true. Having said that, let’s go!
#5 Claim: They Pursue Truth Through Doubt. This claim is essentially a restatement of claim #1. The author argues that doubts begin to creep in when formerly religious people start to have their beliefs challenged with empirical evidence.
Response: Although it has only begun to make a mark on mainstream culture in recent years, Christian apologetics is a robust branch of Christian academics. While the average person may only hear one side of the debate having to do with the existence of a Creator or the deity of Jesus Christ, a wealth of evidence exists that supports the truth-claims of Christianity.
#6 Claim: Exposure to Diverse Perspectives. The author here seems to assume that all Christians are insulated in a bubble that shields them from other cultures and beliefs. Consequently, she argues that more exposure to different ways of thinking might cause one to leave behind the idea that there is only one “absolute truth.”
Response: The suggestion here that there is more than one absolute truth is one of the central tenets of the postmodern thinking prevalent on university campuses today. The idea that two belief systems that are in direct conflict with one another can both be true is logically fallacious.
#7. Claim: The Co-existence of Suffering with Divine Goodness. This claim is actually one that has troubled many people over the centuries. Philosophers refer to it as “The Problem of Evil”. It is often stated similarly to this: “If both God and suffering exist, then either he isn’t powerful enough to stop the pain or he isn’t good enough to want to.” This argument seems to paint God into a corner in that it makes it hard to see how God can be both the essence of love and all-powerful.
Response: While the answer to this claim is fairly simple, it requires a deep knowledge of the Bible to reconcile these two seemingly contradictory qualities. A study of the fall of man in the book of Genesis helps us to understand that the misuse of free will by humans has caused a multitude of problems down through the ages. In order to stop sinful men from inflicting pain on each other, God would have to restrict the free will of individuals, which he isn’t willing to do. Adam exercised his free will when he took the action that first introduced sin into the world and every human being who has come after him has been born in original sin.
#8. Claim: Prioritizing Mental Health. The next claim against Christianity in this article is that when people leave behind the judgment and condemnation associated with churches, they tend to achieve a healthier mental health balance in their personal lives.
Response: It is a common misperception that most churches are obsessed with shaming people for their moral shortcomings. While recognizing and addressing sin in the world is indisputably a teaching of Scripture, it is ordinarily balanced in churches with the forgiveness, redemption, and freedom from condemnation found in Jesus. A church that dwells on guilt to the point of damaging the mental health of attendees would be extremely difficult to find.
#9. Claim: Feeling Alienated. This claim asserts that people who hold progressive values often feel at odds with Christian beliefs, so in their minds, it is better to step away.
Response: There is no doubt that the ever-shifting values of culture are often at odds with biblical teachings. One thing the critic might want to consider here is that the Bible is thousands of years old, and its principles are timeless. Moral standards that are based on cultural trends often leave people confused and anxious about what is “right” at any given point in time.
#10. Claim:
Response: One of the most fundamental things people expect from each other is to “practice what you preach.” This claim has some merit because, unfortunately, a certain amount of hypocrisy does exist in churches, and it is very upsetting when encountered. While hypocrites are found in all areas of life, it is particularly serious when Christians’ actions don’t match their words because of the high moral standards promoted by Christianity.
It is, however, worth noting that charging Christians with hypocrisy is well-known to be a way that some people give themselves permission to disregard God altogether.
In the next issue, we finish this three-part series by responding to the last ten criticisms of Christianity listed in the article Faith in Decline: *The Top 20 Reasons Christianity is Losing Its Flock (msn.com).