Wonder Why They Hate Us?
It’s not uncommon to hear Christians complain about feeling persecuted when featured on TV or other public forums. They rattle off a bunch of reasons why they feel like they are being attacked or discriminated against because of their faith. Some of those are valid. For example, Christians believe marriage is a union entered into at God’s will. So, it stands to reason that Christians would be against gay marriage, since the Bible tells us homosexuality is a sin. While it may not be the job of Christians to force the rest of the nation into believing that, it should certainly be the right of Christians to not hold an inherently sinful act such as a gay wedding inside God’s house. Others outside the Faith believe that stance is discriminatory on the part of Christians and use it as a reason to rail against Christianity. Other complaints Christians make are not so valid. For example, teaching Christian doctrine is not why public grade schools exist, so Christians have no reason to feel slighted because those schools don’t teach things like creationism alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The idea that Christians will be persecuted for their faith is Biblical. Jesus told his disciples as much.
You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. - Matthew 10:22
More than that, Jesus told his disciples that their relationship with Him will be the source of that hate and persecution.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. - John 15:18-20
If you read the New Testament, you’ll see that Jesus’ words came true. His followers were attacked, imprisoned, and in some cases killed solely for spreading the Gospel. It’s easy to read the Bible and believe that dynamic has persisted until today, and in some ways it has, but we must be careful. In the Bible, Christians were seen as a cult of heretics by most other groups. Christianity has come a long way since then. At times Christians have been the dominant power in the world, and those Christians weren’t always the loving followers of God that Jesus said they should be. In some ways, things haven’t changed today. That raises the question. Do people hate modern Christians because we are too much like Jesus, or is the problem now that we are not enough like Jesus? Sensitive Christians may think the very question is insulting, but it’s one that needs to be asked.
Just look at the things Christians are associated with now. Many vocal Christians are ok with what is happening in the camps at the U.S. southern border. Regardless of your feelings about the politics of immigration, no Christian should be happy with the abuse and poor treatment that many people, particularly children are facing. Jesus also had strong instructions about how children should be treated (Matthew 18:10). Yet, many Christians are very vocal about defending the camps, and some even go so far as to invoke Jesus’ name when they do it. Take your pick from the issues that we face today whether it be the legality of abortion, wars with various nations, or the fight over healthcare, and you will certainly find Christians that boldly take the side on the issue that is devoid of love and far from the philosophy that Jesus spread. Those people aren’t taken simply as representatives for themselves. They are seen as spokesmen and spokeswomen for Christianity in general. Whether that is fair or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Christians are becoming more and more associated with callousness and hatred, which are the exact opposite of the qualities that Christians should show.
The problem isn’t just the words Christians speak or the stances they take. Many times it is about things Christians do. Consider a recent incident with Taylor Burch, a blind man that was kicked out of a church in South Carolina because he brought a service animal. The very idea that a church would remove a disabled person should seem ridiculous to any Christian. That certainly isn’t the way Jesus treated people who came to him with infirmities, but apparently such an act is not unthinkable to some Christians in today’s world. Unfortunately, even if every Christian doesn’t think Mr. Burch’s treatment was repulsive, many non-Christians do. A website titled the Friendly Athiest reported on the incident and ended the article with the following:
Jesus healed the blind, but this church kicks them out.
Hell, the service dog was doing more to help the blind that the staff at that church.
The only good news is that Burch found out within five minutes that this church wasn’t worth his time. Some people spend years in a congregation before they figure that out.
Those words should feel like a punch to the gut for any real Christian. We are supposed to be representatives of Jesus. Our lives and actions should bring people to him. The idea that we may be the very thing that is driving people away from Christianity should convict us to the core.
Yes, there may be backlash against Christianity today, but some of it just might be deserved. If you consider yourself a Christian, then be careful about what you say and do. The Bible tells us that people hating you because of your association with Jesus is a good thing. However, people hating Jesus because of his association with you is most certainly not.
Chris Lawyer
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