Christians are bigoted, racist, sexist and homophobic

‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11) Bible verses like that are still shaking and shaping the world after 2,000 years. It is not merely that the Bible was 20 centuries ahead of its time, it was the Bible that at certain points in history pushed and dragged our western world to its present point of tolerance.

Christianity is the world’s greatest leveler. In Jesus’ presence, everyone, regardless of muscle, talent, achievement, IQ, education, wealth, professional status, social class, ethnicity, color, physical attractiveness, assertiveness, gender, age, habits, health, sexual preference and moral accomplishment, stands equally able to receive Christ’s purity, status with God and free entry to heaven. Genuine followers of Jesus have always insisted that the fetus, the infirmed, the elderly, the demented, the criminal, the depraved, the alcoholic and the saint are all equally precious to God.

Various revivals of biblical Christianity and the efforts of Christians like Wilberforce, the earl of Shaftesbury and William Booth (to give just some nineteenth century examples), have caused certain Christian principles, such as the equal value of all people, to gain such popularity that they have become the accepted norm in the western world. Except for history buffs with a firm grasp of the events of 2,000 years, few of us realize that even anti-Christians such a Marxists and Bible-burning feminists have (often unconsciously) incorporated aspects of Christianity in their ideologies. For example, the non-Christian Mahatma Gandhi, famous for his non-violence and opposition to the entrenched prejudice of the Hindu caste system, was consciously influenced by the teaching of Jesus Christ. (See, for example, Gandhi’s book Non-Violence in Peace and War, 1949, vol. 2, ch. 166) Most of the people Gandhi inspired, however, would have been less aware that they were absorbing Christian principles.

A different view: Every day all over the world cruel manipulation takes place by people deceitfully using the word ‘love’. The result is much cynicism, hurt and distrust. Yet the counterfeit never invalidates the genuine. Just as unscrupulous people have discovered the exploitive power of the word ‘love,’ some have discovered the word ‘Jesus.’ But people only counterfeit things of value.

The same could be said for politics, but politics cannot be eliminated from society; we can only try to find the right political formula. Neither can we eliminate our religious need; we can only find the right religion. A good start would be to find one committed to a leader who said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers . . . love your enemies . . . bless those who curse you . . . turn the other cheek . . .’

Actually, atheists easily hold the record for mass killings – Lenin, Stalin, Mao. War is horrific, and yet by sheer numbers the slaughter of millions by these atheists dwarfs anything done in religious war. A History Professor’s criticism of my webpage

When looking for the cause of war, try greed, selfishness, pride, hate, unforgiveness – the very opposite of Jesus’ teachings.

A different view: If you assume that killing and exploitation are wrong, you have unconsciously appropriated Christian values. If, as atheistic evolutionists teach, advancement comes through the survival of the fittest, why not let war take its natural course? Dig into many non-Christian religions and you will discover the teaching that all things are one – including good and evil. Why work for justice if nothing – exploitation included – is evil? It is Christianity that provides the rational basis for pursuing justice and peace. It makes so much sense that non-Christians often end up sidestepping the logical implications of their own beliefs. They tack Christian values on to their anti-Christian base, like trying to graft rose buds on to plastic roots.

As demonstrated by their views about abortion and euthanasia, Christians regard human life as sacred. In contrast to secular society, they don’t see people as the result of an accident in a primeval swamp, or the meaningless product of human lust. They see the lowliest of us as bearing the image of God himself; made by him and the focus of his love. They believe God values us so highly that he wants to enjoy us for all eternity, and that he has spared nothing to make this possible.

Yet the Bible fits everyday reality. Christians are not surprised that tiny children, tenderly loved and nurtured in the best homes, are naughty. They never imagined that dishonesty would be limited to the poor or the uneducated or those with inadequate diet. They don’t fall for the enticing trap of pointing the accusing finger at others and letting themselves off the hook. They believe we are all equally guilty and all equally able to attain moral perfection through Christ.

A different view: If we are as good as we like to think we are, we would flock to the best person there has ever been, Jesus Christ. Deep down, however, we suspect the worst about ourselves and flee from it like people refusing cancer checks, even though early diagnosis brings life, not death. Anyone who admits the need for it, can be instantly accredited with the moral purity of Jesus, receive divine moral power and, in the next life, be made morally perfect.

What about all those who have never heard of Jesus?

A different view: Just like you, those who have not heard of Jesus have failed to perfectly keep their own moral standards, much less God’s. How God deals with their moral failure is God’s concern, not yours. Your quandary is that if God were to treat differently those who have never heard, it’s an option not available to you. You might convince yourself and out-argue every Christian, but ultimately that means nothing. God sees right through us. Every excuse you hide behind will evaporate when you stand before the almighty Judge.

For an in-depth examination of the eternal fate of the Gospel-ignorant, see Perfect Justice

21. All religions are much the same

22. It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere

23. There are so many religions: how could anyone know which is right?

24. Even Hare Krishnas are more Christian than Christians!

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