The battle cry of critics when Christians go wrong
Anytime a Christian leader, be it the Pope or an Evangelical preacher, commits a sin, it reflects poorly on the whole Body of Christ. We are, after all, in this faith together (1 Cor. 12:27). Believers are part of a bigger picture, a meta-narrative called the Body of Christ, and so there are consequences to the actions of one part of the body that, in turn, affects another part. However, to throw the baby (Christianity) out with the bathwater (the terrible behavior of some), is simply not thinking things through fairly.
Commenting on the recent news that the Pope has allegedly been covering up sexual sins in the Catholic Church, one person said that “the face of the Pope was the face of Christianity, and it’s pretty ugly.” This idea is perpetuated by skeptics who often use instances when a Christian leader sins to claim Christianity is a “blight to all of humanity”, and then continue to blame all kinds of societal ills on religion. Declaring that Christianity is ugly based on the actions of the Pope is appealing to prejudices surrounding a perceived source or context. It’s like President Trump claiming mainstream media is “fake news.” Not all news is fake. Likewise, what’s true of one Christian leader isn’t necessarily true of the followers.
Nonetheless, it is important to defend Christianity in times like these, when any influential Christian leader, be it in the Catholic Church or wherever, does something contrary to what Jesus taught. Most agree that there are many Christians who would NEVER do the things the Catholic church is allegedly covering up, including many Catholics themselves. Yet, Church history is full of broken people trying to figure it all out, and often Christians don’t do what Jesus instructed. But just because some believers do bad things some of the time, doesn’t mean ALL Christians do bad things ALL the time. To claim that Christianity is a “blight to humanity” based on the Pope’s supposed moral failure is taking what one man may have done and lassoing all believers into that same corral. That is not fair, nor is it true.
What Christianity has done for society
Despite those who criticize, Christianity is anything but a blight to humanity. It’s important to note that Christians, in general, have done more good than harm historically. For example, Monasteries were places where the idea of the “university” was formed. Harvard, Yale, and many of the Ivy League colleges today were established by clergymen and ran by them for years. Religion has always factored into education (until recently when secular thought has gripped public education).
Christianity is also responsible for establishing the first hospitals and hospices in the fourth century to care for the poor, the widowed, the sick, etc. Matter of fact, the human rights movement is based on the foundational Christian concept that all people are created equal simply because we are made in the image of God. This establishes inherent value to ALL human life, and has been the impetus for the creation of such organizations like the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and the International Justice Mission (a non-profit organization that is currently fighting the battle against the sex-slave trade).
Matter of fact, Christianity goes even further than promoting the basic right of equality. When practiced as the Bible teaches, God’s Word teaches that not only should we view others equally, we should consider others as more important than ourselves. As Christians, we are encouraged to not only look out for our own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4.) Of course, Jesus was the perfect example of this. Why do you think his disciples balked when he leaned down, as a mere servant, to wash their feet? They thought that was beneath him, and did not understand that Jesus was showing them the best way to live and to be in community: serving one another out of a selfless love. (John 13:1-17.)
What happens when Christianity is removed from society
So, when Christians do bad things, the knee jerk reaction of some in secular culture is to cry foul on the entire belief system, demanding its dismissal. Yet, if you remove God from society, then what will take its place to validate that basic human right of equality? It’s being created in the image of God that makes all people have value. Take that away, and see how society functions: communist dictators are typically its result. Just review the 20th Century wars to see this happening in many countries like Russia, China, North Korea, etc. Historically, when society has rejected God as its transcendent source of moral goodness, flawed governance takes the place of God; a choice proven to be a horrific replacement (i.e. ethnic cleansing, imprisonment of ‘enemies of the State’, mass genocide, etc). Ridding the world of Christianity is not the solution.
What is the solution?
Christians sometimes sin, succumbing to the lures of destructive desires. When this happens, it does tarnish the reputation of Christianity; after all, Christians are supposed to show the world a better way to live. This is why believers must maintain a close relationship to Jesus, the source of our goodness and the One who makes us want to be better. It’s His goodness that makes us good. It’s His power, through the Holy Spirit, that can change our sinful desires to desire righteousness. Keep this in mind the next time a Christian leader does harm: when he fails, he first fails Christ. It is a sign that he has forgotten his first love, a love that must be grounded in intimacy with God. A close relationship with Jesus produces good works in a person’s life, and these works should never intentionally harm another person.
When people of faith do terrible things, skeptics may demand an “end to faith!” However, to attempt to rid the world of religion is a form of mind control – you cannot govern the minds of men – and it is the fool who wants such control. Christianity, on a larger scale, has done much more good for humanity than harm. And remember that Jesus is the true face of the Christianity (Col. 1:18), and if that face is perceived tainted, it’s not His fault. Instead, it’s the abuse of the gift God gave us—free will.
The solution to these problems lies in a close relationship to God and to other Christians. We need to put God first, and then keep friendships with others who will help us in our commitment to Christ. We need to confess our weaknesses, believing God will help us. We need to be authentic, open and honest with one another, and pray for all Christians, especially Christian leaders, to finish this journey of faith strong.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. 2 Tim. 4:7
Important message, Lisa. So many today are completely unaware of the contributions Christianity has made. They don’t realize it was a Christian worldview that elevated women to a status beyond that of property.
Hi Nancy! Yes, that was the point of my blog – to raise awareness of all the good things done in the name of Christ. There are a couple of very interesting books I have been reading lately that go into depth about all the wonderful things Christianity has done: What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? by James Kennedy; What’s So Great About Christianity? by Dinesh D’Souza; and What Has Christianity Done For Us? by Jonathan Hill. These three books are great resources to combat the false claim that religion has done more harm than good. Blessings, Lisa Q
Good words, LisaQ! Wonderful and terrible things have been done by Christians. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is always good. If only we would stay in His footsteps to resemble Him more. Thank you for your article!
Hi Robin! Thanks for your comments. I love that you point out that even though we change, Jesus never does! Amen to that. Love you, Lisa Q
The situation seems to worsen all the time too. More church leaders caught in sin, more calls to end Christianity. The non-believing world does not want to allow us the fact that we are sinners too. Praying for our body of believers m.
Hi Yvonne! Yes, it seems as if the situation is getting worse. However, I wonder if it’s just because there are a lot more people living today, and we are all connected via the internet. We simply know more now, I think. I do find that there are plenty of Christians who I know that barely sin, meaning that they live pretty righteous lives with an occasional blunder but nothing very huge. So, those facts are not the ones that make the gossip columns, that is for sure. People doing the right things rarely make headlines. Thanks for your comments! Lisa Q
Yes! This is such a good post. Our failures don’t disprove our faith, but show the need for it. If we weren’t sinners, we wouldn’t need a Savior. Paul wrote as much in Romans.
Thanks, Heather. Good point – we are sinners and that concept is completely lost on the non-believer. Even some Christians have difficulty understanding the concept, and often try to down play that fact. Thanks for pointing that out! Blessings, Lisa Q
Great message. Yes, even Christians make mistakes. We are all sinners. I am thankful for His love and forgiveness.
Thanks, Melissa!
Oh, yes, Lisa! I’m shouting the loudest “Amen” and “Hallelujah!” Your insight is spot on. This thinking of Christianity being the “blight to all of humanity” and attributing faults and sins of the Pope or any Christian on all is faulty thinking.
This…”Church history is full of broken people trying to figure it all out, and often Christians don’t do what Jesus instructed. But just because some believers do bad things some of the time, doesn’t mean ALL Christians do bad things ALL the time.” Preach it, sister!
Each Christian must own their personal sin, confessing, then receiving God’s forgiveness and asking forgiveness from others we have wronged. Still, consequences may follow in the legal aspect of society. In the end, ALL only applies to Jesus…sinless, yet He took on ALL of our sins on the cross. We an walk in freedom.
Hi Karen! I love your enthusiasm – thanks for the comments! Here’s to walking in freedom, sister! Amen. Blessings, Lisa Q
I’m blessed to be part of a ministry involved in missions and evangelism. And we’ve seen the difference the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to communities when they receive the Gospel. Only those who have not experienced light think darkness is the only way. Thanks for this post, Lisa. Blessings to you.
Hi Boma! Thanks for commenting. You, of all people, have seen the Gospel in action and I value your insight. I would love to see you write more about your experiences bringing the Gospel into dark places! Blessings, Lisa Q
You raise great points, Lisa. I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot. What is the Christian’s role in improving society? Some argue that because the Church is an extension of Jesus himself, it is a moral imperative to usher God’s kingdom to earth through social change. Others start with Jesus and their own need to change and let God’s will for their lives direct them individually.
It is definitely short-sighted for people to advocate all people of faith are guilty when one fails. We clearly have a history of making the world a better place. The key for me is why. Why do we try to make the world a better place? Our end goal should always be the advancement of God’s purposes on our lives and in the world. There will be setbacks and failures, but my only responsibility is to keep moving forward in his will. Thanks for the post!
Hi Chip! Thanks of your comments. I agree with you and would add this: why make the world a better place? Because God asked us to when He gave us dominion over the Earth. Even more so, everything is His and we owe it to Him to care for it, including our actions. I get that we sin, and we do, but we certainly must realize that when we are in positions of leadership, the world is watching. We need our leaders to have high standards, and we need to pray for them to keep steadfast in that. Blessings! Lisa Q
Loved this! I’ve heard it said too, to the Christians that have a lapse in faith because of the failures of leadership, that we ought to be more concentrated on following Christ. People fail but God cannot and will not fail.
Yes, as many of the comments I have received remind us all that we are sinners. It makes me think of that bumper sticker saying that was popular a few years back… “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” Honestly, I never really liked that saying because it’s not completely true. We are all forgiven by what Christ did on the cross; we just need to believe it. Thanks for your comment! Lisa Q
Everybody worships something, even people who believe in nothing believe in something. Nothing is something! Ideas do have consequences, and thanks for pointing out the good things Christianity has brought the world that people simply take for granted.
Hi Kimberly! You’re absolutely right – everyone believes something, even though today many people claim to hold “no belief.” However, you are correct in saying that “even people who believe in nothing believe in something” because ‘Nothing’ is something they believe! Yeah… crazy ideas floating around these days. Thanks for your comment! Bless you, Lisa Q
Dear Lisa!
I like your blog post title: it’s provocative. Provocative is good. It creates attention 🙂
You wrote: “Believers are part of a bigger picture, a meta-narrative called the Body of Christ.”
That is something I think a lot about, because (is it OK to honest here? :-)) most of the time I do not like to be part of the Christian blogging part body because I’m not satisfied with the quality of the blog posts of 97% of my Christian blogging sisters and brothers.
Perhaps a little bit rude, but that’s the truth 🙂
You make some distinctions here that are refreshing.
I agree with you that most of the time generalisations are dangerous (even though I used one above).
It is essential to defend Christianity today, as you say. My add to that would be, based on what I’ve seen in Denmark and Greenland, that it’s crucial that we defend the physical church-building as well.
I see a massive threat coming from those Christians, who wish to turn Christianity into feelings. I do not believe one second that Christianity can survive without a physical shape.
You had a valid point when you wrote:
“Christianity is anything but a blight to humanity. It’s important to note that Christians, in general, have done more good than harm historically.”
I do believe logic, and arguments etc. are important when defending Christianity. Nevertheless, I’d say one of the most appealing arguments I can think of, is that no one has been able to present a system of thoughts that’s better for all of us than what’s included in Christianity.
It has been tried several times, for example in former Soviet, Nazi-Germany – but it’s not working. ‘
Every time we try to eliminate Christianity from a society something else comes instead, and we have yet to see something that’s better than we have with Christianity.
You wrote:
“Christians sometimes sin, succumbing to the lures of destructive desires.”
I do not think we can sin more or less. (an idea I have from Martin Luther (1483-1546) – I see it, as Martin Luther saw, as a category. A concept saying that we’re all faced away from God.
There’s something VERY appealing with that thought 🙂
Sincerely
Edna Davidsen
Hi Edna! I so appreciate your honestly and your passion to help others. You are a blessing to many of us in the blogging community, helping us to learn more and challenging us to be better at our craft.
97% huh? Jeepers, I hope what I write on my blog happens to fall into the 3% category of those you are satisfied with. If not, I’d like to know and improve!
I had not thought of defending the physical church building, as well, but yeah… good point and well taken. Sadly, due to the violent age we live in, this is something more and more churches need to consider. In America, where gun ownership is so highly valued (even to the detriment of helpless students sitting in our classrooms), almost anyone could walk into a church congregation on a Sunday morning and begin shooting. That is a horrifying thought! I pray it doesn’t happen.
I love what you said here: “no one has been able to present a system of thoughts that’s better for all of us than what’s included in Christianity.” That is profound! Yes, I whole-heartedly agree with that statement. Too many today do not know that the freedoms they have, the value given to the human person and the services offered are based in Christian concepts.
I am not sure what you meant about the Martin Luther concept of sinning “more or less.” If you have the chance, I’d love for you to clarify that thought.
Bless you,
Lisa Q
Hi Lisa, this is such a powerful post and i love that you included concrete examples of how Christianity has benefited the world – examples that are found outside of the Bible, which are more relatable to contemporary society. I agree that the failure of leaders creates a ripple effect down the body of Christ but it doesn’t mean that all Christians are guilty of the same behavior. Only fools will think like that, lassoing the whole group when one makes a mistake, and throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. No matter what the cynics and critics say, they will never win. God is greater! No weapon formed against us will prosper and tongues that rise up in judgment against us we will condemn!
Thanks, Milton! You are so right — “no weapon formed against us will prosper.” God, and His Church, will stand the test of time. Amen!
Lisa, this is such a good reminder to live our lives well and that others will know Christ by the fruit we bear. It can be overwhelming to feel like we have to “fix” an entire religion because of the news. But what our friends and family see most is how we live our lives daily. Thanks for this important reminder!
Hi Annie! Thanks for your comment. Yeah, it can be overwhelming and I agree that how we live our individual lives matters greatly to those around us and the circle of influence God has given to us. Blessings! Lisa Q
Lisa,
The way you thoughtfully and logically presented your argument has me fist-pumping in agreement. Yes! What really hit me was the insight that when a Christian sins, though he/she has harmed Christianity in large, first he/she has failed Jesus. And that failure comes because he/she fell away from relationship with Jesus. Which of course is followed closely by falling away from relationship and accountability with other Christians. You are so right. It wasn’t Christianity that failed. It was the individual’s rift in relationship/s. And, of course, Paul has already addressed this to us by establishing the process of going to the one in sin and restoring them. More relationship. It hurts my heart that the world doesn’t see that part of Christianity. They only see and judge the public failure of the individual. Thank you for your well-thought-out argument. It brought me peace.
Hi Stephanie! I am blessed to read that my argument brought peace to you. This is why I do Apologetics: to help believers know that there are excellent reasons to stand firm in their faith (besides the obvious spiritual reasons), and to show that those reasons can speak to our skeptical culture, if it is truly open-minded to hearing the evidence. Bless you! Lisa Q