Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Common Misconceptions About God and Christianity
from sola_deo_gloria
Over the years, I've found several common misconceptions about Christianity to be incredibly interesting. Firstly, it seems like people are supposed to inherently dislike God. Not merely dislike, but people are built to inherently loathe any concept of God. (John 8:41,44, 15:18)
Christians tend to go off on how God is a God of love, of mercy. That He's mushy, cushy, and if willing to wave off any little transgression. They tend to avoid, however, God's aspects of justice, of authority, and of holiness.
Whenever people in the Old Testament found themselves face-to-essence with God, they absolutely crumbled.(Isaiah 6) I'm not talking sinners -- I'm talking righteous men falling to pieces when confronted by God. Imagine if you were confronted by a being unfathomably holy, powerful enough that by a single word could bring a cosmic force (light) into existence, and wrathful against all evil committed. It's easy to see why righteous men would cry woe upon themselves for being so entirely outmatched.
People hate that, even today. People hate the concept of God because God is holy. And people are not holy. Not only are people unholy, but their entire character is built to revolt against God. People have fallen so far that even though Christianity makes sense, even though Christianity brings tangible results, even if they're slapped upside the head with a miracle, they'll still absolutely refuse to believe it. People, by nature, want to keep anything to do with God as far away as possible.
Another misconception is that Christians "convert" people. I could write a thousand posts about God, but not a single post would do anything. I have no power. I cannot change anyone. I cannot convince anyone, because their very nature is against God. Converting people is not even the job of the Christian!
The job of the Christian is to speak the truth. They talk about God, they explain the theology, they teach righteousness. Those with ears to hear will hear, those with eyes to see with see. In that light, few understand that people can't "choose" to be Christian. With any other religion, you can pick up books, study with a passion, practice rituals, and be of that religion.
In Christianity, a person can only be called.(John 1:13, 3:3, 14:9; 1Cor 1:9) A change has to happen in the nature of a person before they can even tolerate hearing about God. This is why people who grow up in churches can proclaim to be Christians, yet don't act, don't speak, don't reason the way the Bible says Christians do. I could stand up and proclaim the sovereignty of God in some churches, and they would kick me out. This is because "proclaimed" Christians are not always Christians before the face of God, and they hate to hear about God, the True God, just as much as the world does.
God is not the type of God who hides the truth.(Is 6:3; Ps 8:1; Matt 7:7) He's left it out in the open for everyone to see. A question many pose is: "If there's a God, why doesn't He make himself known?" He has. Even to those who don't have Bibles, God has built the evidence of His existence into the very nature of the universe: the order, the beauty, the vastness. But people, by nature, are incapable of seeing Him. Even if they were capable, they be unwilling to the point of complete denial. (John 3:12,42,45; Matt 13:15) Because unholy people loath a Holy God -- a just God who's not going to stand for evil, great or small.
The last misunderstanding is that people think God save people from hell, damnation, fire and brimstone, ect., but that's not it. Hell is a consequence. God isn't "saving" people from Hell.
God saves people from Himself. God is God of justice, and justice demands evil be rectified. Because people are unholy, God isn't saving them from hell, but rather God is saving people from God, His justice, and His wrath.
Have you noticed these trends as well? What are some misconceptions you've come across about Christianity?
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Comments (105)
I like the fact that you point out the Holiness of God, and the odd belief that somehow because God is 'nice' he shouldn't have standards on what is right and wrong. We do not focus on the holiness of God enough.
i have to say that i really disagree with your presumption that some people hate the concept of God. i know many non-Christians, and their reason for being so is not because they hate God. many of them are members of other religions, or consider themselves deist or agnostic.
I couldn't have put it better myself.
“We all know the pain we suffer when we meet people who reject the Gospel since the Gospel was never properly communicated to them.”
–Paul Tillich
"God saves people from Himself"-- I think I maybe agree with the theology (if I understand you correctly), but I dislike the wording. It makes God sound bipolar (no offense to people with bipolar disorder!). "Here, quick, hide under this rock, then I won't find you and you'll be safe from me!" "Huh?"
I'd prefer to say something like "God's justice would mean that He'd have to give us what we deserve, but God doesn't want it to come to that because He loves us, so He graciously offers an alternative arrangement."
Jesus said "The Son can do nothing except what He sees the Father do." So if Jesus died for the sins of everyone in the world (1 John 2:2), that can only mean that the Father also wants to save everyone in the world. Thus a person's willful rejection of God's grace is what really gets them sent to Hell-- and literally over God's dead body.
I don't think people "hate the concept of God". I personally, merely question the concept of one masculine God who curses with intent,asks people to commit murder in one breathe and tells them not to the next. The God of the Old Testament comes across more as a misogynistic priest with copious instructions for priests' attire,punishment of women and children,building the house of God, collecting homage and gifts,preaching intolerance of others and their respective religions. This concept of fear and retribution and giving and taking back is foreign to most secular humanists. Do I hate the concept of God? I dislike the concept that people buy into a transparent fear of the unknown.
If by unholy, you mean, refusing to believe in a vengeful and capricious character of dubious origin, then I'm as unholy as hell itself!
Wow! Amazing! Brilliant!
You got it exactly right!
Thank you for posting this!
I have a post in my blog called "Paul Washer Sermon Jam" that goes into the subject of "people hate the concept of God". Check it out if you disagree with this person, since Paul Washer will go into more detail on that, and you will see that is IS natural for people to hate God.
I think this was a very well-written piece and I completely agree with you about the justice / holiness of the Christian god. I must echo some of the other comments, however, and say that not everyone hates god. Some people don't even believe in god (I am one of them). How can you hate something you don't believe in?
Perhaps I will get comments saying I am delusional and I am just so angry and bitter towards got that it manifests itself into disbelief but that is not the case. Just as Christians are fully convinced that god exists and that the Bible is god-breathed, so I am fully convinced that god does not exist. No anger or bitterness here toward something / someone I do not believe exists.
( And yes, I realize my username has the words "bitter" and "Sunday" in it. Nothing to do with Christianity or any religion whatsoever. It's a line from a poem I wrote almost 5 years ago. And no, the poem had nothing to do with religion either. ^^ )
I have to disagree to a point. From my point of view, the Bible is a tapestry, and to take any one thread out will destroy the overall picture. I view the God of the Bible as that of a single parent trying to raise his kid. In the OT, you see Him impatient, and nearly abusive with his child. As you journey into the New Testament and all of the glimpses of His love (barely seen in the OT) coalesce into the God of Jesus, you see Him "mellowing" in His old age, if you will. You see Him mature along with us.
God is paradoxical, much as we are. There was a time when I couldn't quite wrap my mind around that, but I can now. And it makes Him that much more beautiful.
Also don't neglect the cultural and historical aspects of the Bible. There is a book called "God is Red", kind of looking at the Christian God from the stand point of a Native American. The author speaks of the time of the Israelites, how they were surrounded by megolomaniacal (sp?) warlords. If God had revealed His true nature as a soft, loving God to them, they wouldn't have taken Him seriously. So, He too had to show Himself to them in a way they would understand.
Make sense?
Anyway. My two cents.
I think, also, that a misconception about Christians is that we tend to judge others, and, trust me, I've heard a million times, "How dare you judge me! Doesn't the Bible say, 'Judge not, lest thou be judged'? You have no place to judge me!" Yes, Jesus did say that, but he also said that we can know what a person is like by their fruits. My brother, a Pastor, asked me once, "Jason, what does a Judge do? Does he render verdict, or render sentence? And who does pass out the verdict? The Judge passes sentence, something only God can do, and we should not; we, however, are to take the evidence presented ot us and determine whether someone is guilty or innocent." I( think it is interstign that people make usch a big deal fo the "Judge not" verse, yet totally forget that Jesus said, also, to stop sinning.
Anyway, good, thoughtful blog....
I think people tend to hold the conception that God is some all powerful Dr. Phill in the sky, but that is so far from the truth. God is Truth and Justice, as well as Peace and Love. God is All Things. People seem to forget that in the Old Testament, God would not hesitate to lay down the law if need be.
There's something about the tone of this post that bothers me. I believe God is sovereign. I also believe in prevenient grace, which is the idea that no one can come to God without His help but that God has given every single human being the grace to come to Him. That means everyone has a real choice. Not all will come, but all can. (Obviously I'm not a Calvinist.)
I also believe God is 100% loving. His justice and holiness are not opposed to His love. They are part of it. Perfect love has to be just and holy. When I feel God's presence, I feel absolute awe. My heart bows down before Him. But I also feel perfect acceptance because of the blood of Christ. God does NOT wink at sin, but I know I can come "boldly unto the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16). God is perfectly holy, but I have Christ's righteousness covering me. It is unfailingly amazing to me that God accepts and loves me. I have felt His arms literally come around me and hold me to His chest. He's my loving Father. My closeness to Him makes my awe and worship grow rather than lessen.
I would hesitate to judge whether whole churches of people are saved or not. I understand that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one, but unless a person denies a fundamental truth of Christianity, I'm not going to make a call on whether they're saved or not.
At the heart of my Christian walk is the awesome and astonishing truth that I bring God the most glory by loving Him. Love is the heart of Christianity, wild, burning, holy, unfettered, tender, fantastic love. Not permissive or weak love, but love that is the strongest thing in the universe because it's not a thing, it's a Person.
"The last misunderstanding is that people think God save people from
hell, damnation, fire and brimstone, ect., but that's not it. Hell is a
consequence. God isn't "saving" people from Hell."
I TOTALLY disagree with this. God does save people from hell....He saves people from their consequence. Personally, I think that you're simply trying to be nit-picky....
@pastor_j@xanga - I can't tell you how much I disagree. The Bible is emphatic about the fact that God never changes. After studying the Old Testament, I have been struck with how absolutely loving God has been to His people from the beginning of time until now. Everything before Christ points forward toward Him, and everything after Him points back to Him.
It would horrify me beyond words to think that God has evolved. That would mean that He either wasn't perfect before, or He isn't perfect now. In that case, I cannot depend on Him. I don't believe God is truly paradoxical. All of His traits are part of His love because He literally is love. Everything He does and has ever done comes out of that love.
I realize we're not going to agree, but I wanted to give my perspective. I hope you won't mind :)
sola_deo_gloria - Amen. Preach it! Thanks for this post.
The more we become like Jesus, the more we see how sinful we are, and the more we end up crumbling like Isaiah.
Like @Pass_the_Aura@xanga wrote, I also have a little trouble w/ your wording "God saves people from Himself." He saves us from His wrath, from the just consequences of our sin, from eternal damnation because Jesus took the punishment we deserved.
God saves us OUT of death, darkness, lawlessness and saves us TO life, light and righteousness. From being children of wrath to children of mercy. (Titus 2:14; Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 1:12-13; I Peter 2:9).
Misconceptions about Christianity (some overlap here):
1. Justification is taught (I'm forgiven in Christ) apart from sanctification (I'm being transformed into the image of Christ and the inner work of Christ should manifest an outward change in my life).
2. Jesus' teachings (and NT commandments) are seen as moral teachings to be imitated, rather than a description of the life we can life as a result of the Spirit of God at work in us.
3. Add-on's to faith for salvation. Yes, you've professed Christ, but now you need to do X to really be saved. Anything we add-on to Christ mocks the blood of Christ. Christ saves to the uttermost. We cannot add one thing on top of His sacrifice. It is both necessary and sufficient. We are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God. Period.
4. Christianity is only for good people. This happens when we become mired in legalism and overemphasize outward behavior over inward transformation, when we make Christianity a bunch of Do's and Don'ts. Yes, it is true if we are saved, we are new creations and as a result, our outward behavior will change, but not due to our own power, but only because of Christ in us. But when we emphasize outward behavior, the unbeliever gets the impression he must get his act together before becoming a Christian, which is totally contrary to the Bible. "Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me...."
Wonderful post
God bless
@Pickwick12@xanga - I agree with you.
I want to add a passage:
1 John 4:16-18
16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In
this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have
confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like
him. 18There is no fear in
love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I love the fact that this passage tells us that love is what makes us like God in the world and that we don't have to have any fear because when we are in God we do not have to worry that He will punish us. Christ took our punishment. God is holy, but His love takes away our fear. It doesn't take away our respect, but it takes away our fright and terror.
@SmallTownGrl32@xanga - Thanks
I'd like to respond to the content of the original post (with refutations to those misconcepcions:)
To the first point: We are born "in sin" "with a sinful flesh", but I wouldn't go so far as to say that there is a deep degree of intentional hatred for God in everyone. (From birth, we've all been undergoing a "Romans 7" type of struggle, which will go on until we breathe our last on this earth.)
To the second: That ties in with the temptation to feel that since He has shown a lot of grace, that can be interpreteted as more of a license for willfull, deliberate sin. The proper motive is to try to live our lives in gratitude to God for the mercy He's shown us, not to take advantage of His grace, while at the same time remaining aware that He also is a God of justice. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" remembering what Jesus did, but also acknowledging the daily battle we have with the flesh. (I don't mean to imply with the previous statement that Jesus didn't do enough.)
To the third: It is the Holy Spirit that does the converting through the people, not solely the people alone doing the converting.
To the last one: I heard someone (don't remember who) indicate "God doesn't 'send' anyone to hell. (Those who willfully reject him) choose to put themselves there." God does say He does not want anyone to perish but He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth. (He still chose to give us a free will, however.)
I totally agree that we need to remember the Holiness of God. I was reading a passage in Exodus just last night that almost made ME fall flat on my face. I also like your phrase "face to essence"--that was great!
I love the point you made about God saving people from God and not hell. I've never thought of it that way!
Great post :)
One misconception I've HEARD people speak of (they were indirectly speaking to me, about me being a Christian) was that we hate other religions.
I don't understand why people think that?
Misconception,
Christians have to be republicans. Probably the biggest outright lie that I have been told. Christianity should not be stuffed into a political party, period.
great post. i used to think only that God is love, and i seeked Him for His blessings. He is scarier than i thought, but perhaps that is because i am a sinner and can't quite fathom His standards of righteousness. i fall everyday and am hoping one day i will understand the love of His son, like how i felt physically being held in the palm of His hand.. so much love. it's not all about feelings, but when i did feel His presence, it was just pure love.
you did put it in a good way, that He saves us from Himeself.
@RyanC481@xanga - oh geez that's so right. politics are so pointless when we're talking about a god that isn't just part of one country!
the misconception I hate the most is that so many christians think that in order to be a "good" christian, they need to change everyone around them, when I really think it's just about acceptance and a crapload of love for everyone, regardless of who they are. If we try to change people, we aren't showing the respect they deserve as humans - we're telling them they aren't good enough.
Actually, I want God to be Holy. I'm just not convinced that the guy I read about in the Bible fits the bill.
Maybe my standards are too high, but a God who murders people (ex: the entire population of the earth/every man, woman, and unborn fetus in Sodom/all but one woman in Jericho), sometimes not even the people responsible for what He's murdering them for (the children of Egypt didn't have slaves), doesn't seem really Holy. I'm not a Deist, either. A God who is willing to sit back and watch the terrible things I've seen happen doesn't seem Holy. A God who will sit by as a woman screams for His aid as she's being raped is not Holy in my eyes.
If He's not willing to stand up for Good in the world, to lead by example, I'm not willing to praise Him. In fact, I'd rather believe that there is no God at all than believe in a God that is less Holy than I find acceptable.