Hypocrites and Other Arguments

Today I thought I would address some of the many arguments made against Christianity. I just recently listened to a podcast where a couple agnostics discussed their spiritual deconstruction and thought I would hit on a few points they mentioned, that I have also heard from others in my own life. I think it’s important to hear what nonbelievers are saying so we can understand where they’re coming from. I think having these conversations builds bridges and relationships. However, I also know it’s imperative that we stick up for what we believe in and know what to say when these tough conversations arise. So I’m going to hash out a few topics here.

Hypocrites. The church is full of hypocrites. This is something I’ve heard time and time again, about Christians in general, and about me personally. Sometimes Christians want to fight back at this argument saying, “No we’re not!” or “Some people are, but not all Christians!” And I must say, I disagree. We are all hypocrites. Or, for a better word, we are all sinners. We don’t mean to be hypocrites, but we constantly fail. We all fall short of the glory of God. We may say that we want to be better and quit cussing and then slip up and cuss a few days later. Does that make us hypocrites? Not necessarily. It makes us human. Every single person you come in contact with is not going to be perfect. But the world holds us Christians to a higher standard. Which is good and bad. Yes, we are held to a higher standard, God’s standard. Especially those in leadership positions in the church. We need to watch ourselves and try to stay on the right path. But we are inevitably going to mess up. And that’s where grace comes in. So next time someone calls Christians hypocrites, instead of arguing back, say, “I know. That’s why we need a Savior.”

Personal hurt. I have been personally hurt by the church. Sadly, this is the story I’ve heard most often. About people being shunned or judged or denied within church walls or by church people. People who were supposed to be a loving and forgiving family to you in your time of need. And I must say, I get it. I’ve been there. It hurts. And this is the time where I would use the argument, “Not everyone is like that.” And while that kind of sounds like a cop-out, I am living and breathing proof that that is true. I was hurt by a previous church home. And even though there is fault on my end, I never expected to feel like a stranger in a place that was home to me. I then tried another church. And another. And another. And I had some good experiences, but I didn’t find another home. Until we moved down here and I found the church I attend now. I found a good group of people to surround me and love on me and encourage me in the way of the Lord. They know my sin and shortcomings and love me anyway. That’s what church is supposed to be. Not saying that the place that hurt me is entirely bad. It just maybe wasn’t the right fit for me in that season of my life. If you have a church experience that feels off to you, go find another experience. Where I come from, there’s a church on every corner. Find one that’s right and makes you feel like you belong. 

How can bad things happen to good people? How can a good God let these terrible things happen? Well, there are some answers to this, but I think overall, you just need to have faith. Someone’s burden may be an answered prayer for someone else. Trials build perseverance and strength. The world is full of sinners and imperfect people and demons and Satan trying to corrupt the good. But ultimately, we will never truly know the answer to this. God’s plan is so much bigger and more complicated than we could possibly imagine. We just have to have faith that He is working and that it will all be okay in the end. I think it’s okay to get mad at God, to doubt and question Him a little, because if you dig down deep enough, there is no other truth you will possibly find: He is good.

But there is all this scientific research proving God doesn’t exist. Yea, there are also scientific essays written on how the earth is flat. Like, modern essays. You can think of the most ridiculous thing you can possibly think of, and I guarantee there will be some “expert” on the internet agreeing with you. There is research done by very smart people claiming that evolution exists and that earth is billions of years old, created by a big bang. There is also research done by very smart people supporting every single thing mentioned in the Bible. You can find an expert to agree with you on any subject. It comes to a matter of what you want to believe and what you want to find support and evidence for. Again, it comes down to faith. No, I don’t have all the answers about dinosaurs and evolution, but I trust the Word of God and I know that those trivial questions mean nothing compared to how much God loves me. 

Man, I could keep going and going, and if you have a specific question you want me to address, I’d be glad to take a stab at it. But ultimately, the point I’m trying to make is that people are flawed and the world is complicated. We will never know why bad things happen or why people hurt us or why the ways of the universe are the ways of the universe. But that is okay with me, because what I know is that God is real, God is good, and God sent His son to die for me because He loves me that dang much. And that is more than enough for me.