Critiques of Christianity are Christian critiques

Critiques of Christianity abound, and many of the fiercest come from within the church.

Last month we considered the ‘deconstruction’ movement, where a number of believers (especially among evangelicals in the West) are questioning the fundamentals of their faith and practice. Whether such critique arises from inside or outside the church, the criticisms are both searching and familiar:

• The Bible contains (and even promotes) patriarchy, slavery and holy war;

• Christian history is irredeemably colonialist;

• Christians have historically mistreated minorities, especially sexual minorities;

• Church leaders have perpetrated and covered up the most sickening abuse;

• The church is on the wrong side of history.

These allegations are often made with a zeal that borders on the religious. In fact, I’d say they are religious. And most particularly, they are Christian. Or Christian-ish. What do I mean? Well let’s go back through the list.

Bible values

Where did we get the idea that the equality of the sexes was real, desirable and a workable alternative to patriarchy? How did we learn that slavery, a human universal, should be overturned? Who has taught the world that it’s better to ‘put away your sword’? The truth is that the Bible is such an immense influence on our moral imaginations that our problems with the Bible have been given to us by the Bible. This is the case for all such criticisms.

If I hate the colonialism that has at times accompanied the growth of the church, I’m agreeing with profoundly Christian ideals – that rulers should serve, not dominate, and that differences should be valued, not dissolved.

If I abhor instances of the church mistreating minorities, I’m assuming a sacred (and distinctly Christian) value to the weak, the poor and to victims.

If I’m devastated by church abuse scandals, I’m standing with Christ and against the misuse of sex and power endemic to human cultures.

If I consider the church on the wrong side of history, I’m considering history and progress in thoroughly Biblical ways.

The Air We Breathe

Pre-Christian and non-Christian civilisations simply don’t see these problems – certainly not in the same way. In my forthcoming book, The Air We Breathe, I show the Christian origins of our modern values, in particular the origins of seven values: equality; compassion; consent; enlightenment; science; freedom; and progress. You can tell that these have become embedded in our cultural imagination because we cannot now think of anything worse than the opposite of those seven values. If something is unequal, cruel, coercive, unenlightened, anti-science, restrictive and backward, it is the worst. Ironically, that is how we critique the church nowadays. All the while, though, it is Christian ammunition that is used against Christianity.

Slow down and go deeper

What does this mean as we face searching questions from within and beyond the church? It means that we should slow down when these criticisms are aired. The best way forward is often to own whatever guilt there may be. In fact, we ought to go deeper. We can say that Christianity has uniquely brought abuse, colonialism and discrimination to the world. And we mean this in two senses: firstly, we have been guilty of these crimes but, more deeply, Christianity has defined these realities as crimes. Quite simply these issues have been invisible to pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures. Christianity makes these problems truly problematic. Our response should be to take critiques of the church more seriously, not less.

As we do so we can say: ‘I agree with you. With shame, the church must own its guilt here. And it’s worse for a Christian to be guilty of these things because we believe with all our heart that equality is real, consent is vital, bodies are sacred, sex is special, rulers should serve, minorities should be protected, and history is bending towards justice. We believe these things passionately and that makes our failures doubly grievous. But… why do you think these things are wrong? What foundations do you have to ground your moral stance?’ In truth, only Christ is a solid basis for the values we cherish. All other ground is sinking sand.