Testing the Track Record
Does Christianity Really Make a Difference in People's
Lives?
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
JOHN 10:10 (NKJV)
Carol was a fellow student in a graduate English course. Although I never spoke to her personally, a comment she made in class has reverberated through my mind many times. Our class was discussing a self-discovery book that was part of the required reading. Making reference to Native Americans, the author stated that all those looking for spiritual fulfillment must begin with the religion of their own ancestors.
| Prophecy
Experience Archaeology Resurrection Logic |
The class was debating this statement when Carol spoke up with a passion that seemed to betray an inner conflict far beyond the scope of our simple discussion: "But how is that possible," she asked,
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"when Christianity, the religion of my ancestors, has brought nothing but hatred, hypocrisy and division?"
Have you heard people make these kinds of accusations against Christianity? If so, when and what did they say?
What has been your response to these assertions?
Is Christianity Really a Curse?
The Bible promises that following Christ will bring personal peace, brotherly love, true fulfillment and victory over evil. If we could see this demonstrated in real life, it would be powerful evidence for the truth of Christianity. But the popular perception today is that not only does the Christian faith not have a positive impact, it actually has a negative one. One of my professors once even called Christianity "the curse of Western civilization." Carol's question poignantly expresses a common reason why many dismiss Christianity without a thought and others begin to doubt its truthfulness: the track record of Christians.
The wife of a leading youth pastor in my childhood denomination ran off with the father of one of the students. A widower who attended our church committed suicide, leaving his bewildered teenage daughter as his sole survivor. Another church member was convicted of sexually molesting his stepdaughter. A prominent pastor in our town was arrested for using his own church to launder drug money.
These examples and others, just from my own experience, cast an ominous shadow. Newspapers and history books are full of even more accounts, including a nauseating variety of scandals, hypocrisy and hate crimes stretching back to the Inquisitions and Crusades of the Middle Ages and beyond — all done by people claiming the name of Christ. Do these examples truly represent the effects of Christianity on the world? Or does Christianity actually transform lives for the better as the Bible claims?
Look up John 14:27, John 10:10 and Titus 2:11-14; note the promises about the effect of Christianity.
What experiences have you had with Christians that have made you question the truthfulness of Christianity?
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The Christianity of the Bible
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (Jn 13:34-35)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.... Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need.... Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. (Romans 12:10-16)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)
Will the Real Christians Please Stand Up?
To begin answering these questions for myself, I had to think through what it means to be a Christian — and what it does not mean. Christ himself said that many will call themselves Christians who are not. Matthew 7:22-23, he says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "
According to this, being a Christian is more than calling yourself a Christian, holding a position in the church or claiming to do something in Jesus' name. And as I thought about it, that made sense, considering many insincere reasons exist why people might choose to call themselves Christians:
because
they want to feel included in a group
because
of the expectations of parents, friends or employers
because
it gives them an opportunity to hold a position of honor or
importance
In other passages Jesus plainly states what it does mean to be a Christian. It means believing in him and obeying his teaching (Jn 3:16-21; 8:31). As I read such passages, it struck me that all the evils committed in the name of
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Christianity do not only go against our own ethical standards but are contrary to the teaching of the founder of Christianity — Christ himself.
| Just as we would not discard liberty because people abuse it, nor patriotism, nor courage, nor reason, speech, and memory — though all abused — no more should we eliminate true religion because self-seekers perverted it. WILLIAM WILBERFORCE (British statesman and abolitionist)1 |
Unfortunately, selfish and insincere people can pervert all good things, and all positions of authority or influence can be abused. So it stands to reason that all evils done in the name of Christianity were not necessarily done by Christians. As D. James Kennedy notes, "Some people have called themselves 'Christians' who have lived in total opposition to the principles and teachings of the Master from Nazareth."2
What do you think it means to be a Christian and why?
What is your response to the statement that all the evils done in the name of Christianity may not have been committed by Christians?
Read Matthew 13:24-39. How might this passage relate to this discussion?
The Life and Times of the Inquisitions and Crusades
When the balance of power shifts to the church, as it did in the Middle Ages, it becomes extraordinarily advantageous to call yourself a Christian, regardless of your true beliefs. At the time of the Inquisition and Crusades, the church had become the ruling authority of the land, and church officials possessed unprecedented power and wealth. This would invariably draw to the church self-seeking, power-hungry people, many of whom were not even Christians. These people would begin filling both the pews and the pulpits and helping determine the future direction of the church.
But Can All "Christian" Evils Be Explained This Way?
Although the existence of insincere people who call themselves Christians can account for some of the evil done in the name of Christianity, this unfortunately cannot account for all of it. After all, I consider myself a sincere Christian, but I know I have done many things unworthy of that name.
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I discovered that it is important to understand, though, that the Bible never claims that the moment people accept Christ they no longer will do anything wrong. In fact, the New Testament is full of examples of Christians acting in very unchristian ways. Instead the Bible teaches that when persons become Christians, they begin a refining process toward becoming a perfect reflection of Jesus' holiness, compassion and wisdom. But the process lasts an entire lifetime, and throughout the process the Christian is always allowed the choice of whether to take the next step.
The Christians we encounter every day are at different points in this refinement process. And the Bible is clear that Christianity welcomes all people, not just those who are already considered "upstanding" or "respectable." Some, from a human standpoint, may have further to go in the refinement of their behavior than others when they decide to follow Christ. As C.S. Lewis explains in Mere Christianity, we cannot judge the effects of Christianity by whether all Christians are better than all non-Christians. We must judge by whether a specific Christian is a better person with Christ than that person would have been without him.3
| Such a history is marked by the folly and wickedness of leading Christians on almost every page, but I came to realize, in studying the account, that men have done evil not because of their Christianity but despite it — that Christianity has been not the source of, but the supreme (often the sole) restraining factor on, mankind's capacity for wrong-doing. PAUL JOHNSON (historian)4 |
I look at my own life. I have mentioned some examples of unchristian behavior I've seen in the lives of professing Christians, but I could have filled the same sentences with examples of unchristian things I have done. What about my own egotism, self-absorption, deceitfulness and immorality? I have done many things that I would never want associated with Christ, but I didn't do them because of my Christianity but in spite of it. And to whatever extent I integrate Jesus' teaching into my life, it begins to transform me into something better than I am.
Look up Matthew 26:69-74, Luke 9:46 and 1 Corinthians 5:1.
Note the behavior described. Do you think the people involved were Christians? If so, what does this imply?
Would you say Christianity has made you a better or worse person? Explain.
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The Rest of the Story
Many wrongs have been done the name of Christianity, but this is by far not the end of the story. As D. James Kennedy writes, "The Church has never been perfect. Far from it. But the total record should be examined. In doing so, the good far, far outweighs the bad."5
Despite popular opinion to the contrary, it can be seen throughout history that Christian principles have radically changed society wherever they have been accepted, and that Christians have often been at the forefront of social reform and benevolent endeavors. Here are just a few examples:
In
ancient Greece and Rome it was common for parents at all social levels to
abandon unwanted or imperfect children to be eaten by wild animals or starved.
It was the Christians who established orphanages to care for these abandoned
children and in the end stopped this practice of child abandonment through
swaying public opinion and encouraging new laws.6
In
the Middle Ages it was the church that educated the masses and established
the first universities. Even today, many of the world's greatest universities
can be traced back to Christian origins. In the last two hundred years Christians
have been the primary force in bringing education to millions of people in
Third World countries.7
During
the Middle Ages it was the church that founded the first hospitals. And
Christianity is directly responsible for the establishment of such people-helping
organizations today as the Salvation Army, the YMCA, World Vision, Compassion
International and myriad others. In fact, "more hospitals, orphanages, rest
homes, and rescue missions have been dedicated to [Jesus] than to all other
religious leaders combined. More people-helping efforts have been founded,
financed, and perpetuated by His followers than all
others."8
The
New Testament has sometimes been criticized for not directly forbidding slavery.
However, Paul's calling a slave "a brother beloved" (Philemon 16
NKJV) was absolutely revolutionary in his day. Further, the New
Testament principles of unconditional love and respect for all humanity (1
Cor 12:13; Eph 6:8; Col 3:11) set the stage for the elimination of slavery.
And although some Christians supported slavery, many others led the way to
its abolishment in both ancient and recent times. Two-thirds of the members
of the U.S. abolition society in 1835 were ministers. Abraham
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Lincoln's writings are peppered with biblical quotes, and many of the "engineers" in the Underground Railroad were Quakers."9
Christians
were often at the forefront of efforts to improve treatment of women in the
world. William Carey, a missionary to India, fought for years to bring an
end to the custom of burning widows on the funeral fires of their husbands.
Amy Carmichael, another missionary to India, committed herself to rescuing
girls who were raised to be temple prostitutes. And the American crusade
for women's voting and property rights in the 1800s was largely made up of
evangelical Christians.10
| In particular, respect for the dignity and responsibility of the individual has been a feature of our society which stems directly from Christian teaching and has been worked out in terms of universal suffrage, universal education and individual liberty. FREDERICK CATHERWOOD (former British industrial adviser)11 |
The
New Testament's insistence that women are equal heirs of God's grace and
that husbands should treat their wives with respect, understanding and
sacrificial love (Gal 3:26-28; Eph 5:25; 1 Pet 3:7) was also a revolutionary
concept in its day. Although Christianity has often been criticized for
suppressing women, the countries most affected by Christianity are generally
the ones in which women enjoy the most respect. In many non-Western cultures
today women are still denied education, forced to do the majority of the
work and considered their husband's property.
Do you agree that Christianity has had these positive influences on society? Why or why not?
Changing the World One Person at a Time
In addition to all the social reforms and benevolent endeavors Christianity has fueled, Christianity has positively affected countless millions of individual lives. I heard a story of a Christian speaker who was interrupted during his presentation by a skeptic who protested, "Atheism has done more for the world than Christianity!"
The speaker replied with a challenge: "Tomorrow night bring a hundred people whose lives have been changed for the better by atheism, and I'll bring a hundred whose lives have been changed for the better by Christ."
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According to the story, the skeptic was never heard from again.
I don't know if this story is true, but I have never forgotten it. It brings to my mind the faces of many people who have told me — some with tears in their eyes — how Christ has transformed their lives. Just among people I have met, I could easily gather a hundred and more who would enthusiastically come to testify how they have experienced the power of Christ.
Tom's story. "I enjoyed killing people and was good at it," Tom admitted to me. Tom had grown up an abused child, consumed by hatred for his father. As far back as he could remember, he never had turned away from a fight; he always reveled in opportunities to hurt others. When the Vietnam War broke out, Tom enthusiastically joined the Marines and was assigned to an assassination squad. This finally gave him the opportunity to act out his hatred without fear of punishment, and he unleashed all his rage on the Viet Cong. Although he was wounded several times and given permission to go home, he fought to stay.
When he finally was sent back to the United States, he arrived a bitter alcoholic. He married and divorced twice within five years and found he was a dismal failure at being a husband and dad. That was when Tom met Christ. He says the moment he determined to follow Christ, it felt as if a physical weight lifted from his shoulders.
Since that day his life has changed drastically. He was able to forgive his dad and leave the hatred and violence behind. He was able to marry and become a responsible father and husband, and he has devoted his life now to helping others rather than hurting them. Tom is an elder in my church and is very honest about where he has come from. But I cannot see one trace of that angry, violent alcoholic in the man I now know.
Eva's story.12 If you met Eva today, you would see a short, jolly redheaded woman with dark eyes and dimples, who still claims to be thirty nine. But the story she has to tell will take your breath away. She was a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany. When she was ten years old, as she was walking to visit her grandparents, she was captured by Nazi soldiers and placed in a concentration camp. There she was physically and psychologically abused and used in various medical experiments. Once she was forced to stand on her toes in the sewer for days just because she had smiled at someone as she walked across the camp. Another day she was beaten unconscious by soldiers
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at an ammunition factory where she was forced to work.
At sixteen Eva was among those freed when the Allied forces won the war. On her release she found that almost all of her family had been slaughtered at other concentration camps. Eva mistakenly believed that Nazis, as Gentiles, represented Christianity, and she came to bitterly hate anything that had to do with Christians or Christ.
Years later, however, Eva's own daughter became a Christian. When this happened Eva felt so betrayed she threw her daughter out of her home. Later Eva's husband also became a Christian. Finally Eva prayed, "God, if it is true that Jesus is the one, then I will accept it and do whatever you want me to do."
Today Eva is a Christian speaker who travels around telling others of the power of Jesus' love. When she speaks of her captors she speaks with love and forgiveness and even prays for their salvation. Although her memories are still painful, from personal experience she is able to say, "Jesus can give you the inner strength for healing and forgiveness if you want it."
Mani's story. "Demons are real," Mani says. He knows from experience. Mani grew up in the jungles of the northern Philippines, where the most powerful woman in his village was the witch doctor who communicated with the spirit world. Mani says he himself saw the witch doctor possessed by demons. The demons always demanded sacrifices, but they were never satisfied.
Then one day a missionary walked into their village and told them of a God who had created the world and was stronger than all the demons. Mani eagerly read a copy of the Gospel of Mark that the missionary had translated into his language. When he came to the account of the crucifixion, he threw the book to the ground. Why did this God allow his Son to die? Didn't he have the power to save him? Mani didn't want a powerless God; surely this God was weaker than the demons because he couldn't even save his own Son. But as Mani turned to walk away, he felt the Spirit of God speak to his heart, saying, "I did it for you."
Mani eagerly accepted this God into his life, but by then the missionary was gone from his village. Mani didn't have the money to leave his village and go to one of the Christian schools he had heard about, and he had no way to learn more about his new God. In desperation he prayed, "I want to know
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you more; please give me a way." To his great excitement, a short time later the missionary unexpectedly returned. He said he was looking for a Filipino to help him with Bible translation, and he wondered if Mani would be interested — the only stipulation was that the missionary board wanted to send him to Bible college.
Do you know people whose lives have drastically changed for the better because of Christianity? If so, what is their story?
Pale Reflections
These are just three people who have experienced the changing power of Christ in their lives. I have found churches and history books filled with countless others — people like Augustine, a fourth-century playboy; John Newton, a slave trader; Chief Tariri, a jungle headhunter; C.S. Lewis, an Oxford intellectual; Chuck Colson, a member of Nixon's special counsel. These and so many more stand as evidence of the truth of Christianity demonstrated through its life-changing power.
| In the end historical facts and logical rules must be assimilated into and validated by the lived world; conclusive evidence is always experiential. Scripture is clear both that Christianity involves doctrine and that it is a way of living that verifies that doctrine. WILLIAM DYRNESS13 |
In fact, this has become one of the evidences of Christianity that I rely on most when I find myself struggling with doubt — because it is evidence that I have experienced firsthand, not only in the lives of people around me but also in my own life. I have personally experienced God's presence leading and comforting me and his power exposing my pride, uncovering my apathy and refining me into something better than I am.
Questions like the one Carol asked plus many of my own have caused me to look more deeply into the impact of Christianity. And although I often am discouraged by inconsistencies and failures I see among Christians, myself included, I have become increasingly convinced that Christianity does have a radically positive impact on people's lives. People I have met who truly appear to know Christ and sincerely try to live according to his teaching do demonstrate a vibrant reality. Although they may bear little resemblance to the perfect image of
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Christ, when you look closely, you can see the beginning of a pale reflection.
Have you experienced the power of Christianity firsthand? Explain.
How convincing do you believe the evidence from Christianity's track record is in confirming its validity and why?
Do you agree that Christianity makes a positive difference in people's lives as it promises and that this is further evidence of its truthfulness? Why or why not?
This concludes the chapters dealing with the evidences for Christianity summarized in "PEARL." In the next three we will explore three common barriers to belief — the claims of science, the existence of evil and the prevalence of other religions.
Digging Deeper
What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? by D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994). This book explores the impact Christianity has had on humanity in areas such as civil liberties, medicine, the arts, economics, sexuality, education and morality.
Great Conversions by Frederick S. Leahy (Belfast, North Ireland: Ambassador, 1998). This little book tells the story of twenty-eight lives transformed by Christ.
Chapter Eleven || Table of Contents
