FULL SPECTRUM CULTURE

John Hendryx at the Reformation Theology blog writes a great (if long) essay to help believers counter the charges of hypocrisy, violence & oppression thrown at them by unbelievers. Here are a few excerpts [ellipses in original]:

Many shameful charges against individual Christians indeed are true, and even horrific. We should not pretend that Christians are morally superior in any way, because that is simply not the case, but we should, rather, openly acknowledge our personal and historical shortcomings. It does not help our argument to deny our sinfulness. However, one must, at the same time consider that when this is the response of unbelievers as to the identity of Christ, they are actually using a tactic of evasion. That is, they are really dodging any conclusion about the person of Christ by pointing to an important, but secondary issue that does not answer the question of who the person of Jesus Christ is.

As per responding to oppression and violence done in the name of Christianity consider that even though we can answer charges against the Crusades by explaining that this occurred in response to hundreds of years of Islamic Jihad which wiped out and forcefully converted North Africa … and similarly the common charge of the Inquisition can be answered truthfully that it was actually Christians who were the ones being tortured (that is, against Protestants who read Bibles), a fact many people did not know … yet the fact remains that there have been many other things indeed done in the name of Christ that were wrong and often hypocritical. We may be able to persuasively explain away some historical embarrassments but not all. When a Muslim states that they are peace loving we can be thankful that they are being inconsistent with the Koran (and their other writings which teach Jihad (Holy War) as the sixth pillar of Islam). So we should not be surprised when Muslims are being consistent and forwarding their cause with violence. But when a Christian commits violence and oppression in the name of Christ, they are actually being inconsistent with the Revelation of God in Christ. It is important to point out this difference. Jesus opposed any attempt to advance the kingdom by force rather than persuasion. Furthermore, His purpose in coming was to set the oppressed free. When a Christian advances His cause through through political force, military might or anything other than heralding the gospel using persuasion and a godly life, he is being inconsistent with the core of his faith. While indeed people like this exist and use the name of Christianity in un-Christian ways, this has nothing to do with Christ so it is difficult to see how blame for this behavior can be shifted on Jesus…

Read on.