Kent Healy agrees with my title premise stating, “a lack of information and/or inaccurate 
information perpetuates fear, doubt, and stupid behavior.”1 I’ll add, fear, doubt, and stupid behavior are not the goals of the Christian faith. Yet, among those in America who profess to be Christians, we have many who are ignorant, operating under misinformation, or both.
I assert, unless we intentionally examine what we believe and why we believe it, we could easily be deceived and not know it. After all, the very nature of deception means the victim is unaware.
Ignorance means a person has not been exposed to information. Operating under misinformation is the same as being deceived–the individual believes the information is true when it isn’t. Either way, it is incumbent upon us to search for truth in this corrupt world filled with lies.
I ask you to genuinely consider the state of humanity today, with increasing evil bringing death and destruction. What is your honest reaction?
For many, including Christians, the reaction is deep seated fear and over whelming dread for the future. From this posture a person can conclude there is no hope, become resigned, and in so doing actually perpetuate evil. What would Jesus say to this considering His instructions to Believers?
“And Jesus came and said to them [His disciples],“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of he Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.”
Clearly Christians have been charged with bringing the truth and the real and certain hope it offers to all people of all nations.
In America we have an abundance of churches and people who claim to be Christians. Yet, according to Barna Research Group, of the roughly 75% of Americans who claim to be Christian, only 45% are actually born-again, whereas only 7-9% of those born-again allow their faith to determine how they live their lives. This means 36 to 44% of born-again Christians aren’t living their faith and are continuing to be influenced and buffeted by the world. Additionally, these same Christians by not living and promoting truth, are contributing to the demise of evil.
It’s possible this last group are the “lukewarm” Christians address in Revelation chapter 3:14-22? To these God said, “Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither not nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” Gratefully, true to His character, God offers a remedy for their condition in the rest of the passage.
What allows a person to be lukewarm? I believe it’s either willful ignorance, or apathy. This is why I say “What Most Christians Don’t Know About Christianity Promotes Evil.” I’m sure no Christian wants to be associated with promoting evil. So, let me offer some significant truths (and there are many more!) about our Christian faith to help us all be properly informed.
Did you know:
- The Christian worldview offers a wider rationality that embraces and does not contradict the rationality of the other worldviews?
- Those who come to Christ have access to a wider capacity for human reason than they had before submitting themselves to Christ?
- From the Christian worldview the principles of the other worldviews of secular humanism, naturalism, pantheism and even the other monotheisms can be easily understood? However, from these other worldviews the Christian worldview cannot be fully understood.
- Christianity is the one worldview that actually encompasses the truth and reasonable principles of all three other worldviews (Material naturalism, Pantheism and Secular Humanism), and more.2
Isn’t it interesting that our culture demands tolerance and inclusion, while utterly rejecting Christianity, especially in light of the last point just made?
Dorothy Sayer in her book Creed or Chaos? wrote “[I]t is fatal to imagine that everybody knows quite well what Christianity is and needs only a little encouragement to practice it. The brutal fact is that in this Christian country not one person is a hundred has the faintest notion of what the Church teaches about God or man or society or the person of Jesus Christ. . . . Theology this country is at present in a state of utter chaos established in the name of religious toleration and rapidly degenerating into flight from reason and the death of hope.”
With a tremendous sense of urgency, I implore you to intentionally learn all you can about your Christian faith. Not only will you be tremendously fortified to withstand the increase of evil, you’ll be able to share the truth with those you love, allowing them to discover the same freedom and hope you have in Christ.
I unabashedly suggest reading the first book in my Faith to Live By series, Examine Your Faith! Finding Truth in a World of Lies, can be of great help.
About the Author
Pamela Christian is an ordained, international, itinerant, minister called to be a strong asset to the Church, offering wisdom and insight form God’s Word. Her ministry utilizes all forms of media and live presentations. To inquire further please use our Contact page.
1 Healy, Two Causes of our Greatest Problems: the Uninformed and the Misinformed, http://www.theuncommonlife.com/blog/2010/12/10/greatest-problems-uninformed-and-misinformed/
2 Poplin, Is Reality Secular? (Inter Varsity Press, 2014) p. 205-207.
Your privacy is always respected and protected.