The killing of 27 people, half of them children and babies, in a Baptist church demonstrates that the mask is coming off: there is a rising tide of hatred against Christians and Christianity in America. No longer hidden, it's open, bold, militant, strident, loud, emboldened, and confident.
The rising tide of atheism, paganism, and secularism have brought death threats to Christians as well as sentiments wishing for their deaths.The reasons for this hatred are illogical and need to be examined.
Michael L. Brown has categorized the reasons for the hatred:
1. Since evangelical Christians voted in a large percentage for candidate Trump, whatever he does, whatever he says, IS Christianity in the minds of millions. (This is the danger of prominent Christians allying themselves with candidates and political causes.) But, it could be argued that when millions of Christians voted in 2016, their votes were more against the other candidate than for Trump. The thinking of such voters was ABC reasoning, "Anybody But Clinton."
AN EXAMPLE
When asked by "Christianity Today" in 2011 if he would go back and do anything
differently, Billy Graham, whose relationship with President Richard Nixon drew considerable controversy replied:
I also would have steered clear of politics. I'm grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back, I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn't do that now.In 2012, Michael S. Hamilton, chair of the history department at Seattle Pacific University wrote:
"Billy Graham has long been a registered Democrat and has supported
politicians on both sides of the aisle. In the 1980s and 1990s, he
declined to embrace the Religious Right. The exposure of Richard Nixon's
corruption made Graham wary of future involvement in political
partisanship, and he privately warned leaders of the Religious Right to
stay away from politics."
BACK TO BROWN
2. Christians, Christian opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion draws the fury of the atheistic tide. They brand Christians as Nazis, fascists (without knowing the meaning of the word) and haters, They compare Christianity to ISIS, and charge Christians with wanting to impose a Mosaic Law theocracy on America. Irrational? Yes.
3. The hostility is the natural result of the poison of atheism. Rabbi David Wolpe posted a suggestion in "The Huffington Post." Here's what he said about what he wrote and the reaction to it:
"How harmless is it to post an article about why people should read the bible (sic) on a site devoted to religion? I did on this very page, and it evoked more than 2,000 responses, most of them angry. I had previously written a similarly gentle article about how God should be taught to children that evoked more than 1,000 responses, almost all negative and many downright nasty.
"It is curious that a religion site draws responses mostly from atheists, and that the atheists are very unhappy. They are unhappy with the bible (sic) . . . unhappy with the idea of God (the “imaginary dictator” whose task in human history, apparently, is to ensure that oppression and evil triumph) and very unhappy with anyone (read: me) who presumes to offer religious advice to the religious. Only the untutored assume that religious people predominate on websites."
4. There is a supernatural component to the hostility, all from the dark side of the universe. John summarizes this reason in John 1:5-11: the darkness hates the Light which has come into the world in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus' earthly life clashed head-on with the forces of darkness. As the psalmist predicted, "They hated ]Him] without a cause." Irrational. And as Jesus warned His followers, "If they have hated Me, they will hate you." The reaction of the rising tide evidenced a hatred, a deep down, ingrained, bitter hatred of Christians and Christianity.
A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Two thousand years ago, a somewhat parallel incident occurred when Herod took off his mask and slaughtered children and babies, as he unknowingly cooperated with the satanic side of the universe to prevent the cross.
NOW FOR THE POSITIVE
Michael Brown points out the positive biblical stance for the believer by citing II Peter 4:12-16; Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:21. A summary of those texts: 1) Don't be surprised by the hostility 2) rejoice 3) love your enemies 4) pray for your enemies 5) take the offensive, that is, overcome evil with good.
We might add another text to the list: II Timothy 2:24: "The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,"
I SAW THE CHAPTER AND VERSE
I was privileged to be in the audience when a grace-oriented Dallas Seminary professor was speaking to a group of pastors (and a reporter from the city's local newspaper) about the new book he had written to refute lordship salvation. The event was hosted by a local Christian bookstore which had invited the pastors.
After his presentation, the question and answer period began and, lo and behold, most in the room were hostile. The tone of their voices, their sarcasm, and their condescending attitude, in a addition to the questions themselves, showed their anger. Some were downright rude.
What's interesting is that I don't remember a single question or comment the pastors made. I don't remember a single answer the author gave to their questions. What I do remember is that the professor was the epitome of II Timothy 2:24.
Although under attack, every syllable in his response was kind and patient. He was gracious to everyone in the room. It was as if he was enjoying the entire session. He was.
Funny what we remember, isn't it? I went away from that meeting, having learned one of life's important lessons because I saw II Timothy 2:24.
The mask is coming off.
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