Criticism of Christianity

Over the centuries, Christianity has been criticized by philosophers, journalists, members of other religions, scientists, and other people from all walks of life. This article outlines some of the major Criticisms of Christianity and the actions of its followers, that have been offered through the years.

Criticism of Christian people

Alleged dishonesty in translation of the Bible

Some accuse Christians of translating the Bible in a dishonest way to make the text reflect Christian doctrine.

For example, according to Muslim convert Gary Miller (Abdul-Ahad Omar), the meaning of the word worship has changed over time. "Worship used to mean in English, what was worthy, worthyship. In Canada we still call the mayor of a city, Your Worship." And that "worship has a different flavor than it had long ago. Today it seems to carry a lot of baggage that it didn’t used to have." He continues that in old translations of the Bible "It says in the Bible that a man came to Jesus one day and he worshipped him. If you look literally in the Greek the word there literally means, 'he blew him a kiss'.... I believe it’s the 2nd Chapter of Daniel, it says that Nebuchadnezzar came to Daniel and he worshipped him, in the King James Bible." But most Modern English translations, he claims, have changed the word "worship" in the latter to something else but have left alone a verse that says a man came to Jesus and he worshiped him.^[1] The Book of Daniel was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, while the New Testament was written in Greek, so a strict comparison based on a common English word used to translate two different words from different languages may be misleading.

Another example, according to Miller, is the translation of the word Messiah. The meaning of the Hebrew word "Messiah" is "God's anointed." Gary Miller claims that "Even Cyrus the Persian is called 'Messiah,' or 'the anointed,' in Isaiah Chapter 45. This verse has been translated in a misleading way...Here, when it refers to Cyrus, they translated the Hebrew word "Messiah" with "God's anointed." But in places where the Bible is talking about Jesus, when the term "Messiah" appears, instead of translating it as "anointed," they simply transliterate it so that it reads "Messiah." This word "Messiah" is in the Greek equivalent written as "Christ" and in fact often appears this way in the Greek Septuagint. Miller claims that the translation "give us the impression that there is only one Messiah, one Christ and no other." ^[2] In older translations, the English word "Messiah" only appears in two verses of the Old Testament (Daniel 9:25-26). In most modern translations the word does not appear in the Old Testament and only appears in the New Testament in the two passages where the Greek transliteration (Template:Polytonic) appears (1:41 john 1:41, john 4:25); the passages in Daniel use "anointed one" rather than "Messiah".

Alleged misquoting or misinterpretation of the Hebrew Bible

Jews have occasionally accused Christians of misquoting or misinterpreting the Hebrew Bible.

For example, Matthew 1:22–1:23 reads: "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" — which means, "God with us." This verse is, according to Jews, a misquoting of Isaiah 7:14. The Jewish translation of the verse reads: "Behold, the young woman is with child and will bear a son and she will call his name Immanuel." Moreover, it is claimed that Christians have taken this verse out of context (see Immanuel for further information). ^[3]

Another example is Mathew 2:23: "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'" A Jewish website claims that "Since a Nazarene is a resident of the city of Nazareth and this city did not exist during the time period of the Jewish Bible, it is impossible to find this quotation in the Hebrew Scriptures. It was fabricated." ^[4]

The Atonement

A primitive concept of the atonement first appears in the Gospels of Luke and John (Luke 22:19, John 6:51, John 14:6). As the concept of the atonement has evolved from early church thinking to a modern interpretation found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (see the section Doctrine) different denominations of Christianity now subscribe to different theories of the atonement (see the section Atonement theories in Christianity). These theories differ on eligibility requirements (baptism vs. belief), the mechanism whereby believers benefit (ransom vs. recapitulation vs. substitution), and whether the atonement primarily addresses Adam’s transgression or personal sin, or both. These differences seem to suggest that the origin and evolution of the doctrine of the atonement is a contest of ideas. [5] [6]

Robert Green Ingersoll goes further, with justification that the concept of the atonement is simply an extension of the Mosaic tradition of blood sacrifice and "is the enemy of morality". [7] The death of Jesus Christ represents the blood sacrifice to end all blood sacrifices, where the resulting mechanism of atonement by proxy through that final sacrifice has appeal as a more convenient and much less costly approach to redemption than repeated animal sacrifice – a common sense solution.

The Elusive Second Coming

A fundamental belief of Christianity (and Islam) is that Christ will return to the earth to conquer evil and rule over the faithful - a simplified definition of the Second Coming. Since the first century until modern times Christian leaders and followers have prophesied that this would happen, usually during the life time of the person making the prophecy and frequently within the next 20 years after the prophecy. This practice seems to contradict a fundamental Christian principle that says that no one knows when Christ will come (Mark 13:32). The failure of even one of these many prophesies to come true often has the effect of trivializing Christian teachings and making the church seem unreliable. Otherwise, considering roughly 2000 years of some disappointment, faith in the Second Coming seems remarkably resilient.

Alleged selective interpretation of the Bible

Some maintain that Christians choose to follow only those portions of the Bible they like.

Sometimes particular attention is directed to rules contained in the Old Testament which are not observed by Christians [8]. Many of the rules in question are specifically abrogated by the New Testament, such as circumcision in Galatians 2:1, and the entire Law is described by Galatians 3:24–25 as a tutor which is no longer necessary, according to Antinomianism. The alleged hyprocrisy is in the continued invocation of portions of the Old Testament that are considered obsolete under Christianity, particularly when those portions endorse hostility towards women and homosexuals.

Matthew 5:17–19 (see also Adherence to the Law) can be taken to imply that the Old Testament laws remain in place in the New Testament, while Matthew 5:38–39 (see also Antithesis of the Law and Christian view of the Law) can be viewed as contradicting those earlier passages. Simple investigation yields many apparent contradictions in the Bible, which some use to argue against belief in the Bible as the absolute, inerrant 'Word of God.' Some passages said to be contradictory include:

An eye for an eye and But to bring a sword versus "Do not take revenge" and Love your enemies

No one has ever seen God, John 1:18 versus Jacob saw God's face, Genesis 32:30 and Moses saw God's back, Exodus 33:23

Jesus carries his own cross, John 19:17 versus Simon carries Jesus's cross, Mark 15:21–22

This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place Matthew 24:34, Luke 21:32^[1]. Indeed, C.S. Lewis called this "the most embarrassing verse in the Bible" ^[2] Nevertheless, the Greek word genea which is usually translated as generation can have several meanings, amongst others: the several ranks of natural descent or in a metaphorical way a group of men very like each other in endowments (cf. [9]). So it remains uncertain whether this verse is substantiating the concept of Parousia.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26

While consideration of the context is necessary when studying the Bible, some find the four different accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus within the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, difficult to reconcile.

Criticisms are also sometimes raised because of contradictions arising between different English translations of the Hebrew or Greek text.

Christianity and tolerance

Claims that Christianity is the one true religion have led Christians to fight wars to enforce their belief in an "unwilling, heathen world". The most notable examples of Christian warfare include the Crusades of the Middle Ages, directed mainly against Muslims in Palestine (though sometimes Christianity was used as an excuse for purely political violence, such as the sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204). Critics have also noted the prevalence of warfare in the Bible, particularly the Old Testament. Distinguished linguist and prolific political writer Noam Chomsky has argued that the Bible is one of the most genocidal books in history.

After the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire under emperor Theodosius I, the state acted to persecute rival beliefs which challenged the supremacy of the established church, which thus became increasingly intolerant of dissent. The state issued decrees intended to oppress or eradicate not only pagans (including adherents of the older Roman religion and of sects such as Manichaeism) but also Christian groups regarded as heretical (such as Arians and sects influenced by Gnosticism). The most prominent of these decrees is the so-called Theodosian decree which ordered the destruction of all pagan temples (Judaism was exempt), and resulted in the burning of the Library of Alexandria. The state aimed to "suppress all rival religions, order the closing of the temples, and impose fines, confiscation, imprisonment or death upon any who cling to the older Pagan religions." Sanctions included confiscation of property, destruction of religious writings, exile, and sometimes execution. The Roman state church also tolerated acts of violence against Jewish synagogues (see Christianity and anti-Semitism).

The idea that heretics should be punishable by death continued to be supported by some later Christian writers, such as the 13th-century scholar Thomas Aquinas, who held that heretics "deserve not only to be separated from the Church by excommunication, but also to be severed from the world by death", ST II:II 11:3). During the Reformation period, both sides in the conflict thought it appropriate to execute heretics: the radical theologian Michael Servetus was condemned to death by the Roman Catholic authorities, but actually executed by the Protestant authorities in Geneva.

Historical persecution by Christians was also focused on other Christians such as the Cathars in the Albigensian crusade. Inquisitions were also used against domestic populations, to eliminate individuals who expressed divergent opinions. Atrocities committed by the state in the name of Christianity have historically gone hand-in-hand with pogroms by the populace, leading to horrific massacres, such as St. Bartholomew's Day massacre carried out by a Catholic mob against Protestants. Christian mobs, sometimes with government support, have targeted non-Christians. Examples include the destruction of pagan temples and murder of the philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria by a Christian mob.

Christian fundamentalists often use passages in the Bible to criticize homosexuality, and because of the influence of such biblical teachings during the Middle Ages, for centuries, homosexual acts were punishable in Europe by death. Even today, Christian groups, particularly in America, are accused of being at the forefront of homophobia, with extremists such as the Westboro Baptist Church picketing the funerals of murdered homosexuals.

British environmental activist George Monbiot has also argued that Christian fundamentalists are driving the United States's current foreign policy in a misguided effort to hasten the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, to the detriment of all concerned[10].

Bible-Related Criticism

Ethics and Morality

The Bible itself is often the focus of criticism concerning its morality, internal consistency, consistency with regard to the historic record, and with regard to science. Difficulties also arise when considering which translation to use, as many modern translations take into account newly discovered ancient manuscripts of the Bible, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and Codex Sinaiticus, which suggest that passages such as the Pericope Adulteræ, and Mark 16 and Comma Johanneum originally took other forms than are present in earlier translations such as the King James Version, and sometimes didn't even exist. There is also the question of whether the masoretic text, which forms the basis of most modern English translations of the Old Testament, is the more accurate or whether one of the translations which pre-dates the masoretic text, such as the Septuagint, Syriac Peshitta, and Samaritan Pentateuch is more accurate.

Christianity and science

Christianity has sometimes had an antagonistic relationship with science. According to American religious scholar Kaufmann Kohler, the resulting Christian orthodoxy from the 4th century onward "emphasised faith, produced a thinking that deprecated learning, as was shown by Draper ("History of the Conflict between Science and Religion") and by White ("History of the Warfare of Science with Theology"), a reliance on the miraculous and supernatural, under the from old pagan forms of belief. In the name of the Christian faith reason and research were condemned, Greek philosophy and literature were exterminated, and free thinking was suppressed."

Perhaps the best known example of this is when Galileo Galilei (who has been referred to as the "father of science"), was opposed by the Roman Catholic Church, even though Galileo asserted himself as devout Catholic. Galileo, for popularising Copernicus's Heliocentrism, which is now understood to be correct, was persecuted. According to Professor Andrew Dickson White, in A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (III.iii), 1896, Galileo's experiences demonstrate a classic case of a scholar forced to recant his scientific insight.

The above view is roughly what scholars today call the conflict thesis (or the warfare model, or the Draper-White thesis) - This idea of a war between science and religion (specially Christianity) was common in the historiography of science from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries, and is still common in popular culture, but it has lost much of its support among professional historians.

Christianity and reason

Some critics, such as Daniel Dennett and ethologist Richard Dawkins, argue that Christianity has sought to suppress rational enquiry and hence the quest for truth. Dawkins cites the story of Thomas from the Bible and argues that the Bible actively discourages believers from making rational enquiries about their faith. Dawkins has said that he is against religion "because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world." Though Dawkins and Dennett are significant living critics on the issue of reason, they are by no means alone. A number of prominent philosophers throughout the ages have made similar criticisms. Bertrand Russell's are recounted in Why I Am Not a Christian. Nietzsche is well known for his bleak view of Christianity.

Many Christian theologians have made appeals to reason as an important aspect of the Christian faith. These thinkers have included John Wesley, who included "reason" in the theological model known as the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral"; and Tony Campolo, author of the book A Reasonable Faith. Theologian Alister McGrath, author of Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, And The Meaning Of Life, is critical of Dawkins' arguments for atheism.

Many of the founding fathers of the American Revolution were arguably Deists and critical of organized religion in general. Thomas Jefferson did not believe in the divinity of Jesus, and wrote an entire biography of him minus the supernatural, to promote his view of Jesus as a moral teacher.

One outspoken Deist was the radical Thomas Paine, who argues in his "Revealed Religion & Morality" that "the most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries, that have afflicted the human race, have had their origin in this thing called revelation." Paine argues that the dominance of Christianity was established through violence, "by the sword." [11]

Responses to criticisms

Most of the above objections are socio-historical. Some would argue that religion by nature is fundamentally personal, hence socio-historical trends can never be applied to debating the merits of personal belief and the objections are strictly incidental.

It can also be argued that criticism of Christianity based on its perceived retardation of science is shaped by the modern "survivor's viewpoint;" that is, an artificial dichotomy between church and science is created only because science has thrived into the modern time, while to the church of a few centuries ago, it could have seemed another, possibly dangerous cult.

Some of the apparent contradictions in the Bible arise from either translation or the changing meanings of words in the vernacular. To take an example, Shakespeare sometimes uses the word "merely" to mean "absolutely," a usage not found in contemporary English. See Hamlet, I.2, l.137.

It is also suggested that critics of Christianity use evidence highly selectively, with the actions of some Christians and Christian sects being extrapolated to condemn all Christians and Christianity as a whole. For example, some of those that claim Christianity has hindered the progress of science ignore that British Protestants in the 17th to early 20th century made arguably some of the most important advances in modern science and technology (such as the Industrial Revolution). Similarly, some of those that claim Christianity has been opposed to reason forget that some of the most influential Western thinkers (Aquinas, Descartes, Augustine, Locke, Mill to name but a few) have been Christian; despite this many other Western thinkers rejected their upbringing and became non-Christian - Thomas Paine, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson, and David Hume, to name a few. Finally, some of those that claim Christianity has not been friendly towards other those of other faiths ignore the help predominantly Christian charities and Christians give to Christians and non-Christians alike and forget the centrality of tolerance to Jesus’ teachings.

References

Joseph McCabe, "A Rationalist Encyclopaedia: A book of reference on religion, philosophy, ethics and science," Gryphon Books (1971). Excerpts appear at: http://www.christianism.com/

Holtzman Ph.D., Deanna (1997). Nevermore: The Hymen and the Loss of Virginity. London: Jason Aronson. ISBN 0765700379. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) ^

Notes

^ Matthew 24:34 & Genea: What The Scholars Say
^ "It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible. Yet how teasing, also, that within fourteen words of it should come the statement, 'But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.'" - Lewis, C.S. (1984). The Business of Heaven: Daily Readings from C. S. Lewis. Harvest Books. pp. 110–111. ISBN 0156148633. Retrieved 2006-05-29.

External links

[1] Matthew 24:34 & Genea: What The Scholars Say

[2] "It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible. Yet how teasing, also, that within fourteen words of it should come the statement, 'But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.'" - Lewis, C.S. (1984). The Business of Heaven: Daily Readings from C. S. Lewis. Harvest Books. pp. 110–111. ISBN 0156148633. Retrieved 2006-05-29.

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