Is “Christianophobia” a Problem?

Posted under Uncategorized on January 8th, 2011 by with no responses 

Is “Christianophobia” a Problem?
Posted: ndmuscutt in Cultural Musings, The Christian Life
Tags: suffering, christianophobia, persecution

Throughout each day I survey a number of news sites to try to keep on top of whatever is developing of importance in the world. Usually, I am amazed at what makes it into the news when so many other either wonderful or tragic things may be happening in the world. Each day one website has a poll and today?s had the above title. The options were: (1) Yes, (2) No, (3) That?s ridiculous, and (4) No idea. When you cast your vote, the results page pops up. I voted ?Yes? and was surprised to see that the overwhelming vote was Yes. (44% Yes, 13% No, 30% That?s ridiculous, 13% No idea.) Knowing that the majority of those voting were likely not Christian, at least in the sense of someone who has repented of sin, trusted in Christ and seeks His will and assistance each day, I remain a bit puzzled as to why so many voted ?Yes.? At the same time, I?m suppose that I?m glad that most answered this way, because it means that I might have a bit more of a receptive audience if seeking to share the Gospel. On the other hand, it may simply mean that those same people will simply be polite when I first begin to speak about Christ to them.

In reality, many of those who had voted ?Yes? may change their vote if we begin to share the full Gospel with them. While I have experienced many people who don?t mind if I begin to talk with them about Jesus Christ, some get their back up a bit when we bring up the issue of their sin. Still, however, I am always amazed at how open people are when such a personal and convicting topic is broached. I truly believe that most, after we have finished sharing Gospel with them, will continue to think about the conversation for some time, so long as our message entails the fact that we are sinners who are in great trouble with an angered God, and not just the fact that ?God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.?

The other danger of a poll like this would come mostly from the Christian camp. We should all be aware of the overblown sense of entitlement that we all have when it comes to our rights in the Western world. I actually hate this contrived term ?Christianophobia? (and not only because I think that we should keep ?phoebia? Latinized since it just looks cooler). Like ?homophoebia? it creates a false psychological ailment of sorts. I have always been amazed at how quickly the term ?homophoebia? became clinical when it has absolutely nothing clinical about it, and how culture has run with this term as if it was diagnosed and has remained a real condition since the time of Hippocrates. Now it is used as fool?s ammunition to brand anyone who disagrees with homosexuality as insane to a certain degree and who needs to be cured or put out to pasture. The problem isn?t so much the fool who uses it-I would suggest that those who coined the term were unwittingly clever. The problems are the fools who buy into it.

Here?s what I?m getting at. May it never be that Christians, or anyone! for that matter, ever acknowledge or legitimize the notion of ?Christianophobia? for numerous reasons. Firstly, it aims to make Christianity politically correct. This, I believe is the intention behind the propogation of the term ?homophoebia.? It is an attempt-and a very successful one-at making people accept an idea through fear of being stigmatized by society. As Christians, we should never, ever, ever, ever use such a term because it buys us a hearing or forces others to ?accept? our views. No one truly accepts a view by being afraid to disagree with it because they might become a cultural outcast.

Secondly, ?Christianophobia,? like ?homophoebia,? is simply not a clinical ailment. No one in the world has a psychological or medical disorder which causes them to fear Christianity. At this point someone may ask me, ?Then why did you vote ?Yes I will respond by saying that I do believe that, in a sense, everyone has ?Christianophobia,? unless they?ve been saved by Christ. And even for those who?ve been saved, there is still an innate struggle with this same problem. I am not referring to some kind of medical or clinical sickness, however. I am referring to the fact that, being born as sinners, we are haters of God and do not want to have anything to do with Him, except to make Him do what we want Him to do for us. This is not a psychological or medical problem, but a fundamental spiritual problem that we are born into, and that continues to grow in us, unless God intervenes in our lives to reverse that by causing us to see our sinful state and seeking forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ?s work on the cross. In this sense, I believe in Christianophoebia. It?s not so much a fear of Christians as it is likely a fear, or better, a hatred for the Truth as God has revealed it to us and is spoken through the lips of Christians.

Thirdly, Christians in the West, are not unlike any other group of people in the sense that we can whine about our rights and think that we?re entitled to respect and acceptance. Perish the thought that we would ever become viewed as that kind of people. The last thing I want is to be part of a group that people are obligated to tolerate because we will whine about how we?re not being treated fairly. As Christians, we forfeit any right that we have to respect or anything that this world values the moment that we die to ourselves and follow Christ. Any kind attitudes that we receive from this world when we speak the name of Christ comes by the grace of God. Christ told us explicitly that no servant is above his master. If they persecuted Christ, they will persecute us also. As well, one of the essential marks of a Christian that is listed as the last and most thorough beatitude of Matthew 5, is persecution. I believe that as citizens of the world and our countries, we have the right, (sometimes the) privilege, and obligation of appealing to governments and others for the fair and humane treatment of others, whether they be Christians or not, and we should speak out for an end to the persecution of our brothers and sisters around the world, as well as those who are not Christians. However, when we start expecting to receive kind treatment and whining when we do not get it, when we speak the name of Jesus, then we?re out of line. As I have said, it?s something we should not expect, except by the intervention and common grace of God.

In short, whether you?re a Christian or not, please don?t use this term. Accept the non-acceptance that you might receive as a Christian when sharing Christ, but make it legitimate by first sharing Christ. I suppose that?s another thing: I don?t know what reason Western Christians would even have for using this term to begin with since we barely speak about Christ to others anyway! So I suspect an unrealistic sense of persecution was the source of ?Christianophobia.? If we?re going to use a term, ?anti-Christian sentiment? is better. Still, though, this makes the subject of the disdain Christians, and will still cause makes us think that the problem is about us. The world?s primary problem isn?t with Christians, it?s with Christ. Christians are the messengers of Christ?s words, and the messenger sometimes does get shot. Let us, with Paul the apostle, rejoice in the fact that God has counted us worthy to suffer for Christ.

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