The biggest objections...

What are the biggest objections to the Christian faith today? Well, in the academy, the problem of evil is #1 and the challenge of pluralism is a close #2 (it is closely closing the gap). Naturalism and various forms of postmodernism are the two chief competitors with Christianity. I say this because one of my goals, as a Christian academic-to-be, is to go after naturalism and address the objections against Christianity.

However, I am starting to doubt whether the objections and issues I am dealing with are the biggest concerns for the average Joe. I think that a very significant objection nowadays in 21st century America is a moral objection. Christianity is morally subpar. We are intolerant, sheltered, war-mongering conservatives who don't care about the environment, the poor, or the oppressed. Evangelicals get lumped together with the Religious Right, and this is creating a serious problem with our image. Click on the title of this post to see an editorial in USA Today addressing this.

This is a problem of our own making. We have neglected broader moral concerns in the public square. We have failed to follow in Christ's footsteps both in our personal and our public lives. Collectively and individually, we need to repent.

Hence, I encourage people to read the new Evangelical Manifesto at http://www.evangelicalmanifesto.com/. It is calling us to correct this negative perception. If we are to be viewed negatively, let it be because we stand for Jesus, not because of our own sin. If you are a Christian, I encourage you to (continue to) live out the Gospel in all areas of your lives. If you are not a Christian and you see Christianity through the distorting lenses of the Religious Right, I encourage you to take another look. May God bless His church and continue to mold it in the image of our Lord.