versus a Voltairian critique

"Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." (Voltaire)

Voltaire sums up an age-old critique of Christianity, evidenced as far back as the Crusades, and echoing forward in such writers as Mark Twain and presently Charles Kimball.  And it's not an entirely unfair critique - there is certainly evidence that Christ's name has been slapped on violent, selfish advancement with an eye to temporal power or gain.


Recognizing this critique, I wanted to extend from yesterday's post that though Christianity requires a "wartime lifestyle," Ephesians 6:12 clarifies that, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but ... against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  In fact, I think one of the unique aspects of Christianity when compared with other world religions is that greater faith should actually make a person less violent: 

"One criticism of Christianity is that it’s intolerant, socially harmful, even violent ... People can pervert Christianity into something violent.  But you don’t have to pervert Islam, for example, to make it violent.  Just be true to Islam, and you will be violent.  And the purer your Islam, the more violent you will be.  The great message of Islam is not God dying for us, God suffering at our violent hands for our guilt to remove every barrier to his love pouring out upon his enemies.   

Secularism too has violence built into it.  Humanism looks to human potential for heaven on earth.  But it creates hell on earth.  Secularism absolutizes the human will.  There is nothing above to judge human power.  That led to the guillotine of the French Revolution.  It led to Vladimir Lenin, whose motto was “Who?  Whom?”  Who will dominate whom?  It’s the law of the jungle. 

Obviously, Islam and humanism could not be more opposite to each other in some ways.  One is religious, the other secular.  One is medieval, the other modern.  But they both unleash the fallen human heart.  

The gospel is the only alternative to human violence: “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example” (1 Peter 2:21).  We Americans need to stop beating each other up, humble ourselves, and follow Christ."  

~ Ray Ortlund, 5.june.11, commenting on 1 Peter 3:17-4:6