10 Myths About Christianity
Myth # 1:Jesus was only a great moral teacher.
No one doubts anymore that Jesus actually existed. Most people also believe that he was a great moral teacher. Religious and political leaders throughout the world, including many of the great opponents of Christianity, hail the moral superiority of his life.
The New Testament documents record the radical servant-like attitude which lent power and credibility to Jesus’ teachings. He expressed compassion and humility, as well as anger against evil and hypocrisy. Jesus combined a realistic understanding of human nature with an idealism for what human beings could become. His words have tested and challenged the minds and hearts of millions.
Of course, this is not the whole story. When we begin to consider Jesus’ claims about his identity, the controversy begins. This is where people have problems. This is where the label “moral teacher” is put to the test. It begins to seem inadequate, if not naïve.
A thirty year old peasant carpenter turned itinerant teacher, Jesus laid claim to be more than a mere man. He operated on the assumption that he was God himself.
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How do we know this? From his explicit statements and the way he lived. He claimed equality with God. He said he had lived before the Jewish Patriarch Abraham. He assumed the right to forgive sins. He accepted worship. There seems to be no escaping it.
Jesus of Nazareth could not be simply a harmless moral teacher. He steps out too far from the crowd of moral teachers and philosophers. We call him a liar. We might even discuss his mental imbalance. But the tag of “only a great moral teacher” doesn’t stick.
It was never an option in his own day. Some of his contemporaries thought him mad, others loved him. He was regarded with disdain and sometimes even hatred, or alternately with amazement and adoration. But he never received mild approval.
Neither is it an option for today. We have to shut him up or hear him out. What are we to make of this man? What of his moral integrity? His fulfillment of prophecies? His prediction of his own death and resurrection? What are we to make of his claims to be the one and only God-man of history? What are we to do with this great moral teacher who makes such impossible claims?
Myth # 2: Christianity stifles personal freedom.
Christians are often accused of having a negative religion. Many people think that Christians are boxed in by an extensive list of “do’s” and “don’ts.” They seem to be opposed to life and freedom. Both their personality and behavior are constricted. Theirs is an uptight and boring religion. But this does not characterize the biblical perspective on Christian life and values.
The Christian ethic is distinctive on both personal and social levels. The basic Christian conviction on values is that God’s norms result in freedom. We are not forced into a straitjacket. Rather, God’s standards act as a skeletal structure which gives life form and meaning.
The Christian ethic is structured, but it is also deeply personal. It is based on, and motivated by, a personal relationship with God himself. It is not arbitrary, chaotic, or irresponsible. It is discovered in living richly within the parameters God has set out. Here we find our identity and fulfillment. Christians don’t have to fit into a mold; they are not meant to be clones. Instead, the guidelines God has given unleash creativity. Christians are motivated to express themselves in fresh ways, thereby bringing life and vitality to others.
God’s norms also orient us towards our neighbor. They move us in the direction of a positive, constructive, and caring lifestyle. At the same time, they move us away from a selfish, bigoted, and destructive one. These norms, based on the character of a perfect God, provide a foundation upon which we can build our lives, discern right from wrong, and they provide an reference point to resolve relational conflicts. The Christian ought to be oriented to making an unselfish contribution to humanity. Thus, the Christian ethic has form and freedom to prevent the extremes of irresponsibility and legalism.
Moreover, Christian norms go beyond individual relationships. Christians are mandated to be concerned about social justice, the poor, the environment, and the sanctity of life. While they do not have ready-made answers, Christians at least have a firm starting point and a framework within which to work and think. They are challenged with God’s perspective on life and are called to love God and all humanity with all they are and have.
Far from stifling freedom, Christian values are challenging and liberating. They provide what is, in fact, a very strong affirmation of life.
Myth # 3: Christianity is just a crutch for the weak and helpless.
Some people see Christianity as a hospital religion, irrelevant to the healthy majority of society. They consider it something of an out-patient’s clinic or a periodic religious fix for those who can’t cope with real life. It’s a crutch for the weak.
Perhaps we have grown accustomed to crutches. We see around us a desperate search for emotional and economic security or a mad quest for intimacy and pleasure, attained only at the expense of a resultant substance abuse, religious faddism, crime, workaholism, sexual promiscuity, and regular visits to the psychiatrist. But not all props are so obvious. Many people rely on a good job, or a romantic relationship for security. Others turn to social activism or the power of positive thinking. In ways such as these, people try to meet their basic needs for meaning and fulfillment, or to neutralize the ineffectualness of their lives.
Some see Christianity as just another way to prop up a broken life. But the healing Jesus provides goes beyond superficial treatment. Christianity is a restorative religion. It is not a crutch at all. Its aim is healing, renewal and wholeness, not simply the ability to cope.
The Christian faith challenges its adherents with a whole fresh approach to life. Character is improved; relationships develop depth; community flourishes; self-understanding increases. Nothing less than a vibrant relationship with the living God is offered through Jesus Christ. But this does not mean that Christians are perfect. Far from it. They know they are needy people. In fact, the recognition of brokenness is the first step to genuine healing.
But most of us don’t even see our injuries. Or we won’t admit them. But unless we face the reality of our wounds, we are condemned to hobble painfully through life. Our makeshift crutches don’t really help. We desperately need radical healing. And that is what Christ offers.
Is Christianity really a crutch for the weak and helpless? It can be intimidating to face the possibility that the living God has an absolute claim on one’s life. And it challenges our delusions to think that we cannot be healed without him. But we must honestly confront that option. The issue cannot be simply our own comfort or security. It is precisely when we shed our concern for our comfort that we begin to see ourselves for who we really are.
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there is a ghost and there is a God really!!!!
I saw a real ghost and when the pastor said “in the name of Jesus Christ….” then the ghost disappeared.