How to Answer Our Accusers

How to Answer Our Accusers

Guest Article: Mark Kennedy—ACSI Canada

Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:16

When it comes to a worldview that encourages judgmental, legalistic attitudes, it’s hard to beat atheism. Maybe that’s because it’s a perspective that hasn’t room for biblical concepts of sin, repentance, redemption and spiritual rebirth, and so has to depend on a list of externally imposed, arbitrary rules to hold society together. So it’s no surprise that in North America’s functionally atheistic society - especially in its media - legalistic, condemning judgements are the popular pastimes du jour: 

Evangelical Christians? = “BAD!” 

People who hold traditional understandings of gender, the family and sexual abstinence? = “HATERS!”

Anyone who supports equal treatment for all instead of special rights for a few special interest groups? = “BIGOTS” or “YOU NAME IT-OPHOBES!”

Jesus warned people about the pitfalls of condemning others - pointing out specks of sawdust in someone else’s eye when a board is lodged in your own. 

First of all, he used the image of a plank in the eye because it would block a person’s ability to have a clear perspective. And he chose sawdust along with the plank for a good reason too: sawdust and planks are both made of wood - the same material. So the flaws we see most easily and point out most enthusiastically in others, are often our own shortcomings. That’s how we recognize them. It’s part of the natural human bent toward what scholars might label ‘self-revelatory judgement’ but everyone else just calls ‘hypocrisy’. We shouldn’t be surprised then when prominent trumpeters of tolerance and diversity only tolerate people with whom they agree, labeling everyone else as HATERS and BIGOTS while displaying their own remarkable hatred and bigotry. And groups claiming to be anti-fascist absolutely define the word ‘fascism’ by their violent, totalitarian actions. And then there are the political bodies that enact anti bullying legislation to protect youth, especially LGBT youth, and then bully any person or group that does not enthusiastically affirm ‘alternate sexual lifestyles’. 

We Christians aren’t exempt from hypocrisy of course. It just that, if we’ve paid attention to Jesus’ teachings, we might be able to recognize and restrain our own hypocritical tendencies.

But what if someone confronts us with a maliciously false, accusing questions like “Why do you hate gays?” or “Why are you intolerant about gender differences?” or “Why do you oppose a woman’s right to control her own body?” How should we respond to people who throw unjust, judgmental criticism our way? Here are some answers and biblical principles that go along with them:

1. Don’t be surprised, hurt or offended by hateful accusations. Attacks against Christians and Christian beliefs have been common throughout the past two millenia.

Principle: “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” Luke 6:22 

2. Don’t shoot back no matter how outrageous the provocation.

Principle: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Romans 12:17 

3. Don’t go on the defensive. Never say “But we’re not haters”, or “But we’re not ‘you-name-it o-phobes’!” Attackers like to put believers on the defensive, so refuse to dignify a false accusation with a defensive response. Instead we need to state our Christian convictions positively and with respect, without even a hint of apology. “We believe that God loves everyone so hatred of any person is unacceptable for us. We also believe that God made his laws and life principles for our good so that, according to our understanding of Scripture, sexual intimacy of any kind ought to be reserved for a marriage relationship between one man and one woman and that gender is determined by a person’s physiology.” 

Principle: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15

4. Don’t answer quickly. Take time to think before responding - and don’t give one-word answers.

Principle: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” James 1:19

5. Especially if the accuser is with the media, we have a right to delay our response to a time that is convenient for us or we can choose not to respond at all. The media and the public do not have a right to know! 

Throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, biblical Christianity was respected and influential in North American society. Historically, those days were something of an anomaly. Now we need to adjust our thoughts, words and actions to respond to the new antagonistic realities. And in doing so we are not alone.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matt 5:10-12 

Epilogue: Cambridge professor Stephen Hawking, an outspoken atheist, said, “Christianity is a fairy story for those afraid of the dark.”

Oxford professor John Lennox replied, “Atheism is a fairy story for those afraid of the Light!”*

* (As quoted in “Nelson’s Column” This England magazine, Autumn 2017)