Why Some People Reject Christianity
A vital part of our witness for Jesus Christ includes knowledge of why some people reject Him. If we become more familiar with reasons for rejecting Christ, then we become wiser in ways to proclaim Jesus as Lord. A particularly popular reason today for regarding Christianity as foolishness is something called “naturalism.” Put simply, naturalism is the idea that there is really nothing outside of the created order of things which gives life any particular meaning or fulfillment. In plain English, naturalism suggests that Christianity has no meaning because we really don’t need a Christ to live in our world. A meaningful life for the naturalist consists in the belief that life is brief, so just make the most of it while you can.
Two heroes of naturalism were a Greek philosopher named Lucretius (who actually lived around the time of Jesus) and another named Epicurus. Lucretius believed that we should simply resign ourselves to life as it is and do our best to be happy. One of his most famous quotes is: “Everything is always the same.” Epicurus similarly tried to convince his followers that even death was meaningless, and trying to achieve happiness basically should be the bottom line of life.
Naturalism survives and thrives today. A simple glance at social media will show you how deeply embedded the thoughts of people like Lucretius and Epicurus have become. Some of it has even mixed in with Christianity. Even though few would be able to name any Greek philosopher from thousands of years ago, their resigned outlook about life rages on. Many in our contemporary culture view Christianity as a hoax simply because it reveals we are indeed headed somewhere called eternity. We also believe and understand that there will be a final and ultimate calling to account for how we live our lives. Consequently, we need a Savior!
So, how would one witness to a modern-day naturalist? One of the best ways is to ask why people who supposedly take death in stride are so fearful of it. Naturalists supposedly deny any sort of meaning to death other than it is the end of existence. If this is the case, then why be scared? The answer is that death is scary to everyone due to a God-shaped hole in the soul. We have the innate sense in our humanity that death is something that should raise our anxiety. It is also worthwhile to ask naturalists why they feel convicted about wrongdoing. Part of the fear of death includes the consideration of wrongs that we’ve done in life. How will they atone for their wrongs?
The times in which we live continue to be crucial for our witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Life is not just a meaningless pit in which we have to find some semblance of happiness. The meaning of life is found in relationship to a Savior who overcame death and invites us to a pilgrimage with Him.