In my last post, I dealt with the "you shouldn't judge Christianity based on a few bad apples" argument. In this post, we are going to look at the more comprehensive argument that a person shouldn't judge Christianity based on the words and actions of Christians themselves.
Under this line of reasoning, the point is made that we are each sinners -- none of us is perfect. Because we are not perfect, believers in the Christian belief system screw up left and right like everyone else. They hate when they should love. They fib or outright lie when they should be honest. They covet other things and people when they should be happy with what they have. They treat others in ways that they themselves would not desire to be treated.
But all that is irrelevant, we're told. We should judge an invisible and non-revealing being solely on his own merits.
And what, pray tell, are those?
We only "know" about this elusive being because of people. People told us stories through books about this supposed entity. Back in the day, some people went around to talk about this supposed being. Remove people from the equation and this supposed god evaporates into thin air.
Consequently, since this being is not self-evident except through people, about the ONLY merits by which it can be judged are through the actions and words of those people who think it exists! And, I gotta tell you, using the yardstick of believers to decide on the merits of this supposed being certainly doesn't make me feel confident in the least that it a) is all knowing, b) is all powerful; c) gives a diddly about what's going on in the world; and d) even exists in the first place.
Would you shop at a store or frequent a business that sold crummy products at outrageous prices and had piss poor customer service? Would you still consider it a great company if someone told you that you shouldn't judge it based on all the lying, cheating, lazy and rude people who work there?
I think not.
Under this line of reasoning, the point is made that we are each sinners -- none of us is perfect. Because we are not perfect, believers in the Christian belief system screw up left and right like everyone else. They hate when they should love. They fib or outright lie when they should be honest. They covet other things and people when they should be happy with what they have. They treat others in ways that they themselves would not desire to be treated.
But all that is irrelevant, we're told. We should judge an invisible and non-revealing being solely on his own merits.
And what, pray tell, are those?
We only "know" about this elusive being because of people. People told us stories through books about this supposed entity. Back in the day, some people went around to talk about this supposed being. Remove people from the equation and this supposed god evaporates into thin air.
Consequently, since this being is not self-evident except through people, about the ONLY merits by which it can be judged are through the actions and words of those people who think it exists! And, I gotta tell you, using the yardstick of believers to decide on the merits of this supposed being certainly doesn't make me feel confident in the least that it a) is all knowing, b) is all powerful; c) gives a diddly about what's going on in the world; and d) even exists in the first place.
Would you shop at a store or frequent a business that sold crummy products at outrageous prices and had piss poor customer service? Would you still consider it a great company if someone told you that you shouldn't judge it based on all the lying, cheating, lazy and rude people who work there?
I think not.
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