6 Eye Opening Things Atheists Think About Christians

It might come as a shock to many Christians, but the general worldview of them isn't always a positive one...in particular with atheists. In fact, this overarching sentiment is usually accompanied by a variety of unsavory stereotypes. This can't help but beg the question, "just how Christlike are we, really?". No Christian would ever want to be perceived as not being Christlike, after all, Jesus lead us to walk with Him and by walking with Him, we inherently want to be like Him. So where did we go wrong? Perhaps much of this sentiment stems from the very polarizing nature of both beliefs—how often do we tread as delicately and respectfully as needed when engaging with each other to avoid misconceptions? The other sad reality is that, whether we want to admit it or not, our very actions (as well intended as they might be) can sometimes damage the image of Christ and do the faith the most disservice. We can actually be preventing people from wanting to know Jesus, instead of leading them to Him. But what is it exactly that we are doing to cause this? Here are 6 things atheists have shared in regards to their perception of Christians.

Unauthentic

Authenticity is quite a challenging thing to accomplish these days, no matter what belief you subscribe to. This is one main area that Christians can struggle with. We want to lead others to Christ by example and that can be difficult to accomplish when we ourselves are of the flesh and struggle with sin and temptation as everyone else. Becoming a Christian doesn’t automatically make you immune to sin and temptation—it’s what makes us human and it’s God’s design. But when we aren’t outwardly honest and transparent with each other, in particular to those outside our faith, we can be perceived as superficial and unauthentic. Sometimes allowing others to see our flaws and weaknesses will draw others to you because you are more relatable…more like them. Surprisingly, when this happens, it opens the door to a friendship and the opportunity to have honest conversions about Jesus.

Intolerant

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Atheists have conveyed that Christians can be outwardly homophobic, anti-homosexual and too political. One of a Christian’s most admirable qualities is standing strong in conviction and honoring God’s Word. This means acknowledging 100% of the Bible as truth and living life in accordance with it’s teachings. But often times, our convictions towards others sin comes across as intolerance and hateful to anyone with opposing beliefs and views. There is a delicate balance between tolerance and embracement and the two do not hold the same meaning. As defined by Merriam-Webster, tolerance is the "willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own" We do not have to embrace the sin in order to tolerate the sinner. Tolerance (AKA love and respect) for each other’s differences is a way to show them what it means to be like Jesus. We can do this by living out Ephesians 4:15 "Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church."

Judgemental

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We are all guilty of it. At one time or another, someone we know or love has their sin exposed and they are faced with the shame and embarrassment that accompanies it. We throw Bible verses at them, reminding them of their wrong doing while inadvertently launching ourselves into a state of self-righteousness. And while embracing God’s Word in all situations is exactly what we should be doing, our delivery and approach is often poorly presented and comes across as condemning. How would Jesus handle this? I’ll tell you. Read John 8 for a reminder of how He dealt with the public stoning of an adulterer, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw the stone at her." When we drop the stones that we throw at others, it leaves our hands free to reach out in love to them and guide them towards Christ.

Confrontational

We are called to be passionate about our love and belief in Christ—it’s the mark of a Christian living out the Great Commission. But sometimes, this enthusiasm can be misguided into a conversation with a non-believer at inopportune times, thus making the audience feel bombarded and uncomfortable. It's almost as if the focus of the Gospel of love has shifted into the Gospel of being right. The scare tactic isn’t the best way to lead someone to Christ, so starting the dialogue surrounding topics of hell and condemnation is rarely the best approach. The best advice? Listen. Start a friendship. Allow this newly opened door a chance for multiple conversations and a way to lead by example. As Christian author, Philip Yancey, wisely once said, "No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument."

Sheltered & Isolated

"Be in the world, but not of the world" is a phrase often used in our Christian subculture. It’s a great reminder that God desires for us to belong to Him, with our sights set on our eternal home in heaven; and not to belong to the fallen world that we live in. But many times, we Christians take this to the extreme of becoming isolated, which leads to our sheltered perception of the world. Remember, Jesus spent a considerable amount of time with sinners during his time on earth. We must interact and engage with non-believers, regardless of their social circles or religious affiliations, while guarding our hearts and minds at the same time. So how can we change Christian worldview that is growing outside of our churches? Simple. We can begin to tear down those stereotypes with the core of what being a Christian is called to do…love one another. Ephesians 4:2 puts it best, "Always be humble and gentle, be patient with each other, making allowances for each other’s faults because of your love."