*This post is adapted from that of an Australian Baptist pastor, which you can read for yourself here: An Essay for Australia – by MURRAY CAMPBELL
Christian faith does not exist in a bubble in New Zealand. The vast majority of people at least know that it exists: they drive past church buildings, know of Christians in their workplaces, or see them in the media. Many are familiar with basic Christian ideas and activities, while some have had a more thoroughgoing experience of church life or belief systems.
The attitudes of non-Christian New Zealanders toward Christianity vary by temperament and experience. Here are five.
1. Suspicion
This attitude looks askance at Christianity and asks, “What do these people want from me?” There are plenty of reasons for this. There are stories of church leaders who have fleeced gullible congregants or overlooked abuses and failings by other leaders. Christians who act unjustly or behave badly are poor representatives too. We live in a time when institutions of any kind enjoy little trust from the wider public, and of course there is the widening gap between our culture’s evolving values and the more traditional values still held by most churches.
All of these things are true, but none are new. Instances of Christians and so-called Christians behaving badly can be found as far back as the New Testament. I would encourage suspicious observers to look past the painfully obvious shortcomings of Jesus’s followers and take a look at the person and message of Jesus himself, which you can do by reading one of the four Gospels (read about those HERE). Jesus himself warned against hypocrisy in his well-known quip about people pointing out specks in other people’s eye while overlooking the log in their own eye (Matthew 7:3–5) as well as about people who claim to serve God but in fact serve themselves at other’s expense (Matthew 7:15–20).
2. Appreciation.
There are many people who value the work that Christians and church organizations do. Social struggles such as cost-of-living pressures, loneliness, mental health problems are issues we are all aware of but which are not easy to fix. A recent report by (an atheist) Waikato University professor highlighted the impact of what many churches do – watch an interview on YouTube HERE. The work done by Christian organizations and individuals is received with gratitude by many even if they don’t value or understand the beliefs that motivate Christians to get off the couch to spend their time or money to help others.
If you are someone who respects the works that churches do for other’s benefit, can I encourage you to explore what motivates them? We easily appreciate a tree for the fruit it provides, but less often consider the roots that allow it to do what it does. Read HERE to find out about the character traits all Christians should display, and what drives them.
3. Irrelevance
For many people, Christianity doesn’t even show up on their radar in any meaningful way. They aren’t glad churches are there, but nor are they hostile. They just don’t care enough to give a second thought. These people are preoccupied with the things of life as it is, and Christianity doesn’t register anywhere.
If you are reading this, you don’t fit that category! I refer you to point 5 below.
4. Hostility
Others see faith, and especially Christian faith, as a malevolent force needing to be eradicated from society. It is seen as despicable and dangerous, something that ought to be silenced and squashed. That attitude isn’t new. Powerful rulers have turned the full force of the state against Christianity in their desire to wipe it out of their realms. In antiquity, Roman Emperors such as Diocletian strove to do this, while in more recent history dictators like Hitler and Stalin have attempted likewise.
Men less-inclined and less able to use coercive force have aimed to ridicule Christianity out of existence—I think of Edward Gibbon’s sneer, or Richard Dawkins, although I have heard that he has had second thoughts.
As the Australian blog that inspired this post had written, among this kind of people, “Christians have become as desirable… as plastic bags in the ocean.”
Opposition today can come under the guise of secularism—the notion that religion should not be seen or heard in public spaces, while failing to recognise that it itself occupies a religious position and holds its own accordant values. Other times it is decided that Christianity is simply harmful for one reason or another.
What I wonder about this attitude is what personal experiences have contributed to it. In response, I would remind readers of the words of Jesus, as well as his apostle Paul, about how Christians should treat their enemies (Matthew 5:43–47; Romans 12:14–21).
5. Curiosity
A growing number of New Zealanders have a growing interest in what many people have never actually seen: genuine and biblical Christianity. Some of these are new New Zealander’s who have moved from a place where Christianity is unknown, while others are simply natives of a post-Christian NZ where meaningful encounters are easy to miss.
If that’s you, I invite you to get in touch with a Christian you know to find out more, or explore this website to see what the basics are of Christian faith and practice. http://www.TakeAnotherLook.nz
Which attitude do you align with? Why do you hold it? Do you do so fairly? What might change your mind? I invite you to get in touch or to visit a church or ask a Christian you know to offer their response.
“Take Another Look” is a West Auckland-based ministry that aims to commend Jesus to people’s hearts and minds, and promote the way of life that the good news of Jesus invites us into. If you would like to discover the widely-held beliefs and practices and aspirations for good-character among Christians, please visit and explore www.TakeAnotherLook.nz. Or, if you have questions you would like discussed, please get in touch through the contact page.
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