Faith | Things Christians Don't Want You to Know! : A Rebuttal
- Chris Barber
- Oct 31, 2023
- 5 min read
I recently came across an article online that caught my eye immediately upon reading the title. The article is entitled 12 Things Christians Don’t Want You to Know written by Jenny Dean. It begins by talking about how Christianity is one of the world’s most popular and well-known religions and quickly transitions to state that some of its followers “may not be eager to discuss” some of the so-called “controversial” beliefs that may not be as well-known but it’s important to know what they are to “understand Christianity better.”
Dean goes on to reveal 12 things she claims Christians don’t want others to know. To prevent this post from becoming the equivalent of War and Peace as it pertains to length, I’ve chosen 3 “things” to discuss from this article. Let’s dive right in.
The Dean’s List
Here are some of the highlights of the article that registered with me along with a brief summary of the author's thoughts:
1. Christianity is Not a Monolithic Religion – Dean notes there are various denominations of Christianity, each with its own set of beliefs and practices. She also writes that Christians can disagree on a wide variety of issues, from how the Bible is interpreted to the role of women in the church.
2. Christianity is Not Always Inclusive – Dean claims many Christian groups exclude people based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity and attempts to back up her claim by pointing out how many Christian churches do not welcome people who identify as LGBTQ+.
3. Christianity is Not Always Logical – Dean contends that such Christian beliefs as the Trinity and the virgin birth of Jesus are “difficult” to merge with logic and reason. Ultimately, Christians believe many things that simply “defy all common sense.”
Whew. That’s quite a bit to digest, right? Now, keep in mind this is a very abbreviated version of “things” she penned in her article. So, let’s run’em back from the perspective of a Christian, shall we?
The Rebuttal
1. Christianity is Not a Monolithic Religion – Yes, it’s true that various denominations within Christianity exist with their own beliefs and practices. However, it’s important to remember that becoming a Christian is not at all about subscribing to a religion. It’s about relationship. When you develop a relationship with Jesus, you get to know him for yourself. Therefore, the religion and the denominations there within begin to fade to black. Additionally, Christians are human beings. So, that means we have opinions that frequently differ from each other. It also means we’re bound to get things wrong frequently just like anyone else. But Proverbs 4:7, KJV, lets us know:
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding.
The understanding of the Word of God comes from spending time with God Himself. When you spend time with Him in prayer and also study and meditate on His written Word, your understanding of His Word increases. As Christians, striving to be more and more like Jesus should always be our goal. And along the way, we will make numerous mistakes. This includes misinterpretations of the Word, misinterpretations of what God is trying to show and reveal to us, and disagreements and misunderstandings with each other. But, just like Proverbs 4:7 reminds us, we are to get understanding in our pursuit of wisdom. So, when we’ve learned that we’ve misinterpreted something in Scripture, we simply need to repent and keep on going. Additionally, if we’ve had a disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ, Matthew 5:23-24 encourages us to reconcile with them before we even begin to worship. Of course, the offended person(s) may not always give us the forgiveness we have sought with humility and honesty. Nevertheless, we must do what we can in our power to best restore harmony, insofar as it depends on us.
2. Christianity is Not Always Inclusive – Now, one thing real Christianity does NOT promote is racism or hatred of ANY kind. So, to paint the picture that Christianity promotes this, or anything associated with it is simply a lie from hell. Furthermore, stating that a lot of Christian churches do not welcome people who identify as LGBTQ+ is false. More Christian churches than a few welcome people from the LGBTQ+ community with open arms. Although the Bible explicitly classifies homosexuality as a sin, it also makes us aware that God is love. Thus, any Christian churches that doesn’t welcome LGBTQ+ people are not showing the love that God has called them to display as stewards of His house and need to repent.
3. Christianity is Not Always Logical – I think a lot of people have a problem with this one in general. And as a Christian, I have to admit that Christianity is not always logical. But what Dean and many others fail to understand is that it doesn’t have to be logical; it has to be biblical. The Bible lets us know in Isaiah 55: 8-9 that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. Romans 8:28 tells us that ALL things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose. ALL things? How can ALL things—including those that are bad and evil and don’t feel that awesome—work together for good? Where is the logic in that? There isn’t any logic that we can deduce in our human minds that will explain it. But it’s biblical because God spoke it. And His Word does not return void. So, if you’re a Christian, and you have a relationship with Christ, you understand that biblical is greater than logical. And as a Christian, you are so glad that it is, because logic tends to fail; biblical does not.
Final Thoughts | Things Christians Don't Want You To Know!
Look, from a Christian perspective, there is SO MUCH to say about the 3 “things” that I chose to discuss for this post alone. And if you decide to read 12 Things Christians Don’t Want You to Know for yourself, there will be even more to process and unpack. But the biggest takeaway for me is as follows: if you don’t know Jesus personally, get to know Him. If you’ve been introduced to Jesus but haven’t spent the time to develop your relationship with Him, make that time. Cultivate that relationship. It’ll be the best investment that you could ever make in this life. Because there are many people out there like Jenny Dean who are more than happy to tell you about what Jesus is like and don’t know the first thing about Him. So, experience Jesus for yourself. I promise you won’t regret it.
Chris Barber is a freelance writer and contributor to the blog. His desire is to write scripts and pursue his dreams of story telling. If you would like to contact Chris with an opportunity and or feedback, visit our Meet The Team page.
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