Wednesday 25 July 2012

Unwelcome evangelism - the attack on self-esteem

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Christian evangelism is often unwelcome, and angrily rejected - which may seem surprising, given the desperate state of people. But the vehemence of rejection of Christianity now is a consequence of the distinctively modern kind of desperation.

Modern Leftism is an outcome of many decades of anti-Christianity, direct and most often indirect, explicit but more often implicit.

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There is an extreme absence of understanding of what Christianity is (including among most self-described Christians), plus an active mis-understanding (distortion) of what it is - and people are so rooted in this-worldly materialism that they cannot recognize their world view as a recent and artificial ideology - neither spontaneous, nor discovered, nor evidentially-supported -  but merely assumed; and sustained only by unrelenting propaganda (mass media, education), bribery and coercion (taxes & tax-breaks, subsidies, public administration, legal system).

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Nonetheless, ultimately, people are responsible for their choices; and for their rejection of transcendental reality.

Therefore, acceptance of Christianity entails a reduction in self-esteem, admission of error - for which there are reasons, but ultimately no excuses.  There is to be no self-justifying re-writing of history, nor soothing redefinition of good and evil, beautiful and ugly, truth and falsehood.

To become a Christian is perceived as, often is, a 'downer' - thus evangelism is seen as an attack, at attempt to inflict pain.

By this-worldly standards, it is. 

Hence the anger.

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1 comment:

Bruce Charlton said...

This excellent piece on the same subject was e-mailed me by correspondent Joseph Ebbecke (Thanks!):

http://www.catholicity.com/
commentary/zmirak/04538.html