A Major Reason (An Essay on a Major Issue Plaguing Christianity and Christianity’s Engagement with the Outside World)

By Andrew R. Duckworth

Growing up Catholic in a small Protestant town was not as big of an issue as some might make it out to be. In fact, compared to some stories I’ve heard, both from Protestants that come from largely Catholic towns and Catholics that come from largely Protestant towns, I came away relatively unscathed. I can think of a few instances, such as the time one of my good friends in elementary school was no longer allowed to hang out with me because I, according to his oh so knowledgeable father, was not Christian and was, in fact, in league with a large population of hellbounds who were in league with the devil with that terrible Pope at the top. These moments happened on occasion and, although I couldn’t understand it at all at the time, the only option I had was to just keep going with my life. Yet, one instance stands out to me now even more than it ever has. Around middle school, the Y2K event was on everyone’s mind (perhaps many have forgotten as it came and passed just as quickly). For many, this was going to topple the economy as everyone’s computer was going to reset and become unusable. But for many Christians, this signaled something completely different. It wasn’t just the end of computers and the end of the economy, it was going to be the second coming of Christ! And, if you weren’t ready, prepare to meet Satan and his fallen angels in Hell where there would be wailing and gnashing of teeth for all eternity!… or so it was said.

Nowadays, we can look back on this and laugh a bit. It seems a bit odd that this event was taken on by some evangelicals as an immediate return of Christ when even Christ states in the Gospels that only the Father knows the exact time (in paraphrasing). Yet, for a child who had been told time and time again that I could not possibly be ready because I was not a Christian and that I was definitely going to Hell, this effected me more than anything else. After all, none of my friends were Catholic. They wouldn’t exactly be coming to my defense. At best, they might sit at their desk with an indifference more infuriating than if they had joined in. But it really had nothing at all to do with friends that might or might not defend my position. Instead, looking back on it and comparing it to this current moment we find ourselves in, it has everything to do with how Christendom as a whole presents the end of the world.

It is, by no means, a new problem. Christians for centuries have made a habit of turning God into the boogie man at the end of the world. There is a bit of focus on Christ’s return and the peace his followers will have at the time, but the central focus seems to be on the outlandish horror that will befall those who have chosen other paths. After all, there seems to be an entire book about it, The Apocalypse of John or The Book of Revelation. It’s a warning issued to the world about that day and the time leading up to it. It is meant to inspire hope yet a call to action, a warning and reminder to be ready. Yet, time and time again, that is not what I received from those who wished to ‘lovingly’ lead me to their view of the straight and narrow. And, now that we have most likely reached those last of the last days, I am very proud that I paid little attention to the doomsdayers. It is not that I feel I was right and they were wrong. It is rather that I can think of no way more unhealthy than to scare people into believing something.

The fear that many choose to inject into that day is not healthy. Leading those to Christ through horror stories is not a good way to begin a relationship with God at all. Yet, pay attention: I am in no way suggesting that one should overlook the warnings of Revelation. Yet, I am suggesting it should not be the central focus. The central focus should be the same that it always should be in Christianity, that a relationship with Christ is a saving one that redeems from sin. When the central focus is placed on stories of horror and chaos, then how can a loving relationship between man and God occur? Yet, we see it time and time again. Just look to the method of evangelization that can be found during the Halloween season. Grotesque methods such as ‘Hell Houses’ are employed in order to make sure people realize that they are going to Hell in their present state. In other words, only half of the story. And then, congratulations. You’ve effectively frightened someone into believing for a rather short period of time until the fear leaves and they are left with no relationship at all. Is it any wonder that Christianity is seeing a sharp decline? We can blame the outside world so much until we have to look in the mirror.

This issue was never Catholicism vs. Protestantism for me. I was more than willing to embrace my Protestant brethren when I was Catholic, just as I am willing to embrace my Catholic brethren while I am now Anglican. The issue was Hope vs. Horror. One should never minimize portions of scripture to maximize others. This means that when we speak of Hope in Christ, we cannot abandon the portions we don’t like that speak of the consequences of rejection of Christ. However, this also means that when we speak of the consequences, we cannot abandon the Hope in Christ. In fact, an argument can be made that maximizing the Hope in Christ can actually do more for evangelization efforts.

Evangelization has long been an issue in Christianity. For centuries, the horrors brought down upon nonbelievers have been a centerpiece, ushering in many horrified people who believe out of strictly fear. Yet, what happens when the fear leaves? There is still a void. Why? Because the relationship was built wholly around fear. And then, those who came out of fear leave with a lack of it and a lack of the thing that Evangelists should strive for them to have, a healthy relationship with Christ Jesus. Who do we have to blame for this but ourselves? After all, we are supposed to share the GOOD News, that there is redemption for our sins.

If this seems a bit too didactic, perhaps it is meant to. There is much to be learned from those who have turned away from the faith or from those who have managed to find their way back given the emphasis of horror in the afterlife. Going forward, it is my wish that evangelists do not treat the end of days as a horror show to be feared beyond all else, but rather a lifting of the veil, the fact that our redemption is at hand. An infusion of horror genre and religion does nothing but scare others into believing which does not lead to a healthy relationship. A relationship built of nothing but fear offers little to cling to and certainly little hope. But Hope must be the centerpiece in the days to come should we be concerned with sharing the Good News with others.