Why Christianity Is So Objectionable

Newspaper of Record to the Nations

A recent piece in the Washington Post claims to be a defense of Christianity against the visceral prejudice felt against it by “New Atheists” such as Richard Dawkins. Although the “defense,” this being the Washington Post, reads far more like an attack, it is interesting to see the things new atheists find disgusting about Christianity. I would never have guessed.

They are:

1. That Christianity is anthropomorphic, and 
2. That Christians claim absolute certainty about something. 

I find it hard to see these as objections. Let's look at them in turn.

• Christianity is anthromorphic. That is, it, absurdly, assigns human qualities to God. 

The problem is, God really is human. That's what this Jesus thing is all about. One might not believe in God, but how can anyone have a logical problem with that? By definition, God is all powerful. This is true of the concept whether he exists or not. Therefore, by definition, he is capable of making himself human. One must therefore allow that he may have done so: to say that God cannot be human is absurd.

Moreover, given that God is by definition perfect, he is also infinitely good. Therefore, it seems almost the inevitable assumption that he would, for our benefit, choose to express himself in human terms.

So what is your objection?

• Christians claim to be absolutely certain about some things. 

This is not about faith. This is about sincerity. Anyone who is not at least looking for the truth is dishonest. And anyone who claims to be looking for the truth, yet ipso facto disdains anyone who claims to have found it, is a liar and a hypocrite.