Why do Christians believe that non-Christians are "wicked"?

Answer 1

Apparently because we're ALL worthless as crap and only the people who bow and beg and scrape and wring their pious hands and ask the Lord for mercy get to feel better about themselves.

What I find interesting is that the Christian church (especially Catholicism) likes to knock people down for no legitimately good reason and then swoop in to the rescue as though they had nothing to do with making people feel as though they needed saving in the first place. It's like a fireman who starts a fire and then shows up to heroically put it out. So sad.

Answer 2

In the Christian world-view, the Bible is true. Thus, the Christian believes what the Bible says (though, the Christian often does not understand what the Bible says...and errors ensue)...

But...the Bible separates all people into two groups...and only two groups - it is a one or the other issue (there is no in between).

There are the "righteous" and there are the "wicked". You can't read the Psalms without seeing verses that talk about the one as opposed to the other.

The same designation is made between "saints" and "sinners".

Saints are righteous while sinners are wicked.

...what is very interesting, is that the Bible makes it abundantly clear that NO one is perfect, holy, and blameless, like God Himself. Thus, no one is "righteous". This, logically enough, would mean that ALL people are "wicked" or "sinners".

Thus, it would seem (at first), that according to the Bible that all people are going to hell - rightfully and justly.

I mean...c'mon...who hasn't told a lie? Or lusted for another? Or coveted something someone else had? etc....

However, the good news (or "Gospel") is that God became man and died for the sins of those who believe. In the "salvation" of a person, a transaction occurs:

ALL of the sins of that sinner are imputed to Christ, and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to that person.

Thus, as it is written, the person becomes a "new creation". This is called the act of Justification. It is a judicial term, in which the Judge (God) forgives the person...and declares that person "righteous". In that moment, the person is declared by God a "saint" and "righteous". This is their STANDING before God, but not their STATE.

This person, by no means, is a perfect person. They are righteous saints who still sin. For ALL people sin, both the wicked and the righteous sin (see 1 John 1:8, which makes this clear). But salvation also includes the process of Sanctification, in which that person becomes holy, as imparted by the Holy Spirit.

But still, not until death, is the saint completely Sanctified, in which their holiness is impeccable.
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Thus, Biblically understood, a "righteous person" is one who is in covenant with the Lord - that is, forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, their personal Lord and Savior.

A "wicked person" is one who is outside the covenant - ie. "pagans", "heathen", "sinners", "unrighteous", "unbelievers", "non-Christian"...all terms essentially meaning the same thing...hell-bound. That is, if they were to die today, unfortunately they would spend all of eternity in the horrible torments of hell.

But ALL such people -the wicked - could simply repent of their sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and become saints (i.e. be "saved", as some Christians flippantly say).
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For example:
"Do you not know that the WICKED will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And THAT IS WHAT SOME OF YOU WERE. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
-1 Corinthians 6:9

All people were once "wicked".

The only difference with TRUE Christians (most people who say they are Christians are not truly Christians) is that they have been "washed" and "justified" in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

So there is your answer.

That is why Christians believe that non-Christians are "wicked". By their very nature (since the fall of man), they are prone (even "slaves") to evil things...

That is why it is so easy and feels so "natural" to lie...and why sexual purity is so difficult...even, I dare say, impossible for people:

"...I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart...."
-Matthew 5:27-30

Grace and peace,
yachadhoo
;)

Answer 3

It's that exclusivity doctrine. Anyone who is not Christian is by definition worshipping the devil and therefore are "wicked". The problems start to crop up when two different faiths with the exclusivity doctrine contact one another (Muslims and Christians, for example). Even more crop up when sects form within the main religion and start disagreeing about dogmas and rituals. Inevitably you'll end up with a whole bunch of Christian factions that all believe they are the "true" ones and everyone else is thought of as equally alien and/or threatening.

Answer 4

I am a Catholic Christian and I don't believe that. Only ignorant, in-tolerant Christians believe that. And if they do think that, than they really shouldn't be calling themselves Christians to begin with.

Answer 5

Only non-Christians believe that "Christians believe that non-Christians are "wicked"."

Answer 6

They aren't. I'm a CHristian and I don't think that. I love all people and hope that through my actions, they will learn the truth. Well, in truth, we are all wicked. CHristians included. But because of Jesus' Grace, we are redeemed.

Answer 7

We don't .... we believe that everyone is wicked, including us lol.

That's what makes grace so wonderful.

Answer 8

Because the majority of them are hypocrites.

Answer 9

They fear their lord,
They fear people who sin,
They fear people who swear,
They fear people who do wrong to others,
God put too much fear into them.