Even if a person who claims they are not Christian, why would they be against Christ's teachings?

Question

i could see where even if they were homosexual, they would be against the Old Testament, and even in the New Testament any references to such were not directly made by Christ, but by the other writers in later parts of the Gospel, if you look in a Bible which shows Christ's words in red (to distinguish), I see nothing that anybody should be against or disagree with, even a person who is communist, seems like even his teachings could be used by them, some even say marx used Christian communes for the basis of his ideology

Answer 1

Throughout the history of the church, Christians have been called upon to explain why we believe what we believe. The apostle Paul spoke of his ministry as "the defense and confirmation of the gospel." Peter said we need to "be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you."
This activity of the church came to be known as apologetics which means "defense." But, if it is important that we defend the faith, how do we do it?

In this essay I will not provide a lot of evidences and arguments. I will rather look at some basic principles that will guide us in defending the faith. We will talk about our starting point and about the important matter of thinking logically. We'll look at the specific charge of elitism which is prevalent on college campuses today. Finally, we'll deal with the question of presenting a case for Christianity.

So, what is apologetics, anyway, and what is it supposed to do? Apologetics has been defined as "the science and art of defending the faith." It is chiefly concerned with the question of the truth of Jesus Christ. In the days of the Greeks, when someone was summoned to court to face a charge, he would present an "apology" or a defense. For Christians, this might mean answering the question, "Why do you believe that Jesus is God?" or a question more often heard today, "Why do you think Christians have the truth?"

So, apologetics is first of all defense. It has come to include more than just defense, however. Not only is the truth of our beliefs an issue, but also the beliefs others hold. A second task of apologetics is to challenge other people to defend their beliefs.

A third task of apologetics is to present a case for the truth of the biblical message. One might call this task "proving" Christianity (although the matter of proof must be qualified). If this seems to be too ambitious a goal, we might speak simply of persuading people of the truth of the biblical message.

In all of this our goal is to let the light of God's truth shine in all its brilliance. It is our ambition also to bring unbelievers to a recognition of the truth of Jesus Christ and to persuade them to put their faith in Him.

Apologetics is typically a response to a specific question or challenge, either stated outright or just implied. Paul reasoned with the Jews for whom the cross was a stumbling block, "explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead." In the second century, apologists defended not only Christian beliefs but also Christians themselves against such charges as atheism and cannibalism and being threats to the state. In the Medieval era, more attention was given to the challenges of Judaism and Islam. In the era of the Enlightenment, apologists had to defend Christianity against the narrow confines of scientific rationalism. Today the challenge has shifted again, this time from attacks on specific doctrines to the question of whether Christianity has any claim to final truth at all.

Like our forebears, we must answer the challenges of our day. We must respond to our contemporaries' questions as difficult and uncomfortable as that might be.

Answer 2

The political actions of Christians aside, Religious dogma, and especially Christian dogma, is damaging and dangerous to people. It tells you that you are nothing and no one without Jesus or god. It tells you that you can't help but be 'sinful' because you're born into it. These are dis-empowering ideas. They take from the believer their internal sense of self-worth and places that self-worth dependent upon something external from the self. That is terrible. It often creates self-loathing and emotional disorders.

Religious dogma inhibits real curiosity. It does this by providing a context with which every question already has a pat answer even when that answer is actually an evasion or a non-answer (ie. God did it, it's a mystery, we aren't to judge, who may know the mind of god), and those pat answers are far too often never questioned for their veracity and are just accepted at face value.

And this is just off the top of my head, there's much more.

Answer 3

I'm not Christian, but I would never deny that many of the teachings ascribed to Jesus are wonderful spiritual truths.

There are 2 problems, however:

1) First of all, the teachings and speeches that Jesus is alleged to have given were not recorded by any eyewitnesses. They were written down by the gospel writers several generations after Jesus supposedly lived, so their veracity is doubtful. And quite frankly, the gospel writers had an appreciable incentive to embellish their stories in order to promote their beliefs among those they hoped to convert.

2) Even if Jesus did say all the things he is alleged to have said, he wasn't really even the first human to set forth his "pearls of wisdom". Several of the Greek philosophers are known to have put forth similar thoughts, as well as a previous Jewish theologian (I forget his name) who set forth the "Golden Rule" some several hundred years before Jesus came along.

And again, it's also possible that the Gospel writers "cribbed" from other sources to embellish Jesus' accomplishments and make him appear "larger than life". They weren't there, remember.

Honestly, how many times have you heard a story secondhand, even one person removed from the event, and later realized that you heard some of the details incorrectly?

Answer 4

There is a lot of controversy about those teachings, so you never know what interpretation people are going to bring. Plus, people of other religions don't want "Christ's" teachings, they want their own. And you know what? Almost all religions have the same teachings as far as treating others well and respecting eachother and the earth. Christ was a good man, but those were not original thoughts, and many have had them since, as well.

Answer 5

Speaking only for myself, I am not "against" Christ's teachings. What I am against is the stranglehold of organized religion, and the religion of Christianity itself. The Christ depicted in the bible seemed like a good enough guy compared to the OT God. However, I do not like it when people twist those teachings to suit their own ends. THAT is what drove me away from faith.

Answer 6

Most people would think those were words of good advice if you pet them in modern language, and do not tell them they are Christs words. I saw this once and the non-christian called (he thought the words came from a man named Jessy) Jesus a Democrat, who wanted to give his hard earned money to bums who were to lazy to work!LOL!

Answer 7

I am not Christian and I have no problems with the teaching of Jesus the Christ.

Answer 8

the biggest reason people chose to reject the teachings of Jesus is self chosen spiritual blindness

I was a rejector too once myself born a Jew and taught to reject Jesus and the New Testament too.

in life look at the rose or Sharon Jesus the Messiah and deal with the thorns=those that oppose truth in the amazing grace of Jesus John 3 repent of sins and be born again to see the kingdom of heaven.

worked for me thanks and praying for those who answer here to get the answer from Jesus -if you love God most you will truely love others too and share the gospel for their salvation-instead of letting them chose blindness and hell torment forever rejecting the Word of God-which is what condemns them -not Jesus "He that rejecteth my words the same shall judge them in the last day." John 12:48

I prayed- "Jesus help me, come into my heart-I am sorry for my living against you and your word forgive my sins and be my friend, amen."

He said he would in Revelation 3:19&20 "I love you, repent from your sins, Behold I knock on your heart door to come in deliver you and be your friend if you ask me in."

NOw Jesus is my savior best friend, and messiah and life is grand, David. thanks good question..

Answer 9

Jesus said not to worry if the world hates us because they hated Him first. People hate Christ because they love their sin more than the truth. When people come close to Jesus, the Holy Spirit convicts them of their own sin, thus they hate Jesus because He makes them feel uncomfortable. The light exposes their love of their sin.

Answer 10

There is no one I know that is against the gentle Rebe's teachings. However, Christianity, its Shouters and it's Bibles are a blasphemy against the true words Jesus.