“Christians Have Committed Atrocities”

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!” We are familiar with this idiom whether we’ve heard it or used it ourselves. It is a phrase used to suggest an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad, or in other words, rejecting the essential along with the inessential.

This idiom derives from a German proverb. The earliest record of this phrase is in 1512 in a book entitled Appeal to Fools by Thomas Murner, which includes a woodcut illustration showing a woman tossing a baby out with waste water. It’s been a common German catchphrase, with examples of its use in work by men such as the theologian Martin Luther and the God-fearing scientist Johannes Kepler.

As we tackle another objection to the Christian faith in this post, we’ll find this idiom germane. You see, people often want to dismiss Christianity by accusing the Christian rather than grappling with Christ.

The objection is this—What about the atrocities Christians have committed?

Initially, we need not shirk the issue, but tackle it head on. One way to respond to this objection is personalizing it and properly contextualizing it. Yes, people have done terrible, awful things in the name of Jesus under the banner of Christianity. But, it’s a reflection of them, not of Jesus.

I relate to this very well. As a missionary to my Jewish people for a number of years, I would often be verbally attacked by people, while doing street evangelism, who said in so many words, “How can you tell us about Jesus when Christians have been persecuting Jews for 2000 years?” If you want to read a powerful book on this topic, I recommend the book Our Hands Are Stained With Blood by Dr. Michael Brown. More specifically, one might also point out the Crusades and the Inquisition.

My standard response to the above question is this: “People have done terrible, awful things in the name of freedom and justice for millennia. Does that make freedom and justice bad? Of course not. Yes, people have done terrible, awful things in the name of Jesus and under the banner of Christianity. But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Jesus never did any of those things. Sinful, wicked people perpetrated those acts, for which they will give an account to God.” 

In fact, Jesus was all about love. According to Jesus, the two greatest commandments were to “love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-38). Moreover, Jesus even commanded that we love our enemies:

“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). 

So, any person who perpetrated evil, whether under the banner of Christianity or otherwise, was certainly not following the teachings of Jesus and, again, will be held accountable to God.

A second way to tackle this objection is through the objective comparison of facts. While the above is largely a theological and biblical argument, this answer is primarily historical and empirical. Specifically, by comparing atrocities of ‘Christians,’ and even other ‘religious’ people, versus the atrocities of atheists, one is confronted with this reality—the atheistic worldview has led to much more death than Christianity and other religions combined!

One article that powerfully argue this point are: The Real Murderers: Atheism or Christianity? by Greg Koukl. 

Whatever the objection or question, our answers should be substantive and ‘on topic.’ Yet, we should always strive to get to the gospel message, making Jesus the issue.

In dealing with this specific objection, we may communicate that Jesus didn’t overcome evil by evil, but He overcame evil with good (Romans 12:21). And how did He accomplish this?

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

And you could certainly add other passages like 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Isaiah 53:4-6:

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”
(Isaiah 53:4-6).

After sharing gospel truth, it’s always helpful to go one step further and get personal, with gentleness and respect. For example, asking this question is relevant to any discussion about Jesus – “Have you ever investigated His teachings?”  

This question is important, because personal attacks against Christians in general, or against you and me individually don’t change who Jesus is.

To this point, during my years doing a lot of street outreach I have been called a “loser” on a number of occasions. And while I mostly would have let it go, if I responded, it would be something like this: “I may be a loser, but Jesus is no loser. And this is not about me anyway. It’s about Jesus. Who do you think He is?”

As we close our thinking about this objection, while we should answer the question regarding the atrocities of ‘Christians,’ we want to ultimately share the gospel of Jesus. Because the Lord gave His life willingly so people could be forgiven of their own atrocities against God. And that my friends, is good news! Amen.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” – Jesus (Luke 23:34)