Both Christian evangelism and atheistic proselytizing are driven by a shared, and often hypocritical, impulse: the conviction that one holds a superior truth that must be shared. While Christians are often criticized for their missionary efforts, many prominent atheists engage in a similar, equally zealous form of conversion, arguing against religion and promoting secularism with a fervor that mirrors the very evangelism they condemn. Both worldviews, when claiming to possess ultimate truth without definitive proof, exhibit a profound intellectual hubris. The Christian's certainty is rooted in divine revelation, but the atheist's certainty is often rooted in the "supremacy of reason," yet this claim to intellectual superiority is itself an unprovable metaphysical stance. This is a form of faith.
However, the easy caricature of Christianity as irrational and anti-science is a false narrative. Many modern, liberal Christian denominations, far from being opposed to reason, see it as a divine gift and a pathway to understanding God's creation. They embrace scientific concepts like evolution, viewing it not as a contradiction of creation but as the very method God used to bring about life. This perspective, known as theistic evolution, is held by a wide swath of Christian thought, particularly within mainline Protestantism and Catholicism, which has a long history of supporting scientific inquiry (Pew Research Center, 2015). The idea that a Christian must reject science is a straw man, often built on the actions of a vocal minority. Statistically, groups like young-earth creationists and flat-earthers are a statistical anomaly, not representative of the majority of Christians globally. For example, a 2019 Gallup poll found that only 40% of Americans, and a decreasing number, believe that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years, with the majority accepting some form of evolution (Gallup, 2019). The same is true for flat-earth theorists, who make up a negligible percentage of the global population. A 2018 YouGov poll found that only 2% of Americans say they believe the Earth is flat, a belief often correlated with low scientific literacy and high overconfidence (YouGov, 2018; U. of Melbourne, 2018). These fringe beliefs are not representative of mainstream Christianity but rather are outliers in a larger, more nuanced intellectual landscape.
Divine revelation, from a liberal Christian perspective, is not a static, literal transmission of facts from God, but an ongoing, dynamic process of God's self-disclosure. It's a view that embraces reason, human experience, and the continuous struggle for social justice as valid means of understanding God's will. The Bible is seen not as an inerrant science textbook but as a record of past revelation, to be interpreted in light of current understanding and an evolving consciousness of justice and compassion. The divine is revealed in the pursuit of liberation for the oppressed, in new scientific discoveries that unlock the mysteries of the universe, and in the timeless call to love and charity. This perspective stands in stark contrast to the idea that Christianity is a dogmatic, static, and anti-intellectual belief system. It is a vibrant, living faith that embraces reason and evidence as integral to its journey toward truth. The Christian's certainty is not in an ironclad set of dogmas but in the living presence of a God who is constantly being revealed in the world. This is a faith that is humble enough to say, "I may not have all the answers, but I believe in a God who is still speaking."
This brings us back to the heart of the matter. Both the rigid atheist and the rigid religious fundamentalist share a common, uncharitable trait: a self-satisfied intellectual certainty that makes them prone to judging others. They both claim to have found the single, final truth. But true wisdom, whether found in faith or reason, is characterized by humility. It recognizes the limits of human knowledge and the profound mystery of existence. Ultimately, the words of the New Testament ring true for both the zealous evangelist and the dogmatic atheist. The verse, "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1, ESV), serves as a final, humbling indictment of the human tendency toward intellectual pride. The full passage from Matthew 7:1-5 further elaborates on this point, admonishing the hypocrite who seeks to remove a "speck" from their neighbor's eye while ignoring the "log" in their own. This powerful metaphor urges a radical self-examination and a rejection of the self-righteousness that so often corrupts both religious and secular discourse. It is a reminder that the path to truth, whether through faith or reason, requires humility and a recognition that our own vision is often flawed.
Works Cited
Gallup. "40% of Americans Believe in Creationism." Gallup News, 26 July 2019, news.gallup.com/poll/261680/americans-believe-creationism.aspx.
Pew Research Center. "Religion and Science." Pew Research Center, 22 Oct. 2015, www.pewresearch.org/science/2015/10/22/science-and-religion-2/.
University of Melbourne. "Why do some people believe the Earth is flat?" Pursuit, 4 Apr. 2018, pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-do-some-people-believe-the-earth-is-flat.
YouGov. "Most Americans believe the Earth is round." YouGov, 12 Apr. 2018, today.yougov.com/topics/travel/articles-reports/2018/04/02/most-americans-believe-earth-round.
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