5 Misconceptions That Make Christians Quiet About Their Faith

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There are a lot of misconceptions about why Christians are quiet about their faith; here are 5 of them.

Misconceptions

Christians are normally inclined, when amongst those without a faith, to be a bit reserved about discussing what they believe. There is definitely an overarching theme of reservation over faith and spreading around their belief. Ironically, the discussion and dissemination of ideas relating to Christianity is supposed to be an integral part of being a Christian. The problem is often related to the misconceptions, the myths surrounding Christianity from the perspective of those without a faith. These myths often stop Christians from expressing to friends and the people around them their beliefs and why Christianity is what they’ve chosen to live their lives by. The important thing to keep in mind is that these issues are just that, they are myths and misconceptions. With that in mind, we can take a look at how and why these misconceptions make an impact and what exactly they are.

Everyone Already Knows About God

Ok, if we are being extremely literal then this one is probably true. Most people already do know about God. But what I really mean is that there is a myth that everyone out there who doesn’t have a faith doesn’t have one because they have heard all the arguments and have logically decided that there isn’t a strong enough argument for God and for Christianity. This would mean, were it to be true, that every time a Christian brought up their faith and spoke about Christianity it would be pointless because everyone has already heard all of the good news before. In reality, almost no-one who has chosen to reject Christianity has done so out of a genuine logical analysis of the case for Christ and the gospels. The ‘auto-pilot’ decision, if you will, is to be atheistic, a sad reality of the modern age but one no less problematic that the assumed belief that was maintained by the status quo in centuries gone by. The reason all this is important is that there is actually an even more pressing need for Christians to spread the news of the Gospels and to discuss their faith openly. No-one will be converted to Christianity by accident. It’s a deliberate choice made out of having the story of Christianity and what it teaches explained clearly.

People Who Are Interested Can Seek Information Themselves

In a sense heavily related to what we’ve been talking about, Christians, and the Christian community, are a lot less easy to come in contact with than even they might believe. So someone who has even the faintest sense that they are interested in Christianity might actually have no idea where to start that conversation. The reality is that, even if there are several churches in your town, actually waking up one Sunday and walking into a church community as the way to start to meet Christians and discuss Christianity is a really daunting and intimidating move. The chance to have a much more informal conversation, in a neutral setting, is one which most people with an inkling of interest in faith would far prefer this to having to make more drastic moves. Without Christians talking about Christianity openly, this can be an opportunity missed.

People Aren’t Interested

Firstly, this is a misconception. Secondly, the ways in which it isn’t a misconception shouldn’t stop you from talking openly about your faith. To the first point, it’s completely understandable that you would have this mentality. People are so unsympathetic and so outwardly cynical in the modern age that it can seem like no-one wants to know about something as ‘old-fashioned’ as God. But the reality is that, as human beings, we all have big question marks hanging over our heads with regards to all sorts of different issues. And that is felt no less strongly than in the modern age. Of course, there’ll be some people who really are uninterested. There’ll also be some people who aren’t mature enough to handle something as sincere as faith. But you will be surprised just how many people really are willing and interested to hear about and learn about Christianity. If you are careful about the way you talk about it, you can find that people you never believed would be interested are much more engaged than you could have ever thought. The second thing is that not spreading the news, not discussing your faith is one of the root causes of people’s belief apathy that we come across so often in the modern world. The more that the news is out there, the more time atheistic people are likely to spend pondering the truths of life.

Speaking Out Requires Condemnation

One problem with Christianity is that it has so much to say about the ways that people live their lives. By this I mean that within the rules and beliefs of Christianity, things as famous as the Ten Commandments, there is a lot that dictates how good Christians behave. The problem with this is that most people don’t live their lives in a way which meets the standards of the church, the standards set by God. But that doesn’t mean that when you talk about Christianity that it needs to be with an eye to condemn any non-believers. The reason for this is that we are all, every single one, sinners together. You can call yourself a Christian, but you inevitably fall short of how you ideally would be. You have a lot in common with non-believers!

It Will Damage Your Life

In the world we live in there has never been as much religious freedom. When in centuries past you could be killed for being a Christian, you are taught now to embrace your beliefs. Use that and speak out!

Conclusion

As you can tell from this list alone, there is a lot not said about Christianity and a lot that needs to be. Misconceptions on all sides are rife and, without having those who are willing to speak out, you will never find that those imbalances are addressed.

About the Author

Nora Mork is a mindfulness journalist at UK Writings and Boom Essays. She enjoys speaking at public niche events, and sharing her stories on blogs, such as Essay Roo.

Tagged as: Evangelizing, Great Commission, Witnessing