If you compare Christians to secular humanists there are differences……..but not the ones that we often believe.
If you ask the average Christian what makes them different from the crowd, you might get some kind of statement about righteousness.
If you ask the average secular humanist what makes the Christian different, you will get replies that are all over the map………naive, judgemental, misled, superstitious, etc.
But , the truth is………that in terms of kindness, compassion, love, generosity, etc………the traits that we associate with being a “good person”, the average Christian and the average secular humanist…….really are not very different.
And yet, we butt heads constantly……..why?
It comes down to how we define right and wrong……..good and bad. The chasm between us is so very wide because it is based on a disagreement that is so fundamental.
We operate on fundamentally different moral codes.
Christianity………when done well…….uses the teaching of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible, as its moral code. This is a fairly rigid code of conduct. It doesn’t give the Christian very much “wiggle room”. The Bible even describes it as a “narrow gate”. In fact, it is likely that the average person who identifies as Christian violates this code every day. No wonder that we get called hypocrits. This code is summed up…….by Jesus……..Love God….Love man. And this is a surprisingly high bar……..considering human nature. Think about what you did yesterday. Did you give a dollar to the guy with the little cardboard sign on the exit ramp? Did you get angry at a politician? Did you mutter something unkind about a bad driver? The unfortunate truth is that human nature causes the average Christian to fail……..as a Christian…….every day. Human nature causes me to fail……as a Christian…….every day.
Secular humanism is largely based on science. It really does not have a rigidly defined moral code. It tends to rely on each person’s conscience……..that is……each individual’s idea of right and wrong. The first problem is that our society has millions of different moral codes in use at the same time…….a formula for conflict…….and we have the internet telling each of us that we are right……and that the other guy is an idiot. The second problem…….just as with Christianity…..is human nature. We are extremely gifted at figuring out why the thing that we really want to do……..is “right”. If you are a secular humanist, think about the ten things that you want the most……..write them down. Now go down the list and write “good” or “bad” beside each. They are probably all “good”. The result of human nature acting on secular humanism is that we find a way to define the things that we really want……..as good. The current term is “identify”. If you were born as a male and you feel better as a female, then you redefine yourself as a female……..you “identify” as a female……..and this is good.
So…….what it comes down to is this:
The difference between Christianity and secular humanism is far more basic than being good or bad. It is in how we define good and bad…….right and wrong. The Christian uses an external definition…..Jesus. The secular humanist uses an internal definition. The Christian fails to live up to his moral code……every day. Because of our failure, we need forgiveness. Because of my failure…….I need forgiveness……..every day. And, fortunately, Christianity provides it. For the secular humanist, there is no forgiveness. The secular humanist defines his way out of failure. If he really wants something…….he defines it as good…….or at least OK……….think abortion.
As a Christian, I know that I am flawed……bad…….and that I need redemption. The secular humanist does not have access to redemption. He must solve this internally……..either admit that he is bad and live with it……..or, more often, define his wayout of it. And I think that this must take a lot of work.
There is another side to this. The Christian fails every day……and, if we are being honest, we know it. We cannot be confident in our own nature. Our confidence comes from our creator. The secular humanist has essentially defined himself as “right”. He is confident…..in himself. He has no need for external redemption.
And that is why we fight.
“What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness. I have nobody to forgive me.”
Laski, a secular humanist
“We must obey God rather than men.”
Peter, ESV
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
James, ESV
“you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Jesus, defining Christianity, ESV