Skip to content I understand that people hate Christians. If I heard someone say, “I hate Buddhists,” or “I hate Muslims,” I would be disturbed by their declaration. In fact, I would be wary of spending time with that person. However, if I heard someone say, “I hate Christians,” I feel like I would understand them, even though I am a Christian. Let’s explore what makes people hate Christianity so much and how we should separate Christians from the Christian faith.
What Makes Christians so Unlikeable
Where to start? There are many unfortunate characteristics that some Christians exhibit, which make them deplorable to non-Christians. Here are a few:
1. Judgemental
Christianity teaches that God created human beings to follow certain patterns of behavior, such as how to treat others, what marriage should be, and how to conduct oneself in public and at home. Because of this, many Christians who supposedly adhere to this holy pattern of living feel the need to judge those who do not. This includes cultural issues, sexual ethics, and matters pertaining to the family. Unfortunately, Christians often cast judgment on those who do not abide by God’s prescribed design.
2. Intolerant
Because of this judgmental attitude, Christians often become intolerant of other points of view and feel compelled to point them out. Since certain lifestyles are considered sinful, they are intolerant of those who live them. Although the saying “hate the sin and love the sinner” is often cited, many Christians do not clearly convey this message in their actions. Instead, the message that is unfortunately portrayed is “hate the sin, including the sinner,” or at the very least, a posture of being holier-than-thou.
3. Hypocritical
Christians espouse high moral values, but in their judgment and intolerance, they fail to acknowledge their own sinful nature. This reveals their hypocrisy when their mistakes become known.
4. Tied to Political Views
Politics play a huge role in the lives of many Americans. However, it is unfortunate that in America, some political views are closely tied to Christianity, with preachers often telling their followers who to vote for. This is a major turnoff for those who do not agree on certain political issues, as they see Christians synonymous with a political party.
5. Anti intellectual
Some Christians view certain scientific advancements as a threat to their religious understanding of the world. This is evident in the resistance to accepting that the universe is older than 6,000 years, given that Genesis 1 describes the universe being created in six days and genealogical accounts suggest the earth is around 6,000 years old.
6. Scripture Quoting
There is no doubt that most Christians believe in the word of God as expressed in the Bible. However, using Bible passages to prove a point to non-Christians is not only ineffective but also annoying.
Why People Hate Christianity
These are the top six reasons why you might dislike Christianity, though there are certainly others. There is no doubt that Christians can often be seen as unlikeable due to these qualities. These traits can lead to spiritual abuse within Christian communities. Churches that promote such attitudes as the result of their teachings should be condemned.
The ironic thing is that these are the same attributes that Jesus Christ despised himself. He vehemently opposed the religious groups of his day, criticizing their judgmental, intolerant, and hypocritical stance on society. Jesus rebuked them for their sins, regardless of whether they acknowledged them as such.
Why Christianity should not be hated
People are complex, so pigeonholing a group into a generalized caricature does not accurately represent who they truly are. Often, people exhibit negative behaviors not out of malicious intent but due to their fears and insecurities. As a Christian myself, these are attributes that I despise, yet I recognize them as weaknesses in my own character as well. The reality is that all humans, to some extent, possess these traits. The question is whether we can acknowledge and confront them.
This is not to excuse those who display these qualities but to provide context for our shared human weaknesses. However, this is not a reason to hate Christianity. The truth is that these behaviors do not represent Christianity. Those who exhibit these attributes are not continuing the legacy of Jesus Christ.
Christians should be Loving
True Christianity centers around Jesus as the cornerstone of faith. His ministry highlights sacrificial love for those who oppose him, culminating in his resurrection. Viewing Christianity from this perspective reveals that the faith is rooted in grace, mercy, and hope, rather than judgment, fear, and condemnation.
Because Jesus died so that you may live, judgment should not be something you wield. When you receive righteousness you don’t deserve, as Christians, what right do we have to cast judgment on others? Followers of Jesus should understand that judgment belongs to God, and since we have received mercy for our own misdeeds, this should compel us to show mercy to those who sin around us.
Christians should be Humble
Because you are made right with God again, not because of any good works you did, it should humble you. There’s no room for boasting about great deeds or perfect rule-following, because your right standing with God isn’t about your goodness—it’s about Jesus’s goodness. This realization should cultivate humility. In fact, it should encourage Christians to openly acknowledge their sinful ways and shortcomings, free from the burden of proving themselves morally superior. They should empathize with fellow sinners because they acknowledge their own sinfulness. Sincere Christians who view Jesus as their literal savior embody this humility.
Christians Should be Tolerant
Because of this understanding that sin resides in all of us and that we are no different in the eyes of God, it should compel Christians to be tolerant of those who sin. Not tolerant to the sin itself but tolerant to those that commit it. After all, Christians are no different from anyone else.
Anti Intellectuals? Not so
Christians should not be driven by fear but by love and truth. They are compelled by the question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead? This event stands as the single most important in human history, and does the evidence support it? This is where our faith should rest. Discerning this requires using our minds to reason through the evidence and determine its truthfulness. If this event is not true, then Christianity holds no more validity than any tradition rooted in blind faith. Christians should lead in the pursuit of truth, which demands a high level of intellectual curiosity and engagement.
Not Political
Sincere Christians recognize that no political party holds a monopoly on Christianity. Each party has positions that Christians may support or oppose. Therefore, strongly identifying with one party simply because it claims to be the ‘Christian party’ is both inaccurate and potentially dangerous.
What to do about this
To start, we need to return to the essence of the Christian faith: what Jesus did for us. He provided a way back to God, not through our actions but through his sacrifice. We should focus on this central message and view our faith through this lens. It would be a faith characterized by reconciliation, humility, mercy, and love—not a religion focused solely on pointing out everyone’s sins. While acknowledging the role for that, it must always be approached with love and mercy.
Conclusions
Bottom line: Christians are not always the best representatives of Christianity. Christianity, at its essence, should promote tolerance, love, and grace. It should embody a perspective unafraid of advancements in knowledge and instead rejoice in understanding the world. Should non-believers hate Christians? Perhaps not hate, but they may rightly dislike how Christianity has been distorted. Conversely, they should appreciate and embrace Christianity as it is intended to be.
