Is It True That Christianity Resembles Domestic Abuse?
Does Christianity Resemble Domestic Abuse?
Just recently, a video uploaded to YouTube claims that “Abrahamic faiths (including Christianity, of course) resemble domestic abuse so well because they’re both rooted in power and control through dependency, degradation, and fear.”
In other words, it claims that such religions are in effect abuser as they victimize their respective adherents. If the allegation were true, then, as the video contends, these religions are evil as abuse is of course antithetical to benevolence.
Not new
Before we answer this anti-religious claim, it is important to take note that this argument against “Abrahamic faiths” (i.e. Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) is not new. This has been expressed in Bertrand Russell’s 1927 lecture “Why I am not a Christian” in which he said: “Religion is based primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes …”
The criticism, therefore, is never the original of the one who created and posted the video.
On faith being rooted in God’s power and control
Beingomnipotent, God is indeed powerful and so, He can be in control of everything if He wills so. But unlike a “domestic abuser,” God does not manipulate a victim—for he does not ‘victimize’ in the first place. As a matter of fact, He gives us the freedom to choose. The biggest proof of this, contextually speaking, is that people can choose to go against God and say something evil of Him (such as the case of the video creator who can, and indeed does, accuse God of being an abuser.
This freedom to choose that God gave us is nonetheless coupled with His compassionate exhortation for us to choose life by following His way—not the other way of sin— so that we may live fully (Deut. 30:15-20). This “living fully” is applicable not only to our life here and now but also in His Kingdom after the Day of Judgment. So one may wonder how this faith sounds like a ‘domestic abuse’!
On faith being rooted in God’s power and control “through dependency”
Considering that God gives us freedom, His will for us to depend on Him is never a form of coercion but a benevolent invitation. Are there no times that we, having limited capacity and resources, do look for someone to rely on? And there is nothing wrong in depending on God.
As Apostle Peter exhorts Christians, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (I Pet. 5:6-7, NIV).
The Bible teaches many great things about the God who wants us to depend on Him:
(a) He can be trusted with our needs (“My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus”—Phil. 4:19);
(b) He can be trusted with our protection (“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”—Ps. 4:8); and
(c) He can be trusted with our problems and troubles, for He can turn the tide for us (“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Rom. 8:28).
If God is teaching us to depend on Him, it is therefore not a form of ‘blackmail,’ but an act of kindness of the Almighty towards us who have many needs and limitations. If we are in many aspects powerless and God is benevolently powerful, should we not look to Him as the One he can depend on?
On faith being rooted in God’s power and control “through degradation”
It may be true that in domestic abuse, there is an element called degradation or humiliation, but it is hard to think how that is present in God-man relationship, especially in the Christian faith. If the Bible is teaching that man is weak, limited, and commits sins, that is not a humiliation but a mere fidelity to truth—for that precisely matches reality.
Far from the claim that true faith degrades man, it even declares that man is special. It teaches that God personally “breathed into [man’s] nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). He made man “in His own image” (Gen. 1:26-27) and given the power to exercise dominion over the earth and its animals (Gen. 1:26, 28). With man’s intellectual gifts (wisdom, knowledge, and understanding) from God (Prov. 2:6-7), he can design and make things, write, appreciate beauty, compose wonderful music, laugh at himself, think abstractly, organize things, reason, make wise decisions, be self-conscious, and use energy for his benefit.
Of all God’s creatures, only man has the capacity for truly knowing God and holding spiritual communion with Him through prayer, praise, and worship. So, how is that humiliating and degrading?
On faith being rooted in God’s power and control “through fear”
Fear of punishment can really be a means of control; however, it is not necessarily wrong. For instance, when a mother warns his son that he will be disciplined if he does not stop playing with matches and fire, is this necessarily wrong? Similarly, if in the true Church for instance, members are admonished to be faithful, honest, polite, loving, patient, kind, to help the needy, and not misbehave (not to steal, riot, murder, etc.), is it necessarily wrong? Members may not flawlessly manifest all the qualities demanded by their religion—for they have free will after all—but there is nothing wrong for religions to demand righteousness.
When the true religion teaches the unpleasant consequences of disobeying God’s will, what it is doing is neither intimidationnor manipulation. In stark contrast, it is even an act of compassion and concern for people, for the loving God “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” (I Tim. 2:4 NLT). The genuine willingness to keep God’s commandments—that which is pleasing to Him—is not based on fear or terror but on true knowledge (I Jn. 2:3) and love of Him (I Jn. 5:3).
True faith therefore is based not on fear or fright but on the true relationship with God and on love: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love” (I John 4:18, NRSV). To the Christians, Apostle Paul declared: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind” (II Tim. 1:7).
Biblical fear of the Lord
True, there is a kind of fear that is taught by the Bible, but it is not the ordinary fear or phobia that many know. Instead, it is the holy “fear of the Lord” that means departing from evil and following God’s precepts:
“… ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28 New American Standard Bible)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” (Ps. 111:10, NIV) (Copyright 2019 – present by MyInfoBasket.com) … read more
Also Check Out: The Worldview of Atheism by Jensen DG. Mañebog
Related: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Comparative Analysis
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