In a letter on Nov. 6, a Duke student degraded Christianity by offering comments such as that it is a religion that derives from a "likable dead man," that it is "about Jewish and Pauline sexual ethics being forced into our bedrooms" and that Christians as intolerant people shame "the good teacher's memory."
I just want to say that I think these comments seem far too soft.
In light of the context of the letter, I pardon this degree of softness. But if we truly desire to summarize the problem with Christianity, then we need first to acknowledge the views of some of the most influential opponents of Christian thought over the last 400 years.
That is, we can't forget David Hume, one of the most influential philosophers of modernity. Hume used his analysis of science and epistemology to challenge certain focal claims of Christianity on the basis that these claims are founded solely on the reliability (or for Hume, unreliability) of knowledge being passed on from generation to generation through tradition.
We can not forget Ludwig Feuerbach,, an influential German philosopher of the 19th century and one-time student of Hegel. Feuerbach asked, "Where is God?," "Where is the Trinity?" Answer: "They are mere thoughts confined within the mind of the believer." (And you can give Feuerbach credit for much of Karl Marx's view on Christianity.)
We can't forget Friedrich Nietzshe, one of the most influential philosophers in the history of philosophy. Nietzshe asked, "If the truth of Christianity is so glaringly false, why are there so many Christians?" "Why do Christians often seem to be stupid, poor people?" Nietzshe's answer: "Christianity is a slave morality; it is an attempt for weak people who wish they were strong to deal with the fact that they are weak."
We can't forget Sigmund Freud, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. "What is Christianity?" Freud's answer: "It is a mental illness. It is a psychological construct that allows certain people to deal with the fear of their own fragility and impending death."
Okay. Where does all this leave us? What does modern New Testament scholarship have to say on this subject?
A few years ago I took some courses on the Bible in the undergraduate religion department here at Duke. Between two courses in the fall of 2002, I was taught that the virgin birth was a lie, that the "biggest blow to Christianity" is that Christ falsely predicted the time of the end of the world, that supernatural miracles have never existed and that Christians are arrogant people (and this list is no understatement). Thanks to these professors and similar ones, undergraduate education in religion at Duke is sometimes very one-sided. Isn't that terrific?!
I wouldn't want to finish this column without reminding everyone how a group of scholars called the Jesus Seminar has conclusively shown (through a reliable vote) a few years ago that only 6 percent of Jesus' sayings in the gospels are authentic.
But, let us not end here. Aside from its error in belief and doctrine, we have to blame Christianity for its past errors in action. We cannot forgive Christianity for the fact that it attempted to legitimate racism, for the fact that it justified colonialism and the exploitation of other people, for the fact that it tried to legitimate slavery, for the crusades, for its mistreatment of gays and women, for priests' widespread molesting of children and finally for its inability to do the very thing that it holds most dear: love. The truth of the matter seems to be that Christianity is nothing more than the sum of these events.
Perhaps for reasons of respect, other non-Christian columnists have not gone as far as I have here in an attack on Christianity. Columnists, thank you for this respect. And, to be honest, I am not sure why I am attacking Christianity here. Especially since, in fact, I am a Christian! However, if I were to remain in line with my initial purpose in this column, then let me make a conclusion: We can't forget what certain philosophers say, or what certain Bible scholars say or the mistakes that the Church has made throughout history, or any of our other doubts or grudges. In light of these things, we know that Christianity is a misguided religion. End of story. Surely there is no good counter argument to all this!
Therefore, as a Christian, I'm crazy because I believe in the resurrection of Christ and the virgin birth. I'm crazy because I often go and cry at the altar at a black Pentecostal church in Durham on Sundays. I'm crazy because I have the same beliefs as the Pope.
I'm crazy because I think the logic of such attacks on Christianity is unfounded. Finally, I am crazy because I continue to live with a growing Christian conviction.
Browder, Trinity '03, is a student in the Divinity School.
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