Christians, are you on the wrong side of history? If you spend any time on social media, you will have probably seen this charge leveled against Christians. If you are challenging the new social norms, you will be told you are “On the wrong side of history”. You will be judged harshly by future generations, and need to change your thinking asap!
This charge is really meant as a scare tactic or threat. The person making the charge likely isn’t concerned with your reputation with future generations. They aren’t doing you a favor. They are trying to bully you into affirming their position. But is this something we need to worry about? Is it a problem if Christians are on the wrong side of history?
We’ve Been Here Before
Christians in America have had it good for a number of years. There was really no challenge to the Christian worldview as the social norm until the late 1960s. The pace of change has accelerated in recent years, to the point now that Christians find themselves as social outcasts. Our views on sexuality have put us at odds with the culture.
But is this new? Not really. Christians have been seen as troublemakers from their origins. Jesus challenged the established social norms. The first Christians in Jerusalem were persecuted, and not a welcome addition to the Jewish society. Even when Christians branched out from their homeland, they were not received well.
Christians in Rome were called cannibals because of a misunderstanding about what communion actually was. They were seen as not patriotic because they would not attend festivals to other gods, and would not worship Caesar. Nero went so far as to place the blame for the burning of Rome on the early Christians. So Christians have been in this circumstance many times before.
Should We Be Worried?
Things are getting harder for Christians. You can now lose your job for holding views consistent with Christianity. You will be labeled a hater, homophobic, transphobic, racist, and all sorts of vile things in the name of “Tolerance” and “Inclusion”.
There may even be a mob that comes after you and tries to “Cancel” you. They will cyberbully you, and attempt to get you fired from your job. You might get a temporary or permanent ban on social media platforms. There are even instances where you could go to jail for your views. So yes, the danger here is real.
Is It Worth It?
So why should we risk all of this? Isn’t easier to just comply? I think it easy to feel this way. After all, I’m not really denying Jesus, I’m just keeping my mouth shut to avoid trouble.
The problem is, Christians traditionally haven’t shied away from the truth simply for their own comfort or safety. In fact, the opposite is true. Christians have been willing to publicly declare the truth of Christianity, even if they were put to death for it.
So not speaking is not an option for Christians. We are called to be faithful, not to be popular. In fact, we are even warned of this by Jesus Himself. His words on the subject seem to be a good place to end this article. While standing up to the mob may be scary, remember, we know how the story ends. We may not personally see it, but Jesus prevails in the end!
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the worldwould love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the worldhates you. John 15:18-19
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