Viewpoint Against Christianity

“Look, I don’t need you telling me how to run my life. I’m an adult and can handle things myself. I value my freedom. I do what I want, how I want, and when I want. And . . . I do so based on my own well thought-out personal principles. Go find yourself a weak-kneed Christian type who can’t make a decision without your Ten Commandments and Bible fables. Yes, maybe I might identify myself as a rebel, but I’m proud of it. I don’t need help from you, your Jesus, or his “Cosmic Daddy.” Why don’t you folks just get lost and leave me alone.”

Background Discussion

Okay, great. You’re a “rebel.” If you have the drive to make things happen on your own, that’s commendable.  Hopefully, your actions are properly motivated. A lot of us strive to be self-sufficient in navigating life. But when we rebel, against what—or whom—are we rebelling? Alice Cooper, considered the godfather of “Shock Rock” in the 1970’s, noted that rebellion can take numerous forms. "Drinking beer is easy,” he said. “Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That’s rebellion." 

If it’s rebelling against injustice or prejudice, rebellion might possibly be considered a good thing. But would rebelling against your Creator (if there is one) make sense? C. S. Lewis, a 20th-century Christian writer, thought not. “A creature revolting against a creator is revolting against the source of his own powers–including even his power to revolt,” Lewis said. “It is like the scent of a flower trying to destroy the flower.” On the other hand, one could take the high road in their rebellion. "Being a Christian means being a rebel like Jesus,” says Chris Cisions, a writer for Christian Decisions. “But not as a rebel against God, but against the ways of the world, which are driven by evil. And yes, evil does exist."

If you consider yourself a rebel or outlaw, you may not see the need for a higher power many call “God.” But . . . unlike the religious agnostic with no opinion, or the skeptic paralyzed by indecision, or maybe the “nothing in particular” person who just doesn’t care, the rebel is at least admirable for not straddling the fence (see Rev. 3:15–16). Rebels are not doubters, having already made their decision, proactively resisting and rejecting authority, perhaps even the authority of God: “I am the captain of my own destiny, the helmsman of my own ship”, to paraphrase the poet William Ernest Henley. Why not, isn’t this the American dream? Couldn’t this “rebel” include me and you?

But, what if the rebel against God is wrong—deathly wrong? Mikhail Bakunin, a 19th-century atheist, describes such a proud rebel: "But here steps in Satan, the eternal rebel, the first free‐thinker and emancipator of worlds. He makes man ashamed of his bestial ignorance and obedience; he emancipates him, stamps upon his brow the seal of liberty and humanity, in urging him to disobey and eat of the fruit of knowledge." Might this describe our model rebel?

The new 21st-century rebel does not appear as the James Dean of Hollywood’s Rebel Without A Cause or Robin Hood of Nottingham. What if the rebel of today’s world is focused on their own life concerns, with blatant disregard for their Creator. Each of us is prone to becoming our own creator, having great pride in defining our own set of goals and morals. Or maybe your god would include a 4,000-sq.- foot mansion, BMW or Ivy League education?  For some of us, our “mother earth” might be a very high on this list?  What’s wrong with that anyway?

Are you a rebel against all authority, including God’s? What hope is there for those of us who have rebelled against God because of our own personal catastrophes of poverty, racism, illness or other of life’s challenges.   Even if the independent rebel doesn’t think they need hope today, it is available through the gifts of God’s Son. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring home one of God’s rebels, one of God’s “prodigal sons or daughters” (see Luke 15:11–32). Why wait until then? It’s your decision on which type of rebel you want to be. If you’re rebelling against your Creator, please reconsider, becoming instead a rebel for Christ. He offers us not the shackles of enslavement, but the truth that sets us free, both now and forever (John 8:31–32; 14:6). It’s your time and your life. Please think carefully about the possibility of playing a role in the Christian story . . . by making the Christian Decision.

Please click on the links to videos, documents, quotes, music, and books for further information on how a rebel could attain true happiness—forever. We have information for you to assess—on your own—why and how a confirmed rebel can make the Christian Decision. This may be the most important decision of your life, or of your death.