Is Christianity a Crutch for Weak People?

Christianity, some say, is “a crutch for weak people.”

The mainstream media, of course, loves to perpetuate this idea, and does so by showing Christians in the “weakest” possible light. You know the drill: There’s some divisive social issue in the news, and tens of millions of Christians around the nation are praying for an outcome they believe Christ would condone. The media responds by rushing to the “ground zero” of the issue, and zeroing their cameras on the proverbial “protester couple” who just drove in from Kansas; he’s ranting hellfire and damnation, and she’s got the tears flowing down her face, and that, of course, is the 6:00 News look at Christianity. Cut to the story about the latest lawsuit to get God out of the public schools.

In contrast, agnostics and atheists tend to have much better spokesmen, all of whom are treated as enlightened royalty by the mainstream media. You don’t have to look far to find a Captain of Industry willing to call Christianity a crutch for the weak: Bill Gates has stated for the record that he thinks “religion is a waste of time.”

And we should listen to him, right? After all, he achieved his accomplishments with great intellect and daring, no? He didn’t ask God for help—he just seized his day!

We’ve also got plenty of those pillars of morality in Hollywood willing to scoff at Christianity and the values it espouses: They don’t need God… they are gods! They are worshipped and adored, and God didn’t help them— they got there via a level of talent so vast that there was just no keeping them down, right? And how can we criticize them? Sometimes they give up entire hours to lend their assistance to a worthy cause.

When I hear these usual suspects say Christianity is a crutch for weak people, I can’t help but wonder if they’d be willing to say it to John McCain, Jim Stockdale, and Jerry Denton, all of whom survived Viet Nam’s Hanoi Hilton and all of whom profess Christianity. Would they be willing to make that comment to the Founding Fathers of our nation? Would they be willing to say it to the men on the frontline of combat that pray Christian prayers for safety and deliverance?

The idea of Christian “weakness” was, perhaps, initiated by the gentle, loving, and perfect life Jesus Christ led. Even when He was being arrested and led to crucifixion, Christ insisted on peace between his disciples and the mob. Was this weakness? No, it was wisdom. He said essentially, “You live by the sword, you die by the sword.”

How did He know? Because He was God in human flesh, and He’d been watching the results of violence since the beginning of time. Yes, as we all know, violence can enable one group to impose its will on another group, but I believe God thinks on bigger scale than that. He wants us to love and respect each other, not kill each other, and that’s got to start somewhere, right? The example set by Jesus said let it start with me.

I must admit that, as a former Marine, the allegation that Christianity is for weak people is particularly bothersome. As a result, I’ve really given the issue a great deal of thought, and I think I’ve found a common link between these high-profile critics of Christianity: In short, they are all in the business of serving themselves. All their true energies and motives are inwardly focused, and center on their career, their money, their power, or their image.

This doesn’t mean they are bad people. Remember, Bill Gates has given away billions of dollars. No, what it means is that when you’ve got only your needs to focus on, the need for divine grace and assistance isn’t very acute. Focusing entirely on your own needs and desires puts you in a category with, well, a two year-old, as that’s exactly what two year-olds do all day. Getting through life just isn’t as hard when you don’t concern yourself with how your actions impact the lives of others.

In my opinion, Christians are not called upon to be pure pacifists. There are cases when action (and even war) are just. (What sane person could say fighting the Nazis was unjust?) Consider Jesus himself: During His human life He took on the entire power structure of the Jewish world, and He cleared the temple of its money-changers, vendors and animals—all with an Indiana Jones-esque flair.

Still, He was a man of peace and love 99.9% of the time, and that’s hard for many of us to take. I for one can say there were several times in Jesus’ life when I wished He’d done the water-into-wine thing by turning His walking stick into an AK-47. He was kind and loving towards those who wanted to harm Him, and I wanted Him to get some Holy Rambo going. I wanted Him to show His (fire) power!

Then, a book I was reading pointed out the obvious: The first time we saw Jesus, He was born of a woman, and grew up among us as a human to become the perfect Sacrificial Lamb. In fact, He is referred to time and again as the Lamb of God… and the imagery of a Lamb doesn’t inspire much awe among a pack of wolves, if you get my drift. The role of Sacrificial Lamb was His to carry, and He was fulfilling a temporary position that had been waiting for Him since before time began. And He was able to fulfill this impossible role because He was God.

But, this book reminded me, the next time we see Him, well, that will set the record straight. There will be no human birth, and He will most assuredly not be a lamb— He will be the Lion of Judah, and He will bring with Him a level of “shock and awe” that will make the wars of the past 200 years look like a church picnic.

His presence will make our definition of “masculinity” laughable, and the toughest men on the planet will weep with terror at the mere sight of Him. It will be Judgment Day, and I don’t recall ever reading “the tough, the strong, and the independent” shall inherit the earth.”

Who will? The Bible says “the meek.” Does this mean folks who are tough, strong, and independent can’t make the cut? In my opinion, no— they have the same chance as everyone else. But, they need to be humble about their successes, and understand their God-given talents were given to them by, well, God. They need to admit that they, like everyone else, fall short of the “glory of God” and the perfect example set by Jesus. They need to admit their need for a rescuer, and—here’s a biggie—specifically ask Jesus to be that rescuer.

Is Christianity a crutch for weak people? Personally, I don’t think so, but, hey-- Jesse “The Body” Ventura says it is. Who am I to argue with him? He’s rich, famous, buffed, bald, and bad. I’m nobody.

For his own sake, however, he better hope he’s right. I, for one, wouldn’t want that sound bite on my philosophical record when I’m standing face to face with the Lion of Judah, and He’s deciding my fate.