Is Christianity a placebo?
Skeptics often assert that Christianity is a placebo faith, meaning that people believe in it and derive peace from it
because it's comforting, not because it's true. I don't think this is true of Christianity because in reality Christians
must accept several hard truths:
- We have all sinned against God and deserve to go to hell.
- One can't make up for one's sins, nor can one earn one's way into heaven; one has to accept God's
forgiveness as a gift. This may sound easy at first, but most people don't like accepting charity - they want to
earn what they receive.
- One's friends and relatives who don't accept Christ won't be with one in heaven, but will be in hell.
- God calls us to do difficult things, such as loving our enemies and controlling our thought life.
- Being a committed Christian often results in ridicule and persecution, even from one's own friends and
family. Christians in countries like America have an easier time of it than believers in countries where
Christianity is illegal; but even so, it's not easy in any society to say that Christ is the only way to God, or
to adhere to a different standard of morality than the surrounding culture.
These things, especially living as a Christian, are hard enough that a mere placebo effect wouldn't be enough to
compensate for them. In particular, the comfort derived from believing that oneself is saved and will go to heaven is
balanced against concern for one's family and friends.
This is not to say that Christians don't derive comfort and joy from knowing God, for we do. But that comfort and joy
comes about supernaturally, from the Holy Spirit, even in circumstances when the Christian doesn't expect it.
Personally, I don't think my own faith is a placebo because that doesn't adequately explain my experiences with God,
including the changes God has brought about in my attitudes and priorities and the answers to prayer I've received;
it also doesn't explain the complete transformations other people I know have experienced as Christians.
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