What They Think of Us: Do We Flaunt Our Christianity for Profit?

The writer of this atheist web page declares that he has grown "tired of remaining silent" and has dedicated himself to attacking "irrational belief," "anti-intellectualism," "Christian extremism," and "anti-Atheist bigotry."  The name of the site is Atheist Revolution.

The writer accuses Christians of flaunting their religion to promote their business interests .   This is a very thinly disguised insult.  Dictionary.com defines "flaunt" as "to parade or display oneself conspicuously, defiantly, or boldly. "  The post writer resents the implication that a Christian business can be assumed to be ethical and trustworthy and that non-Christians cannot.  He also thinks that Christians may have a secret agenda to proselytize their customers.

I have several "OF COURSES" in response.

1.  Assuming that the business owners are not cynical hypocrites who actually are trying to use Christianity as a marketing tool, OF COURSE they wish for prospective clients to know they are a Christian-owned business.  Christians have no reason to hide who they are.  Since making a profit is the basis for being in business, OF COURSE they are trying to make a profit.

2.  OF COURSE Christian-owned businesses should be assumed to be ethical and trustworthy.  If they are not, their owners have some "'splainin' to do."  Non-Christian owned businesses may be ethical and trustworthy; Christians have no monopoly on ethics, and thinking Christians do not make that claim.

3. OF COURSE, Christian business owners would like to share the Gospel with their customers.  That is known as the Great Commission.  It is our primary purpose in life.  It can be furthered by direct evangelism and by the example we present to the world as Christian laypeople.

"Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." Giovanni Francesco Bernardone (aka: St. Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)

4. OF COURSE, Christians are just as intellectually proficient as anyone else.  The charge that Christian belief is irrational or anti-intellectual is, itself, bigotry based on hatred.  The charge is based more on emotion, intellectual arrogance, and snobbery than anything else and ignores the overwhelming documentary, philosophical, historical and scientific evidence that the biblical explanation of things is, at the very least, intellectually defensible.