A Declaration of No Faith

All over the world, people of various religions are taught that it is good policy to declare your faith. These declarations or confessions of faith come in various forms.

The Christian declaration of faith probably started out with something as simple as:

“Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11 ESV)

a revolutionary and indeed dangerous truth for that time, because to call Jesus “Lord” would hugely offend both Jews and Romans, for different reasons.

This simple early confession and is elaborated a little in Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 10 verse 9 –

“…  if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Other Christian declarations of faith include the ancient confessions which were drawn up centuries ago, like the Apostles’ creed.

Muslims also are used to reciting or hearing a simple sentence that encapsulates their faith. The Mormons, who knock on our doors from time to time, are taught to declare to whoever they are trying to reach that they believe in a particular point which the other person might have questioned.

But now I discover a new trend. It is a (for me) depressing development which I call a Declaration of No Faith. You meet somebody in the street and you happen to mention something about Christianity to them. Where at one time they may well have nodded politely and then moved the conversation on to another topic, now they will frequently retort quite loudly that they are not religious or don’t believe anything.

It all seems very strange and disturbing. The unbelieving culture used to favour private and personal religion. In this, people keep their beliefs (or non-beliefs) very much to themselves:

“What I believe is private and does not concern anybody else, and I don’t meddle in what others believe”.

If asked to write down on a form what their religion was, those indifferent or unbelieving would once put simply “Christian” as the polite and expected thing to do. But now, with almost missionary zeal, they seem very ready to declare their non-faith that the drop of a hat.

What, I ask, is the point of parading the fact that you believe in nothing? What good does that do you or anyone else? There is no real value to anybody in someone making an offer of nothing.

If only you could meet an equal number of people on the street who would be just as enthusiastic about claiming, 

“For me, Jesus Christ is Lord!” 

Whatever your beliefs, you have to say that that is at least offering something.

Speaking for myself, my thought life and my personal life, the whole quality of my living, are richer and more meaningful because I have met people like that. I am well aware that some of the key points of what we believe will look quaint to sceptics, yet on closer inspection these things have a depth to them that we all need. They are firm and important building blocks for a person’s being and life.

How anyone can be excited about declaring they have nothing to live by beats me. Maybe one day somebody can explain it so that it makes sense to me.

Meanwhile I am glad to regard faith in Jesus Christ as Lord as a precious gift from God which I cherish and invite others to share in.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 ESV.

I may be prepared to look some gift horses in the mouth … but certainly not this one.