There have always been detractors, true; but I think the point of the article is that those detractors are at an increasing level. The trend is concerning.
Someone said something to me thirty-something years ago that I've never forgotten.
They said:
"You're the only Bible that some people will ever read."
Is it possible that WE are part of the problem?
For example, imagine a seeker coming here to the BDF.
Do you think that they would walk away thinking that the Bible is the inspired word of God when a bunch of people who all claim to believe the same cannot agree on just about anything that it says?
Just about two years ago, at a previous job of mine, I worked with a young man in his upper twenties. He and I became friendly as we observed each other's work ethic. In other words, I developed respect for him and vice versa. We began to chat with each other over time, and I couldn't help but notice how frequently he took Jesus' name in vain. Well, one day I decided to politely bring that to his attention, and, to my surprise, he actually took it quite well. He told me that he didn't even realize that he was doing it, and I used that opportunity to talk to him about Jesus, and why he should have reverence for his name.
In the course of our discussion, he told me that he didn't believe that the Bible was the word of God. In fact, he told me that while he was in college he wrote some sort of thesis on how the Bible is a crutch for weak-minded and gullible people.
Here's the interesting thing, though...
After he and I interacted with each other for about the next 30 days, and after he saw that I was genuinely concerned not only for his eternal destiny, but also helpful towards him with work-related situations that he was facing, he asked me to buy him a Bible, and I did.
My point is this:
Although there are people who truly hate God's word simply because "they hate the light" or hate Jesus Christ, there are also countless people out there who have been turned off to the things of God by observing those who claim to belong to him yet constantly misrepresent him and what they profess to believe.
I have three teenage children, and none of them are presently saved.
One of them is totally hostile towards God and his word, another is like "whatever works for you", and the other is still tender-hearted to at least a degree where the Bible is concerned. The three of them do, however, share one thing in common:
They know how much I believe in the Bible, AND they actually see that through my actions, and not just through my words. This, I believe, has helped to keep the door open to at least a degree in all of their hearts.
Anyhow, let's not be so quick to judge those who don't believe, and let's be a little bit more cognizant of our own actions lest any of us become a stumbling block to others.
Something for all of us to hopefully ponder.
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