Christianity's fate lies in the heart of non-believers

In the face of Trump's rise to power Christianity has challenged in the public in a way it hasn't... well since the last time he managed to claim the presidency but this time its somewhat worse as the world has seen how he behaves now. The wave of Christian nationalism and misogyny combined with the sex scandal that ended Archbishop Justin Welby's tenure has left the world appalled at us.

Many might say 'who cares if the atheist doesn't like us, as he doesn't believe anyway' but this misses the point entirely. The Church isn't meant to just exist, its meant to draw others in, and bring them to God; How can we do that when we are left as a thing of horror before the nations?

I often find at times like this looking to 1 Peter, it was meant for wives of pagan husbands but with a few words removed it suits perfectly:

...so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of... [the faithful]... when they see your pure and reverend demeanor.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment... but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quite spirit, which is precious in God's sight.

Okay I had to substitute wife with 'the faithful' but you get the picture, it is how we are as much as what we do that matters.

So how does that solve the problem?

The issue is, silence and the internet don't mix: we can not get involved but that doesn't repair the damage. So how can we win them over 'without words' in a medium that relies on it?

Its not about them, its about us. We have to prove we are better but not get bogged down in arguments:

If you see an article where the church has failed to live up to its ideals, don't just scroll by; if you can comment and it isn't already a mudslinging match where no one can come out clean, apologies on our behalf as these failures were done in our name and we have to show we are responsible.

Don't post only to proselyte or convert, raise social issues and injustices so that the world will hear them. And in doing so you will show your righteousness.

Show respect, even if you don't agree; you don't have to role over but there is always a better way to disagree than to argue.

Perhaps most important of all is what you can do offline. Sadly at the moment their is little I can give in the physical world but the Church was once known for its charity work. I'm certainly not asking you to claim glory for doing the right thing but the salvation army and Christian aid act in the name of the church and thus show our goodness.

It is written that faith without works is dead, and its true; its not the works that save though, faith inspires works and this is a fundamental of Christianity. Faith should move you to want to help others as they are fellow creations, it should be alien to our nature not to help.

We are going to have to work three times as hard, once for us, once for the damage the nationalists have done, and once for what they should have done. But it's not in condemning Christian nationalism we will find victory, but in ourselves and in our actions, then the world will know who we are.