Outrageous Good Will

Outspoken conservative Ann Coulter has done it again. She has upset America by her statements. Color me surprised. This time she told a Jewish Donny Deutsch that she thought everyone should become Christians ... even Jews. "That is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews," she told the host.

Now, I am not a proponent of Ann Coulter. And generally I won't take on individuals in my comments. What I want to do for just a moment, then, is to examine the idea that has so inflamed the world. Should everyone become Christians? Or, perhaps more accurately, should Christians think everyone should become Christians?

Frankly I'm baffled at the response. There isn't a person alive who does not believe that what they believe is right. Even the loon on the street corner who is quite sure that little green men are falling from the sky to take over the world is convinced that he is right. No one should be surprised that a person who believes something believes it is right. If you didn't believe it was correct, you wouldn't believe it.

So, what is "Christian"? And why would anyone suggest that everyone should be one? "Christian" is a simple, basic premise. The idea is that we are sinners who have earned Hell and only through accepting Christ's sacrifice on our behalf can we have a relationship with God and avoid eternal damnation. Simple. Straightforward. So Ann Coulter has made this startling suggestion: Everyone should accept Christ and avoid eternal damnation.

Why is this so upsetting? If Deutsch had asked, "Do you think everyone should have enough to eat?" and she had answered, "Yes, I think everyone -- even Jews -- should have enough to eat," no one would have batted an eye. Now she has suggested that she would like everyone to avoid Hell, and that's outrageous.

It has been said that we are living in a "post-Christian" America. The suggestion is that everyone (essentially) has heard the Gospel. It's not new stuff. I have to wonder. If people are outraged because Christians think that everyone should have eternal life, a living relationship with God, and forgiveness for their sins, people apparently haven't heard or understood the Gospel.

Perhaps that's the case. I suspect that, to some extent, the Gospel has been misrepresented in many cases. There are pastors of churches teaching that Christianity is being nice to people and accepting everyone. That's nice ... but it's not Christianity -- and it's not the Gospel. I also suspect that the more obvious problem is that people have heard the Gospel and rejected it. They deny the premise that we're all sinners and deny the claim that we need to come to Christ in faith. I understand that. But it doesn't explain the outrage when an Ann Coulter expresses a wish for the good will of all humans. If the Dali Lama came to me and told me, "I want all people to have peace; they can achieve that through Buddhism," I would say, "Hello, Dali, and thank you for your well wishes. I think your solution is faulty, but I appreciate the sentiment." I would disagree with his answer, but I wouldn't be outraged at his intentions.

So, I'm baffled at the response. Christians believe that those who reject Christ are bound for Hell. No person with any concern for their fellow human beings would say, "You're headed for disaster, but, hey, go right ahead." Any concerned person would do something to encourage others to avoid disaster. Still, if we suggest that we'd be happy if everyone avoided the ultimate disaster of eternal damnation, people are angry. Are we not expressing it correctly? Or is there something more at work here?