I once came across a scenario that an atheist had presented as an attack against Christianity. In it, he claimed that atheists do not have to face moral dilemmas as Christians would. The scenario went something like this:
“Suppose you were in Germany during WWII and you had hidden some Jews in your house. If you were questioned about this by Nazi soldiers, lying would be against your conscience as a Christian. However, an atheist can justify lying here as it protects the people you are hiding.”
It would seem that this atheist has a point. However, such an argument presents an extraneous situation that any truly professing Christian should not find himself in. Any Christian who holds to real faith in Christ would openly oppose Nazism and put his own self at great peril. Such a man would not be fit for hiding Jews in his house, as he himself would be a target of the government. This is our calling: To go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and to expose the deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). Those who did so during the Nazi regime put there lives in great danger, and were intensely and brutally persecuted, often with methods more barbaric than what the Jews faced. Lutheran students Sophie and Hans Scholl were arrested for distributing leaflets. The faced a short trial and were quickly sentenced to beheading by guillotine. Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged naked by wire and was slowly strangled to death. Likewise, many more Christians were persecuted for opposition to the government and faced all sorts of persecution. Many were interned in concentration camps and died alongside their fellow Jewish countrymen in the gas chambers.
It should be clear then, that there is no moral dilemma in following Christ. Any such that we encounter is a result of our own doing, and not from obedience to Christ. Any situation which would present itself as a moral dilemma is not one that we should find ourselves in. Any atheist will doubtlessly deal with a number of moral dilemmas, as the morals of that person are not inextricably bound to the righteousness of Christ. The situation presented here is indeed extraneous, as no one who is bound to Christ will find himself in it. Rather, anyone who finds himself under such an oppressive regime and holds unswervingly to Christ in all things, will find his own self in greater danger than even the danger faced by the Jews during that time. For the true Christian to hide Jews during that time would only put them in greater danger – such a man would be incapable of hiding them. While I am grateful that people did save many the lives of many Jews by concealing them, Christians, by nature, are called to a life of persecution and suffering. Jesus speaks of this: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matthew 24:9). Remember what you are called to. Not to an easy life, but to one of hardship, persecution, suffering and death. As Christ suffered, so we must suffer for His sake and for the sake of the gospel. But take hope, because it also written, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Here, we can see then, that truth triumphs over false reasoning. There is no justification ever for sin, even to tell a lie. We should never find ourselves in any situation were sin would be justified. But we see our true calling – to uphold truth and hold to righteousness, even if we must suffer for it. For in that is Christ glorified. This is why we must offer our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). There is no truer form of worship than this, and no way of life more pleasing to God. Let us remember this and live it out in our daily lives.
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