Have you ever heard someone object to Christianity on the grounds that people in the name religion has done a lot of evil? How does one respond?

To start off I want to say I think there are evil religions. I immediately think of radical Islam such as ISIS and Scientology as examples. Just because some people use religion to do evil that does not mean all religions including Christianity must be rejected. That’s committing the logical fallacy of attributing a part or segment to the whole or to other parts/segments. One should look at the content of religious beliefs too. There’s a world of a difference between a radical and violent religious group versus say a pacifist leaning religious group. Such an objection commits the fallacy of generalization when it doesn’t take into account actual doctrines and beliefs that it is dismissing. Also to make the observation of hypocrisy does not in of itself mean we reject all religion (in particular Biblical Christianity) categorically. Should we reject the role of law enforcement or reject the cause of fighting child pornography just because there are hypocrites? Of course not. Yet there are hypocrites in these areas. See my posts “Hypocrisy, Christianity and the Drunk Police Officer” and “Hypocrisy, Christianity and the Case of Patrick Rock” respectively. Also we shouldn’t reject the role of parenting just because there are some bad parents nor reject water just because there is bad water in different parts of the world currently and throughout history. Neither should we reject Christianity just because there are hypocritical leaders and followers. Furthermore Christianity does not teach that Christian leaders are the final authority which would be a sufficient basis to reject Christianity if that was Christian doctrine in light of Christian leader hypocrisy, but that is not the case doctrinally with biblical Christianity. This kind of argument can also be self-defeating for the atheist: What about horrors done by atheists in the cause of atheistic ideology? I think of Stalin as an example. He is a committed atheist with atheistic ideology. One might want to read critical and scholarly biographies about him and his policy. See my Review: Stalin: A New Biography of A Dictator, Review: Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine and Review: The Last Days of Stalin. Stalin has been responsible for a lot of mass killing in his atheistic state. According to Wikipedia “casualties for the Stalinist period varying from 8 to 61 million” (Source) Atheist’s most dangerous denomination is Marxism. According to Professor Stephen Kotkin in The Wall Street Journal Communism killed at least 65 million people between 1917 and 2017 (Source). Years ago I visited Pol Pot’s killing fields. I will never forget the skulls of victims, the horrifying photographs of the kids they killed and documented, and the heinous political prison that they converted from what was originally a school. What about the good done by Christians? Those who make Christianity and religion as the root of all evil also need to account for the phenomenon of Christianity’s fruit of doing good. Early in the history of Christianity we see the effect of its beliefs in society that lessens cruelty. Check out Christianity and the end of Roman’s Cruel Gladiatorial Games. Also check out AMAZING GRACE’: ABOUT MY HERO, WILLIAM WILBERFORCE. Many examples of the faithful can be cited from daily life and also throughout history. If religion is the root of all evil, how are places where atheism is in control? It is legitimate to ask this question because some secularists’ agenda is the eradication of religion for the benefit of society. Some of the most horrifying places on earth in history has been area under secularized regime as we have seen mentioned above earlier. I realize sometimes people point to secularized modern Scandinavian states and how things are nicer or better relatively speaking to different parts of the world today. Even in such places it is not evil free. Also even in the West even atheists are acknowledging how creepy and predatory atheist conferences can be for women. See the infamous Washington Post’s article “Do atheists have a sexual harassment problem?” and this link. If in a secular place there still exists evil then the issue is ultimately larger than doctrinal adherence or lack of it; which fits what the Bible describes that the problem is man’s sinful nature is the source of society’s evil. Don’t forget: People themselves are evil. They can also use their religion or ideology to rationalize their evil. This is true of evil people using idolatrous religions to conform to their agendas. This is also true of atheistic ideology. Also more practically think of people who don’t want anything to do with God and they apostate to do whatever they want. In light of sinful human nature the most frightening thing in the world is an atheistic utopia of a world without God, where the state is ultimate. Here’s a video clip from Jordan Peterson about human nature and atheist utopian ideology and why it doesn’t work that is a serious warning to us (start at 2:30 minute mark to 3:51 minute mark): I must add a caveat that I don’t condone everything Jordan Peterson believes but in this segment above he’s right on. This objection by someone who does not believe in God already assumes too much that isn’t granted in his or or her own beliefs. To accuse Christianity or other religions as evil as someone who is secularist presupposes moral standards. But such moral standards isn’t intelligible nor meaningful in such a worldview. As one apologist describes it, “ATHEISTS Steal From GOD”! I do believe that religions that send people to hell are also bad. We cannot do enough good works to go to heaven and because of our sinful nature we will continue to sin. To preach works righteousness is damning. There’s also the accompanying sin of prideful self-righteousness. However here’s the Good News: Though we cannot save ourselves God sent Christ to die on the Cross to atone for the sins of sinners who would trust in Him. That’s the Good News we proclaim!