Newsweek targets Christians

USA (MNN) — Christians are under attack in the United States. This time it comes in the form of a Newsweek cover story.

According to the article, evangelical Christians have a gross misunderstanding about what the Bible actually says. The lengthy piece muses that Scripture is written by men, full of mistakes and meanings misguided.

Wayne Pederson, President of Reach Beyond, says, “The article was not balanced, not objective, not good journalism. They quoted only critics of the Bible, not scholars that have studied the Bible.”

One section of the article claimed that 2 Peter was actually a forgery. Pederson says, “The article says that’s a position universally held by theologians. Really? I’ve never heard any of the Biblical theologians and scholars question the authorship of 2 Peter. [This position] is NOT universally held, as the author says.”

Pederson says arguments questioning the authenticity of Scripture aren’t new. Many have tried. In fact, good scholarly work does something else. “Many of the people that have begun a journey to disprove the Bible in their research have come to faith in Jesus Christ.”

Pederson says there’s obvious proof Scripture is true. “As we reach out with the hope on radio and other social media, and as we bring God’s love to people in the form of human care and community development, lives are being changed.”

Reach Beyond is committed to doing more, especially in specific areas. “We’re going to continue to focus on places that are less than 2% Christian, because we know the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives, changes families, and changes communities.”

While the attacks against Christians seem to be increasing in the United States, Pederson isn’t surprise. “Jesus warned us that we should expect to be judged and criticized. The Epistles talk about it–even ‘count it all joy’ when people speak evil against you; so we should not be surprised when this happens.”

Funding for Reach Beyond for 2015 will be used to help start Christian radio stations, combat the Ebola virus, and using community development to reach people with the Gospel.