Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12
Christians are the most actively persecuted people in the world today. More people have been martyred for their faith in Christ in 123 years since 1900 than in the previous 1900 years since the establishment of Christianity. We in America do not feel the sting of persecution as do so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world—for which we are grateful. But the more subtle forms of persecution we in America are facing are giving way to more aggressive forms of persecution.
Why to people hate Christianity?
Christians, by and large, are no threat either to individuals or to nations. Christians are commended by God in the Bible to love our neighbors (including our enemies!), and to obey our governments. So though we do not do these things perfectly, we should be the best neighbors and the best citizens.
So we ask again, why do people hate Christianity?
Christianity is by nature an evangelistic faith. We are commanded to tell others about Jesus. We cannot convert anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that—but we are to tell others about Christ and the gospel. Most people do not want to hear the gospel because they do not want to be told they are sinners in need of a Savior. So they hate the message and therefore the messengers.
People practicing other religions do not want to hear that their religions are not valid and cannot get them to heaven—which is the message of Jesus who insisted that He is the only way to the Father in Heaven (John 14:6). So they hate the message and therefore the messengers.
So the bottom line about why people hate Christianity is that they hate Christ. Jesus told His disciples we would be hated because the world hates Him (John 15:18). And why do they hate Jesus? Because trusting in and following Jesus requires acknowledging one’s sin, that one’s other religious beliefs are wrong, that Jesus is the only way, and that to follow Jesus, one must turn from sin to Christ.
This hatred of Christ is not always carried out consciously. It is most often simply the natural reaction of those who are spiritually dead in sin, and therefore living in rebellion against God.
Unless the Lord changes a person’s heart (regeneration), people naturally hate Christ and the gospel.