Questions that focus on ‘why’ are often dangerous. They seek quick answers of attribution. They want quick and easy answers behind particular behaviors. Questions such as “Why is there so much hate towards Christianity and its ways?” often contain many hidden agendas behind them. A question that broad is not easy to answer in a succinct manner.

In responding to such questions, I am reminded of an anecdote from the life of George Washington Carver. In one of his many interactions with God, He reportedly posed the question to God “Why did you make man?” The response was that that the answer was beyond him. Carver came back with the question, “Why did you make me?”, The response he received was that the answer was still beyond him. Carver came back and asked “Why did you make the peanut?”. The response he received was “That is something we can work on”.

In a similar manner, let us pare down the question to a level that can be understood. Rather than address the whole of Christianity and its ways, let us consider one person, John Knox.

John Knox was a Christian pastor in Scotland. He lived from 1510 – 24 November 1572. As a pastor, he was often the target of hatred and persecution. The time he lived was a harsh time. Kings often had whole cities destroyed and the inhabitants killed in fits of rage.Protestant pastors and Catholic priests were burned or hung depending on the whims of the ruler in power.

During his lifetime John Knox was hated by members of the Catholic church, the Church of England and various royal personalities. He was an associate of John Calvin and a peer of Martin Luther. Two of the ministers he worked alongside ended up being burned at the stake for their stands, despite being chased, persecuted and threatened, John Knox persevered in his faith. Even to this day, there are some who hate Knox. When he preached, he often kept a sword if not in hand due to the animosity often directed at him and his preaching. He was hunted by many and burned in effigy due to his views.

The first incident that stirred up hatred against John Knox was when he embraced Christian beliefs during the reformation. As part of the reformation, Christians took the teaching of the Bible as literal and authoritative. The Bible was seen as more authoritative that the traditions of religious institutions. The first time he was the target of ire was when he spoke out against the adoration of the Virgin Mary. He saw the practice akin to the worship of idols, which the Bible forbade. For his speaking out against that practice, he was burned in effigy.

When John Knox returned to Scotland, he continued preaching. His protestant preaching and taking stands against illicit affairs earned him the wrath of Cardinal Beaton of Scotland who had an illicit lover. Wherever Knox preached, he acknowledged Christ only as the head of the church and society. When Jesus said that he was the way, the truth and the light, in Knox's mind, it established teaching of Jesus as the only ‘true’ religion. He went on and advocated that the civil authority was obliged to defend this ‘true’ religion. His preaching often influenced the local nobility to support the beliefs. This kind of teaching was seen as a threat to Cardinal Beaton and the established catholic church structure in Scotland, which had a long history of wanting local control of churches rather than submitting to the authority of Rome. Knox’s preaching led people to take stands either for the ‘true’ religion or against it. By taking such a strong stand, and questioning the authority of government and church structure many tended to hate him and his message.

Further animosities arose when he spoke out about religious controversies in Scotland. He took Bible teachings on the authority of women literally and spoke out against Mary Tudor and Mary of Guise who were then in positions of authority. His speaking out was in plain language where he described their rule as abominable and sinful. He believed that truth was to be found in ‘Scriptures Alone’. This was during a time when regents often wanted the church to support them in their actions and positions so that their authority was unquestioned. When people had another authority other than the regent or church by which to declare what was and was not allowed, it became a threat to rulers. Mary of Guise had Knox and many of his followers arrested and sent to French galleys where they were sentenced to hard labor.

Knox eventually escaped and returned to England. While there he revised the liturgy used in the churches. He continued viewing the Bible as literally true. Based on that view, he spoke out against prayers for the dead and kneeling during church services. He saw the kneeling as a form of idolatry. His continued preaching against certain church practices led to him being chased out of England. His views concerning the women rulers infuriated even Queen Elizabeth who refused allowing him safe passage through England.

His flight took him to Switzerland, where he continued speaking out and printing pamphlets against the rulers of England and their supporters based on the authority of scripture. He also had controversies with fellow leaders of the reform movement over how to conduct church services. At one point, some of the people refused to even be in the same church where John Knox had preached. Many of the issues involved whether to continue with traditions regarding worship or to use the Bible as a guide concerning worship. When Knox began to also question the emperor and other authorities of Europe, his followers advised him to leave and return to Scotland.

In Scotland, his fiery sermons earned the wrath of rulers, yet admiration of many followers who now had copies of the Holy Scriptures themselves. When he was summoned to appear before the local authorities, he was followed by so many people, that he was allowed license to preach throughout Scotland. His strong moral stands against immorality, children born out of wedlock and profligacy offended many of the rulers who often practiced such behaviors. Knox believed that the Lord authorizes and requires all Christians to correct their rulers' religion and to compel them to obey God's commandments as written in the Holy Bible. He not only espoused the idea, he put it into practice, often confronting the rulers of his day to their face.

His preaching became stronger the longer he preached. His attitude was that “If princes exceed their bounds, …they may be resisted, even by power.”. His sermons addressing how even rulers derive their authority from God and how they are answerable to God for their actions concerned Mary Queen of Scots. She had him summoned into her presence several times to answer for his sermons. He remained steadfast in his conviction that even rulers were to be held accountable for their submission to God and his word. Mary, Queen of Scots faced a moral dilemma since her actions with where Lord Darnley was killed and she ran off with his suspected murderer. Her actions alienated her from both Protestant and Catholic subjects. She eventually forbade Knox from preaching.He refused to comply with the queen's order, thereby undermining her authority further. Mary eventually escaped to England where she was held captive, while Knox continued preaching.

He continued preaching without compromise against immorality and sinful behaviors by the people and the rulers. When he died, he was buried at St. Giles. The testimony given by one of those in attendance said, "Here lies one who never feared any flesh". This was a bold statement, for during this time in history, there were many pastors and ministers burned for their preaching.

So in the life of John Knox, there are several things that led to him and his preaching being hated.

1. John Knox believed in the moral authority of the Holy Bible.
2. John Knox spoke out against immorality with authority.
3. John Knox took his beliefs into politics and where he lived.
4. John Knox placed the authority of the Holy Bible above that of government.
5. John Knox viewed Christianity as the only ‘true’ religion.
6. John Knox held government authorities accountable.

"A man with God is always in the majority."

"No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshipped; no other man has been so devoutly loved."

"Those who have arrived at any very eminent degree of excellence in the practice of an art or profession have commonly been actuated by a species of enthusiasm in their pursuit of it. They have kept one object in view amidst all the vicissitudes of time and torture."

"If princes exceed their bounds, madam, no doubt they may be resisted, even by power. For no greater power or greater obedience is to be given to kings than God has commanded to be given to father and mother. But the father may be struck with a frenzy in which he would slay his children. Now madam, if the children arise, join together, apprehend the father , the sword from him, bind his hands and keep him in prison till the frenzy be over, think you, madam, that the children do wrong? Even so, madam, it is with the princes that would murder the children of God that are subject unto them" -(from an address to Mary Queen of Scots)

[Apparently, John Knox's words had impact. Mary Queen of Scots once said, "I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe"]

"The sword of justice is God's, and if princes and rulers fail to use it, others may."

“As the world is wearie of me so am I of it.”

"And therefore, my Lords, to return to you, seing that God hath armed your hands with the sword of justice, seing that His law most straightly commands idolaters and false prophets to be punished with death, and that you be placed above your subjects to reign as fathers over their children, and further seing that not only I, but with me many thousand famous, godly, and learned persons, accuse your Bishops and the whole rabble of the Papistical clergy of idolatry, of murder, and of blasphemy against God committed: it appertaineth to your Honours to be vigilant and carefull in so weighty a matter. The question is not of earthly substance, but of the glory of God, and of the salvation of yourselves."

(Bear in mind, that at the time of John Knox, preachers and priests were burned for their preaching if found to be heretical. Just prior to his time, King Henry VIII of England sought to put Edinburgh to fire and sword, destroying the whole city so there "might remain for ever a perpetual memory of the vengence of God lighted upon them for falsehood and disloyalty". The vengence plan was stopped at the Battle of Ancrum Mor. This was a time period that people took seriously what they believed, since it could cost them their lives.)

"But hereof be assured, that all is not lawful nor just that is statute by civil laws; neither yet is everything sin before God, which ungodly persons allege to be treason."

"Let a thing here be noted, that the prophet of God sometimes may teach treason against kings, and yet neither he nor such as obey the word, spoken in the Lord’s name by him, offend God."