The Impact of Christianity

(with thanks to Faith Facts (www.faithfacts.org) from whom most of this article was taken verbatim)

Christian thought and ideas are under corrosive attack so we need to consider carefully what we are losing if this process is not reversed. There had been times when the state has had absolute authority and persecuted the church. At other times religion had effective control of the state. We can see that neither of these extremes are ideal.

Because our Schools must now teach other religions, alternatives to traditional marriage and gender transformation, I would suggest that we have gone much too far with “Political Correctness” and the rule of State. Christian owners of our cake shops and guest houses must accept and even promote LABGT values. That is not freedom. The BMA is considering the non-voluntary termination of life by withdrawing food and nutrition where dementia or vegetative states are hopeless. That is not respect for Human life. Professional people serving others are prohibited from offering prayer to needy people. If not intrusive, why not?   

Please consider: an overarching theme given to the world by Christianity is the equality of human beings, and the preciousness and worth of every human life.

As put by one commentator (Dinesh D'Souza), "This Christian idea was the propelling force behind the campaign to end slavery, the movement for democracy and popular self-government, and also the successful attempt to articulate an international doctrine of human rights. My celebration of Christianity's role in shaping these great social changes comes with a sober corollary: if the West gives up Christianity, it will also endanger the egalitarian values that Christianity brought into the world. The end of Christianity also means the systematic erosion of values like equal dignity and equal rights that both religious and secular people cherish." If secularism continues to gain, so will the restoration of infanticide, demands for the radical redefinition of the family, the revival of eugenic theories of human superiority, the suppression of freedoms of religion and expression, etc., as well as political tyranny.

·        The Magna Carta and America's foundational idea of The Rule of Law rather than the authority of man traces back to the Old Testament, beginning with the Ten Commandments.1 This includes the idea of restitution for wrongdoing

·        The idea that all men are created equal as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is a biblical doctrine. It has taken years of struggle across Western nations to establish this legally, but this is not true across much of Asia2

·        The notion of the sovereign authority of God (as also mentioned in the Declaration of Independence) - rather than the sovereignty of the state--is certainly biblical.3

·        The existence of moral absolutes is a Christian Biblical concept derived from Judaism and extended in Islam. The Declaration of Independence talks of “self-evident truths and unalienable rights from the Creator”.4

·        Many other aspects of our laws come directly from the Bible--for example the judicial, legislative and executive branches trace to Isaiah 33:22. Fair trials with witnesses have numerous Old and New Testament support.

·        Regarding civil liberty, the English Puritans established the rule of Parliament through the Civil War. The slogan on the American Liberty Bell is "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof" which is from Leviticus 15:10. Presidents as well as priests argue that Jesus himself was the greatest civil libertarian of all time.

·        Freedom of Belief from State control and the freedom of worship are Christian in origin although this was abused politically by the medieval Catholic Churcj. All Christians are told to serve the ruling authorities and to pray for their rulers5

·        The concept of Justice was worked out in the Old Testament and the New6

·        Fairness in the rules of trade not “survival of the fittest” was worked out in the Bible7 Capitalism under the rule of law satisfied the Christian demand for an institution that channels selfish human desire toward the betterment of society. Some critics accuse capitalism of being a selfish system, but the selfishness is not in capitalism—it is in human nature. Entrepreneurs spend the better part of each day figuring out how better to serve the needs of their actual and potential customers. They are operationally, if not intentionally, altruistic

·        Personal responsibility and loving, nurturing family life was a special theme of the New Testament8

·        The concepts of political servanthood and of mentoring were worked out from Biblical practises9

So to any Atheists and Humanists who choose to disagree I would say they should relish the freedom of expression that a Christian culture put in place for them. And that they should be thankful that our culture was not founded on atheism, given the terrible results of atheistic governments in the past such as Communist Russia, Communist China and others.

So whether you regard the a humble itinerant rabbi from the ancient world as a sage, prophet or God, please bear in mind that Emperors and governors have come and gone, but it is this man Jesus whose influence we still celebrate 2000 years later

1.      Rule of Law Ex. 18:24-27, Dt. 17:20, Isa. 8:19-20, Mat. 5:17-18 Lev. 6:1-5, Num. 5:5-7, Mat. 5:23-26

2.      All Men and Women equal Gen. 1:26, Acts 10:34, 17:26, Gal. 3:28, 1 Peter 2:17

3.      Sovereignty of God Ex. 18:16, 20:3, Dt. 10:20, 2 Chron. 7:14, Ps. 83:18, 91:2, Isa. 9:6-7, Dan. 4:32, Jn. 19:11, Acts 5:29, Rom. 13:1, Col 1:15-20, 1 Tim. 6:15

4.      Moral Absolutes Ex. 20:1-17, Dt. 30:19, Ps. 119:142-152, Pr. 14:34, Isa. 5:20-21, Jn. 10:10, Rom. 2:15, Heb. 13:8 

5.      Freedom of religion from State Control Dt. 17:18-20, 1 Kgs. 3:28, Ezra 7:24, Neh. 8:2, 1 Sam. 7:15-10:27, 15:10-31, 2 Sam. 12:1-18, Mat. 14:3-4, Lk. 3:7-14, 11:52, Acts 4:26-29, 1 Timothy2:1-2

6.      Justice Ex. 23:1-9, Lev. 19:15, Dt. 1:17, 16:19-20, 24:17-19, 1 Sam. 8:3, 2 Sam. 8:15, 1 Kings 3:28, 10:9, Mic. 6:8, Rom. 13:4

7.      Biblical Capitalism under fair rules Ex. 20:17, Mat. 20:26, 25:14-30, 2 Thes. 3:6-15, 1 Pet. 2:16

8.      Personal Responsibility and Morality in family life Mat. 18:15-18, Gal. 5:16-26, 1 Cor. 6:1-11, 1 Tim. 3:1-5, Tit. 2:1-8, Ex. 20:12-14, Mat. 19:1-12, Mk. 10:2-12, Rom. 1:18-2:16, 1 Cor. 7:1-40, 

9.      Political servanthood and Mentoring Ex. 18:21, Rom. 13:4, Php. 2:7,