REASONS TO BELIEVE CHRISTIANITY CHANGED THE WORLD

This is the eleventh in a series of blog posts with my sister Betty Haynie about what we believe. Our thoughts are intentionally brief on subjects that could fill volumes. My thoughts follow her thoughts - be sure to read it all!

HOW CHRISTIANITY CHANGED THE WORLD

By Betty Haynie

One way that Christianity changed the world is that women in Christian areas are honored and respected, not oppressed. The truth is that, far from oppressing women, the Christian church has proved to be a liberating force. Women have achieved unprecedented status in nations where Christianity has had an impact. Jesus honored women among His followers. Mary Magdalene was the first to discover the empty tomb, see the resurrected Christ, and tell the other believers. Jesus stopped people from stoning the adulteress and treated the oft-married woman at the well with respect.

Throughout history women in non-Christian countries have been treated as property - chattel in some instances. Only in the Western countries and those in Europe and South America that embrace Christianity have women become more highly elevated and, in many countries equal with men. This is especially true in the United States, Canada, England and some of the European countries. In many countries women still cannot vote or voice an opinion.

In his book How Christianity Changed the World, Alvin Schmidt elaborates on how Christianity endorsed and promoted the following subjects:

1. The Sanctification of Human Life

2. Christianity Elevates Sexual Morality

3. Women Receive Freedom and Dignity

4. Charity and Compassion

5. Hospitals and Health Care

6. Christianity’s Imprint on Education

7. Labor and Economic Freedom Dignified

8. Science: Its Christian Connections

9. Liberty and Justice for All

10. Slavery Abolished

11. Christianity’s Stamp on Art and Architecture

12. The Sound of Music: Its Christian Resonance

13. Hallmarks of Literature: Their Christian Imprint

14. Additional Influence: Holidays, Words, Symbols etc.

I won’t go into each of these subjects, but this list is certainly something for Christians to take comfort in, knowing that without Christ this world would be a really sorry mess (even worse than it currently is). It is because we don’t acknowledge Jesus and live by God’s Word that the world is in such a mess. But without Jesus’ life and teachings it would be MUCH worse. If mankind would simply practice living as Jesus teaches us to, and follow His example, this world could be a heaven rather than the hell that it has become. The original name for the followers of Jesus was “The Way,” and that is what it really is, to those who believe.  

Blessings, Betty

HOW CHRISTIANITY CHANGED THE WORLD

By Dottie Parish

Did you read Betty’s list of how Christianity changed the world? What would the world be like if Christianity had never happened? Here are things I thought of that would be missing if Jesus had never lived and taught and died and rose again.

Marvelous music would be missing including Handel’s Messiah, all hymns, and great and beautiful classical Christian music. The same is true of art, such as the Sistine Chapel and the painting there by Michelangelo. Think of all the Christian literature, especially the Bible but also Pilgrims Progress by Paul Bunyan, Augustine’s Confessions, A Christmas Carol, and books by C. S. Lewis and Timothy Keller, and the Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer and so many more.

There would be no Bible, no Lord’s Prayer, no Christmas holiday, no Easter, no Thanksgiving (the pilgrims started this to thank God), no churches, no Red Cross, no Billy Graham revivals, no missionaries, no homeless shelters. Many hospitals started as Christian institutions, many colleges did also. They would not be here. There would be no child labor laws. No Salvation Army, no putting your hand on the Bible in court to swear to tell the truth, children would not learn to pray or sing Jesus Loves me. No Sunday off work, no ten commandments. Would it be ok to steal, to commit adultery? Would children learn to honor their parents?

There would be no story of the Good Samaritan, no angels singing to welcome the new born babe, no overcoming of death, no resurrection as a fact, no miracles of healing.

Life would seem aimless, no purpose, just do your own thing. There would be more immorality, more stealing, sleeping around, contentiousness, less listening to others and more doing whatever you please, more lawlessness, more self-focus, less kindness.

Women would be subjected to the whims of men as men are stronger. Why not? (Jesus was accepting and honoring toward women contrary to the culture then.) Our calendar would not be divided into BC and AD. Infants and children would be abused more and discarded if not healthy; children would suffer more abuse and be put to work at a young age.

Christianity is responsible for providing us over the course of the last 2000 years a reasonable, faith that teaches us who God is and how he wants us to live. He teaches us that we will fail without him. We need God in order to live a humble, honest, kind and loving life. We need him to save us from our sinful ways and with his Spirit in us to help others. Whether you are Christian or not, we all should thank God for Jesus and the Christian faith. Christ Jesus has changed us and our world! 

Blessings, Dottie

Watch for our final Reasons to Believe post on WHY I BELIEVE IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH in late April by Betty and Dottie